"H-how long.." Ember asked, trembling as the man slowly walked back and forth- eyeing her unceasingly.
"Sweetheart. If you really knew how long I've watched your boring, pathetic life- you'd be more scared of me then you are now, and I'm far too in...
(a/n: I dedicate this chapter to ughnxelle bc shes my friend and uh idek ig go check out her story hide and seek ENJOY)
I bet this time of night you're still up. I bet you're tired from a long hard week. I bet you're sitting in your chair by the window looking out at the city. And I bet, sometimes you wonder 'bout me.
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Harry hadn't followed Ember to school that morning. As much as he wanted to, he had decided that it would be a good idea to give the girl a break. Not that she would know, but still. It was also a good idea to distance himself. Every second was spent on her. It wasn't exactly fair to him, since he still had a life. A hectic one at that.
He had no clue she knew who he was. To him, she thought he was some random dude Niall knew. If he had watched her that morning, he would know she barely stood inside the school building for 5 minutes. That she did in fact know that Harry was a murderer.
Even though he didn't stalk her that morning, it did nothing for his mind. Every thought was just as wrapped around her as they were the night before. She was his only purpose, and as beautiful as it sounds; it was a morbid obsession. It was sick, but at least he knew it.
It was raining heavily outside, but it didn't bother him. He found the rain more comforting than alarming. All that was on his mind was her. He wondered what she was doing, what she was working on. It was 10:00, which meant she had math. He knew that of course. The boy stares out the window longingly. If only he could see her.
He knew that this strong feeling that he had towards her wasn't normal. It wasn't normal that every thought he had included her in it. Like, "What would Ember think about this?" when he'd see an ad. It wasn't normal that he followed her everywhere and watched her every move. Even when he couldn't, he'd hire someone to go video it. It wasn't normal that she took over his life.
His greatest accomplishment was hiding the whole thing from Niall. Niall was his best man, he trusted him with everything. Except for that. It wasn't like him to hide things from Niall. She was ruining him.
When Harry accidentally let it slip that he loved Ember, it was a relief when Niall didn't catch it. He covered it up by saying something that didn't sound even remotely close. Niall believed it, that was enough for him. He wouldn't know what to do with himself if Niall knew about his secret. Not only would he be ashamed, he'd be embarrassed.
Since he woke up this morning, Harry had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. It didn't get in the way of any work needed to be done, but it bothered him. Even so, he pushed on and forgot about it mostly. Whether it had anything to do with her or not, it distracted him. Something bad had happened. He was sure of it. The work for that day was nearly called off 3 times that day before lunch. It wasn't hard to see that something was wrong.
It wasn't that he was in pain, it was that he felt that something was going to happen and he wouldn't be there to stop it. Many times that day, he would get completely lost in his thought during meetings which was so unlike him. The pit in his stomach wasn't what he was thinking about. It was Ember. Little things like: What did she have for lunch? Or: Did she get in trouble today? That was foolish of him. He knew he'd been slacking off. Harry never, and I mean never, slacks off. It didn't take a neuroscientist to see that something was wrong.
A knock could be heard from the other side of the office door. The sound was firm and urgent, signalling that whoever knocked had something important to talk about. And he did. As soon as Harry lazily opened the door, Niall ran in and sat himself on a couch. Harry was confused, but Niall was mad. Enraged, nearly.
"What the hell happened to you last night?" The boy ponders. Niall always got straight to the point because he knew better than to just warm up to the subject. If it was important, it should be quick. Of course Harry only stood in thought by the door, though. He wasn't entirely sure.
Ember was ruining his life. She took away his hobbies and free time, first of all. Any second he got off was spent watching her life. Niall thought he was just heavy on work, or moping around in that big mansion he has. She made him forget about work. It didn't happen earlier, but today is the most recent that he felt attached to the thought of her. As if he stopped thinking of her, she would vanish off the face of the earth. Normally he would make himself forget. Today, it was unavoidable.
Harry takes that minute to think, but only answers with a small shrug. Niall would get it out of him, he was sure of that. He was also scared about his best friend seeing this side of him. In his head, it was a better option to be stubborn. Harry's subtle reply just wasn't enough for Niall, though. He lets out a groan, followed by an eye roll.
"This is what I'm talking about! Ever since we killed that kid, you've been so distant. Did it have something to do with Ember?" Niall investigates. The second that her name flew out of his mouth, Harry's eyes shot to Niall. His whole body tensed up, it had been so long since anyone had said her name out loud. Even if it had only been last night. Harry's odd reaction only confirmed Niall's theory. It was just unknown to him, why did he react this way when she was brought up? "So it was her."
With that, Harry grunts and looks around the room angrily. He has yet to say anything, but ends that with a short rant. "You don't know a thing about me! I don't even know who this bitch is," it physically wounded him to call her that, "so lay off of the questions, will you? I'm just out of it! Can't I just be out of it sometimes?" When he finishes yelling, Niall stands undefeated whereas Harry is out of breath. In fact, Niall looks more mad than he was when he walked in. It was his protective side over Ember kicking in. He couldn't stand to see someone call her a bitch, being the harmless creature she was. This was when Niall only just lost it.
"That's it. If you knew her, which you more than clarified you didn't, you would understand she's not a bitch at all. I don't know who you think you're fooling but Ember wouldn't do shit. And for your information, in the long 18 years I've known him, Harry Styles has never just been 'out of it'. What the fuck happened to you?" It was Niall's turn to be out of breath.
Harry was shocked. He knew very well that Ember wasn't a bitch, but it slightly angered him to see Niall getting defensive over that. He was jealous. It also surprised him that Niall was so outright bold to his face. He knew he wasn't just out of it, and read him like a book.
In that moment, he'd been the most scared he had ever been. More scared of that compared to anything that ever happened to him. It was unavoidable fear, he couldn't escape it. Making eye-contact with the only man he knew all his life, it was clear to him. Niall knew everything about him. His secrets, his tactics, and soon: he would know the one thing that had been eating him up all day. He would know about his obsession over Ember Reid.
He would have to act fast.
And I wish I could run to you, and I hope you know that every time I don't- I almost do
