Look After You- Niam Horayne

Won't Give Up- Chapter 17

Liam's POV

I had to find him. That night I fled into his room to talk about us and he was gone was definitely the worst point in my life. It just couldn't get any worse. I cried, I cried for hours, wasting time thinking about myself. I was so selfish, lazing about in this care home when I could've found him by now.

My Niall could be hurt. He could have been killed for all I know. And it was all my fault. He didn't bring enough depression tablets to last him a week, let alone forever. Without those pills, the doctor told me he could get suicidal. I had to find him before it was too late. I'd never known pain like this- not even when my father declared that he was going on business for six months when I was nine, or when my mum announced I was moving schools. Nothing was worse than this.

I was out looking for hours. I had Jace, Ed, Darcy, Ella and Johnny looking with me while Harvey took care of the little ones. Johnny had taken Ella and Jace up a different route to widen our perimeter whilst I had Darcy and Ed. We had bought a flashlight since it was almost eleven at night, but it didn't help. We were miles from our home, but there was no traces of Niall. That put a big fat lump in my throat.

Hope was fading. Time was passing. I didn't know where he was, I didn't know how far he was. But we continued, trying not to give up. Surprisingly, Darcy was as urgent to find him as we were, ignoring all texts and calls from Alex in attempt to block out any distractions. Although Ed complained once about having to be anywhere near her, he pushed that away. Although Niall and him weren't close, he'd always wanted to be his friend. I knew Ed cared a lot about him, even if Niall did push him away the majority of the time. I was thankful Ed stuck around.

It just didn't make sense. Obviously, Niall was a depressed boy with a trunkful of problems but he'd never wanted to run away before. He'd mostly been too anxious to get out of bed, let alone escape. So what had changed his mind? I hoped it wasn't me.

I called Johnny to ask whether they'd spotted anything helpful, but he wasn't getting any luck. I knew I couldn't sleep nor eat until I got him back. I thought things were working out so well, but obviously they were just worse.

"Um, Liam?"

I turned around to face Darcy staring up at me with her big olive eyes. Ed was far enough away searching through bushes to hear us, and I guessed that was why Darcy wanted to speak. There wasn't enough time, so I turned around and murmured a yeah? distractedly.

She sighed. "Obviously, we had that deal, so I couldn't bring this up in front of Ed. But... I was thinking that maybe the reason Niall left was because of your relationship, or maybe even mine and Alex's? Maybe he just wanted to get away, that's all."

"At the moment, Darcy, I don't care what the reason is, as long as I find him. Look, maybe this is all fun and games to you, but Niall means a lot to me. I'm not just some paedophile who's willing to make out with just any of his care students. I... I really like him."

"Yeah, well I really like Alex, but you and Niall don't accept that." She snapped, raising her eyebrows. Her reddish hair had dulled in the darkness, and her side fringe fell into one eye. Really, she was pretty in a different kind of way. Maybe guys found her sexy, but I just found her pretty in a friend way, even if she wasn't a real friend. But I knew that was just because I was gay and wasn't attracted to girls.

I snorted, glancing around at my surroundings. "That's different and you know it. It seems like you've completely forgot what he did to you and plenty other girls and guys. You know he'll hurt you eventually. Didn't you hear what he did to Niall's friend? Selling him as a sex slave?"

"That was years ago, Liam. People change. You don't even know Alex, so butt out." She spat, before turning around. "You're just going to end up like Ed- babying over some guy or girl you loved but had moved on. The reason Ed hates me is because he lost me, like you lost Niall."