Through the Dark (Sequel to Taking Chances)

Chapter Fifty: "One Lost Son of A Bitch"

It made sense waking up and asking which room you'd slept in this time. But what didn't make sense was the fact that I knew the ceiling of mine and Niall's bedroom all too well, and I dreaded waking to it.

I was almost too afraid to move at first. Would I look up and find Judie standing at the foot of my bed? Was I going to walk out into the kitchen and find another ridiculous note that hinted at a wicked plan of hers? Would I find Niall anywhere around, or had she taken him, just like Liam?

Or would I just get up, brush my teeth, take my shower, and then start my day with meeting Claire at a fancy dress shop somewhere in the city?

Anything could... would happen. Anyone could pop in and surprise me. Anything could go wrong. I just wanted to be sure I was prepared for it.

Cautiously, I slipped out from beneath the blanket and quietly made my way to the bathroom, all the while eyeing the bedroom door. I didn't like that it was slightly ajar, but that had to have just been Niall forgetting to close it all the way when he got up. I was just paranoid.

I tried to make myself look decent, but to tell the truth, my eyes looked as if they'd sunken in a bit since we got back from the cabin, and the bags looked horrid. I'd gotten enough sleep, I'd thought... but maybe not so. My lips were dry, cracked; biting and picking at them was never a healthy habit. My hair was knotted to hell and back, so much that I knew simply running a brush through it would do absolutely no good.

"Shower it is," I mumbled to myself, turning on my heels and pulling back the shower curtain.

The hot water was more soothing than the rain that poured last night. From every drop that hit my skin, I felt the weight of my worries wash away one minute at a time. It was because of that newly relaxed attitude that I ended up staying in the shower twenty minutes later than I had intended.

It was a rush from there: trying to put my clothes on without looking like I wasn't trying at all, brushing through my still slightly knotted hair, applying some foundation and powder to hide the tiredness that was displayed all over my face. And when I was finished, I called Claire to make sure I was heading to the correct dress shop.

"You're a little late," she said quietly.

"I know, I'm sorry," I replied as I struggled to tie my shoes. "It's just that the shower was convincing enough to relax me."

She chuckled softly. "That stressful, huh?"

"Unfortunately. I'm not sure how anyone can 'get back to normal' after everything we've been through..."

"I know. This morning I got up and asked Harry if he'd checked outside to make sure there weren't any suspicious people hanging around. He thought it was funny, but I'm scared that something will happen."

The sound of her worry made me falter in my attempt to stand. It hit me all over, reminding me why it was so important to leave them. I knew I'd made mistakes by leaving to avoid them getting hurt before, and they ended up hurt anyway, but she was getting ready to get married. She woke to her fiancé and asked him to make sure there wasn't anyone outside waiting to kidnap or kill them. How was anyone supposed to live their life like that? Constantly looking over their shoulder, always asking "what if?" whenever their lives are at stake.

I would never want that for anyone. And I wouldn't let it continue after it was all said and done. I refused to let them live their lives in fear of who was going to screw it up next.

"It's going to be over soon," I said. "Everything. All of it. You just worry about getting married."

"Thanks... I'll see you in a couple minutes?"