witness || h.s.|| ON HOLD

eight || hide and seek

Tate

     The farther that the cab driver went, the more anxious I became. I had no idea what had compelled me to follow Harry, when moments before, I would have done anything to get away from him. Perhaps part of me wanted some sort of answer. Why was he so concerned about how I knew James? Why did he care so much about if I were telling the truth or not? What was with the knife? What was with him? 

   The cab driver suddenly huffed in annoyance. "Miss, how much longer do you want me to keep this up? You better not be joking about the extra fifteen pounds."

  I fiddled with my purse strap in my hands, debating just telling him to turn back around, and to take me home, but something in my gut told me to follow through. 

   "Just follow the car until it comes to a stop and parks. Don't creepily ride their ass, once you see them braking and coming to a stop, pull over a good bit away from them, on the opposite side of the street. And no, I am not joking about the extra fifteen pounds. What's your name?" I asked.

   He looked at me through the rearview mirror. "Reggie, Miss, and you?"

"Tate."

He let out a hearty chuckle. "Well, Miss Tate, I can tell you one thing, you are certainly the most interesting passenger I've had in a while."

     "Well, thank you Reggie...I think," I laughed, looking down at my hands. The thing was, I wasn't particularly interesting. This was just as strange behavior for me as it was for him. I lived a rather simple life. I worked hard and finished school, I got a job, I went to that job, and went home to my mother. I had a few close friends from school, but none of them had to work nearly as much as I did, and the time I got to spend with them was slim, but I cherished the moments I did have with them. My time outside of work was probably spent the most with my mother.

    Shit. My mother.  

I began panicking, wondering if she was worried sick about me, in a complete and utter frenzy wondering where her daughter was. But then I remembered, tonight was the night she usually went over to her friend Marla's house on the other side of town. They would drink wine and watch old movies and drag it out so long that sometimes she ended up just spending the night. She deserved it though, the only person I knew who worked more than me was my mother, and if she needed one night a week to just kick back and let loose, well, then that was more than okay with me. 

      I craned my neck to look out the front windshield, seeing Harry's taillights a few hundred feet ahead of us. I don't think he realized that we were following him, because why would he? Why would anyone expect the girl they just held at knifepoint to willingly throw herself into a cab and chase after them? 

   His car began to slow down, the red brake lights glaring in the darkness. 

  "Shit. Reg, can I call you Reg?" 

"For what you're paying me, you can call me anything you want," he laughed.

I smiled. "Ok then, Reg, go ahead and slow down, pull off to the side right there, next to that coffee shop," I instructed, all while keeping a close eye on Harry's vehicle.

   He nodded in reply, carefully pulling to the side, Harry's car stopping about a block or two ahead of us on the other side of the road. 

  "Cut the engine."

"But the meter-"

"Reg, I'm already paying you nearly double the meter, please, just cut the engine. I'll throw in two extra pounds, just please, do it," I pleaded with him, not wanting to draw any more attention to ourselves.

   "Like I said, most interesting passenger I've had in a while," he smiled, looking at me in the rearview mirror before obliging to my request, taking the key out of the ignition.

    Harry turned off his car, and I shifted so that I was now in the middle seat, placing a hand on each of the two front seats, leaning forward to get a closer look. Reggie just looked at me and sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. He was a middle-aged man, with black hair and a thick mustache, he wore a beige-colored Newsboy cap, and a fleece-lined tan leather jacket, with red plaid trim. He had kind brown eyes and an inviting smile, and clearly, he was a decent enough human being to put up with all of my crazy antics tonight, even if I was paying him to do it.

     I diverted my attention back to Harry as he opened his car door, stepping out and then reaching back inside to grab a black duffle bag. A brief shudder passed over my body as  I saw him tuck his knife into his back pocket. He slung the duffle bag around his shoulder, and then shut his car door, locking it once, walking a few steps, and then locking it again. 

   He then turned and began to walk towards a building. I squinted my eyes as I attempted to make out what it was in the darkness we now sat in from a lack of Reggie's headlights. It was a flat. 

   Harry twirled his keys around his finger as he approached the door to it, halting his actions once he reached the side door, inserting one of the keys, pushing open the wooden door, and then stepping inside, quickly shutting the door behind him. 

     I sat back in contentment, releasing a happy sigh, causing Reggie to turn around in bewliderment.

  "That's it? You paid me all of that money just to watch a bloke go inside a door? What are you doing, stalking an ex-boyfriend or something?" 

    "He is not my ex-boyfriend," I quickly answered. "To be quite honest, I don't even know the guy. But I guess this drive wasn't a total bust," I paused, sliding back over into my previous seat and buckling my seat belt.

   "And why is that?"

"Let's just say I found out some useful information," I smiled.

"Miss Tate, forgive me, but you're a little bit odd," he laughed, turning the keys in the ignition, causing the cab to sputter a bit, before humming its way back to life. 

"Yeah," I chuckled. "I guess I am."

   He put one hand on the passenger seat, turning around to face me. "Where to now, Miss Tate? And honestly, don't worry about the cost for the drive back, your company, and this...well, whatever this weird adventure was has been payment enough."

  "Aw, why thank you, Reggie," I beamed. "If you could just take me back to the area we were in when you picked me up and drop me off at the Lotus Apartment complex that would be amazing."

   "Sure thing, Miss Tate," he answered, putting the car in drive and beginning our journey back to where the night began. 

     Reggie may think I am crazy, and to be honest, even I think what I just did was a little crazy, scratch that, completely crazy. However, I didn't care, because now I had something that gave me a little peace of mind. I couldn't tell you why it did, but it did.

    Harry may know where I live, but now, I know where he lives too. 

If I ever did need to call the cops, despite his threats to me not to do so, I had a good idea of where they could find him. 

   And just that little sliver of information gave me an odd sense of security. 

I leaned my head against the window, watching aimlessly as the street lights flew past us as we drove, still shaken up and quite out of sorts from the night's events, but blanketed in the faintest layer of hope that everything would be alright. That I'd be alright. 

   And that if luck was on my side, that I would never have to hear the name Harry Styles again.

AN: SURPRISE!! I stayed up super late because I felt bad I didn't update today. I really wanted to, so here we are. I hope that just shows you how much this book, and all of you, mean to me! Writing witness has made me so excited each day since I started it! I hope you like this chapter, don't forget to vote and comment, and I hope you all have a great rest of your day/night! Thank you all for everything! xx