Wish You Were Here - Part 2

Chapter 7

FRANKIE'S POV

September

We are sitting awkwardly around the living room of Harry and Liv's place.   Xander Will and I are making polite small talk about the summer being over with Liv and Bec's parents.

Liv has invited us all around for dinner in an attempt for them to get to know Harry is a positive light. Bec told me all about their harsh reaction to the news of their daughters new boyfriend and we all begrudgingly agreed to help them out by coming tonight.

"That was Harry," Liv says, walking into the room holding her phone up. "He's sorry but he's running late, he was caught up with work but he is on his way."

I catch her mum, Angela, roll her eyes and look at her husband, Colin. I am about to point out that her little display is pretty damn unfair considering Bec is also running late but decide to try and keep the peace.

Liv's phone flashes again and a smile takes over her face. 

"Is that him cancelling?" Angela mocks and I'm actually in shock at her audacity considering they are in his house for starters, and secondly they are surrounded by his best friends.

I see Xander's brows crease and just as he opens his mouth to say something Liv interrupts by waving her hand to get us to quiet down

"It's Emma, it's weird, she usually Skype's, Ill just check what she wants." She says quickly and it's Xander turn to roll his eyes at his missed opportunity.

"Hey Em!.. oh Jax? Hey is everything..." Liv's eyes look at the ground in concentration and she plugs her other ear with her finger to hear better.

"Oh my god! When? Is she ok?" Everyone falls silent as we hear the panic rising in Liv's voice. We watch on as she shakes her head and starts to pace around the room.

"No!" She screams and her mum stands from her seat, ready to comfort her daughter who is looking more and more stressed with each passing second.

Liv's hand flies to her forehead as she listens, her eyes welling with tears and her stride in the short back and forth line in front of us never breaking.

"But she's ok, right? Tell me she's ok?" She stops mid-stride and gasps.

We all glance at each other before we see her hands cover her open mouth and hear her phone shatter into pieces onto the floor.

"Darling?" Angela questions her daughter. "What's happened? Is Emma alright?" Her voice sounds just as panicked as Liv's was a moment ago and her husband stands to place his hand on her shoulders, as aware as the rest of us that there has been horrible news from New York.

Her mum takes a step towards her but Liv jolts back, holding out her shaking hands as a barrier and her breathing becoming increasingly erratic.

"Call Harry!" I tell Xander quickly and know my first response wasn't an overreaction when I see him scramble to his feet and run out of the room, pulling his phone from his back pocket.

Liv begins to pace again, up and down the edge of the rug, frantically pulling at the roots of her hair and making an agonising strangled noise, her mind not letting her body believe the news she has just received.

Xander rushes back in and the three of us stand helplessly as Liv starts to lose control and the shock takes over.

Her parents are crowding her, her mum tearily asking her to confirm if Emma's ok knowing full well she's not, but like Liv, she is in total disbelief. 

Liv steps back, trying to gain some distance from them while her hands interchange from pulling her hair to covering her face in the way we all know is a habit of hers.  Every time her hands move to her eyes her parents take it as an opportunity to get closer which only makes her scream louder and pull her hair harder.