Assassin's Asylum ✔

25

They were all sitting around the table. Harry, Gemma, Horan and Payne. Harry and Gemma's mother and their stepfather, Robin. They ate in silence until Anne cleared his throat and looked at Harry.

"So, darling, how's work?"

"As usual", Harry replied simply.

Anne sighed. "Tell me something. Don't make me beg."

"We are working on a front page thing about prostitution in London", said Payne, knowing that Harry wouldn't have said a thing anyway. "Niall here has done some pretty impressive job with the research."

Horan smiled proudly when Payne patted his shoulder. Harry just sat there, not saying a word because he was a stubborn little shit who didn't want to talk about his work with his mother.

"Oh, that's...wonderful and slightly disgusting", Anne said.

Gemma raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying that prostitution is disgusting?"

"Well...Who would like some wine?"

"Mother! Don't change the subject."

"My house, my rules." she looked around. "So how about that wine?"

"You wanted to know what we were working on, and now you know. Let's talk more about prostitution, Mother", Harry said, somewhat angry for no clear reason.

"Let's not, Harry", Anne and Robin said in unison and Robin added, "Maybe it's better we don't discuss about work things in the dinner table, right?"

"Right", everyone mumbled and awkward silence filled the room once more. No one really knew why it was so awkward. Because of what Harry had said? Because usually there was black haired lad sitting by the table instead of the blond haired Irishman? Zayn's absence was clear and loud elephant in the room and everyone ignored it.

Harry felt frustrated. He wanted to tell his mother that prostitution wasn't disgusting. That, in fact, some of the girls didn't have a choice. Some of them were innocent, young girls who didn't want that life but who didn't have a choice. He doubted that Anne would've understood, after all, she wasn't the one who got to interview the girls.

Harry and Payne had done some interviews just the day before family dinner and some of the girls' stories really were heartbreaking. Of course all the girls wanted to hide their identity and luckily to them Harry and Payne couldn't give out any names, not that they even wanted to.

The silence broke when Anne finally pointed out the bug elephant in the room. "It's rather odd that Zayn isn't here."

Harry, Payne and Horan froze in place.

"Anne...", Robin warned.

"No, but it is", Anne said. "I mean, it's not a crime to talk about him. He would have liked us to remember him together."

Oh, no. Hell no. Harry was not ready to have this conversation. He just wasn't ready. No matter how much time had passed, he wasn't ready. Harry gave a look to Gemma. A warning look. Gemma caught on immediately.

"Mother, let's go get that wine", Gemma suggested, trying to save the situation before it would get out of control.

"Hush, Gemma. I want to say that we all miss Zayn and I would like to make a toast to his memory, he was such a sweet boy and didn't deserve to go like that and I'm sure he would have wanted us to--"

Harry stood up abruptly. "Shut up!"

Anne looked at Harry in a shock.

"Shut up", Harry repeated as he pushed his chair away. "You have no idea what you're talking about so shut up before you say something very stupid."

He spurted out of the house, not even caring that he was maybe overreacting a bit. He just wanted to get out and be somewhere where he didn't have to listen someone talking about Zayn, telling him what he would have liked or wanted. They had no idea what Zayn would have wanted, so Harry didn't want to listen to those things even for a second.

Back in the house Horan and Payne were apologizing Anne as they left the table and thanked her for the meal. They ran after Harry who was already sitting in the car.

"Let's go", he yelled from the open window.

Payne and Horan didn't protest as they stepped inside the car.

Harry drove back to London in silence. No one dared to say a word except goodbyes when Harry dropped Payne and Horan off. When he was finally alone he went straight to a bar because he needed a drink.