10 HOURS AWAY | Harry Styles AU

chapter 44 - dark times

10 Hours Away | Harry Styles AU

chapter 44 - dark times

It was bound to happen. Much sooner than we all had expected. But it did, anyway. There was nothing Harry, I, or anyone else could do about it. Life had a way of hurting us along the way, mostly at a time when we were finally doing fine.

Two weeks had passed by, Peter had been back on his feet. Harry and his grandfather had been leaving the house more frequently. One afternoon, I even got the pleasure to talk to his grandfather on the phone.

Harry and Peter had just finished their lunch, so they were on their way to his grandfather's house by car. Since Harry couldn't talk to me on the phone, Peter gladly took over. And, in all honesty, I was more than grateful to talk to someone on the phone who meant so much to Harry. I was filled with gratitude to be able to talk to him because Peter, his kind and hilarious grandfather, had been like a father to Harry when he was a youngster – he had told me this when he showed up at my doorstep not so long ago.

Peter described Harry during all his phases in life; how much he laughed like a baby, how adventurous he was as a toddler, how charming he was as a child, how cheeky he was as a teenager, and how he had grown into the most amazing man in the world.

Proud was an understatement. Peter talked with so much awe about his grandson, my heart melted. It was crystal clear Peter was beyond fond of Harry. But weren't we all? Harry radiated a type of energy that was incredibly infectious. My friends had been given the chance to experience being a part of Harry's world, and they enjoyed it thoroughly. Luckily, I had been given the chance to be his center of attention. He adored me as much as I adored him.

But good people were confronted with the bad, too. After those two weeks of fun, Peter was suddenly hit with a major setback. And at that moment, we all knew death was around the corner. Therefore, in the days that followed, I was consistently scared because I knew the call was coming faster than we all could bear.

Having to cope with Harry being gone and going through one of the roughest parts of his life, I knew I had to talk to my friends. So, one night, I asked Isaac, Carter, and Mia to join me at my apartment. I had lied to them by saying we were going to watch a movie together because I didn't want them to hurry to my residence. I knew they would if I were to text them what was going on – or that I needed to discuss a very personal matter.

"I am scared of what's to come." I confessed silently. My hands were folded in my lap; sweaty and trembling. We were present in my living room.

"That's all right, Liz." Carter assured me wholeheartedly. He scooted closer and put one of his arms around me. He offered me comfort, something I needed more than I thought. "You've got us. We are here whenever you need us. And if Harry needs us, we will be there for him too." Carter added.

Looking at Mia and Isaac, they nodded in sync; showing me they were both willing to listen to me with sympathy whenever I needed to pour my heart out or offer me a simple embrace at any time of day.

That night, around 4 am, my phone went off. The ear-deafening sound of my ringtone made me jump out of my dream and catapult me into the real world.

When his name showed up on the screen, I knew Harry was going to deliver the most disappointing news in the whole world. I knew that when I'd pick up the phone, I'd hear a wretched Harry on the other end of the line. The worst part: I couldn't be there for him. I couldn't physically be there for him.

But if picking up the phone could take just a little bit of his pain away, then I would answer his calls as much as I could. Bringing the phone to my ear, I turned the light on hurriedly.