WILD // (Harry Styles)

F O U R T Y T H R E E

CHAPTER 43

HARRY

"We were sat here in the car, and she asked me if I could give her a few minutes alone," Niall breathes, nervously running his hand through his hair. I'm currently fighting the urge to knock him to the ground, for letting this happen to Claire. But I remember the time when I was to blame, and I know how he is feeling. Knocking his teeth out won't help me, I've learned.

I open the car door, taking a quick scan of the interior. Even though my heart is beating a million times a minute, I try to stay as calm as possible. I notice a small piece of paper sticking laying neatly on the drivers seat, so I lean over and grab it. Written across the front, it says: To Niall.

My first instinct is to flip it over, and read its content. But as my eyes cast on the first two words, I decide not to. This is meant for Niall. Did Zayn let her write a note before taking her away, or... was she taken willingly?

I back up out of the car, turning to Niall. I hand him the note, and his eyes flicker as he takes it in his hand, reading the front of it. He looks up at me, taking a deep breath before flipping it over, reading what seems like a whole page of words.

I study his intense stare, as he roams through the words quickly. Something builds up in his eyes, and I internally debate whether its anger, heartbreak, worry.

"She... met him. She gave herself over on purpose, she sacrificed t- to save Michael," The words fumble out of Niall's mouth, as he fails to construct a logical sentence. But the words fall in order of my mind and cold chills spread from the top of my head.

Zayn must've threatened her to kill Michael if she didn't hand herself over.

The realization makes a lump form in my throat, and I lose balance for a second. I feel like my heart is falling a thousand feet a second, and there is no way for me to stop it. She is back in his hands. He got his hands on her again. She's... gone.

Niall keeps his eyes on the note, and he seems to read a particular sentence over and over again. I glance down at the paper, but I close my eyes before I can read it. She wrote it for Niall to read.

He curls the paper up in a fist, shoving it in his pocket as his eyes twitch, but he inhales sharply to keep from tears forming.

"What do we do?" He says weakly, and I run my hands through my hair, my eyes grazing over every corner of the parking lot. I look at the sky, and the orange sky is lit up by the city lights. Somewhere... she might be looking at the same stars I am.

"Did she write anything in the note hinting at anything?" I ask, moving closer.

"Can I read it?" I try, because this might be the last words Claire will write. But Niall clenches his eyes together, shaking his head.

"There was no hints," he says, and I squint my eyes at him at first, but I believe him. He has no reason to lie.

So what do I do now? Knowing there is no way to help her again, it makes my muscles tense and my body stiffen. I'm right back where I started.

"There has to be some way to find her," Niall shivers, slicking his hair back.

"What about her phone?" Niall asks, his eyes widening. I shoot back to the car, opening the door, searching it's interior. But after a few minutes of nothing, I give up.

"Well, we can still track it, right? Yang can track it!" Niall hisses with hope in his eyes, but my heart doesn't top falling.

"That won't work," I shake my head, placing my hands onto the car, leaning over so I won't fall down. Knowing Zayn, he already smashed her phone to the ground.