He Saved Me

Chapter Eight

Lia's POV

"Problem?" I asked Liam, puzzled. He had just said most of the fans had been cleared out. What else could there be? "Well not like you might be thinking. Just.... I think Niall likes Jessica." I rolled my eyes. "Really Liam? I hadn't quite noticed," I said sarcastically. He glared at me. "Let me finish. Harry likes you." My heart skipped a beat Harry Styles? Likes ME? I scoffed. "That's a mean joke, Liam. Me of all people.... Yeah, right!" I stood, and so did Liam. "I'm serious," he insisted, "Harry likes you." I waited for him to go on.

"So? What's the problem?" I persisted. He hesitated. "Liam! Tell me!" I demanded impatiently. He sighed. "I think Ni likes you, too." I busted out laughing. "You can't be serious?" I laughed harder. "We're just friends. That's all we'll ever be!" I insisted. "Okay, okay fine." Liam left abruptly. Weird, I thought. I shrugged it off and finished eating. I went out into the kitchen to find Eleanor eating, and Perrie and Danielle cleaning. "I thought Niall was gonna clean?" I asked. Perrie and Danielle shared a look.

"What's going on?" I asked suspiciously. "Oh, nothing," El said, giving the others a warning look. I shrugged. "So, Lia. What are your plans for tomorrow?"

Harry's POV

"Are you sure, mate?" Zayn asked. I nodded. "Harry, that's a sweet idea!" Jessica gushed. "It's no big deal," I insisted. Maggie had told me Lia's birthday was the next day, and I wanted to do something special for her.

Lia's POV

That afternoon, Maggie, Jessica, and I went shopping for the concert. We went to the local mall and into a store called Charming Charlie to get jewellery. We messed around in J.C. Penny's with evening gowns and homecoming dresses. We eventually called Eleanor to help us because we really couldn't find anything suitable to wear.

She assured us she and Perrie would pick us up something while they were out. "Okay," I agreed, "But don't eat a big lunch. I'm fixing food for the party. Lots of it." She laughed. "Alright. See ya!" I hung up and relayed everything to Maggie and Jess. "Sounds good. Hey," Maggie said, checking her phone, "It's almost supper time. Let's head out." Jessica grabbed her arm. "Wait, Maggie. We gotta get her an outfit!" I looked at them. "An outfit? For what?" Jessica stuttered for a minute. "Well, uh, we--we just, uh...." Maggie spoke up, "For your birthday. You gotta look hot on your Sweet Sixteen!" I blushed. Oh, Lordie, I thought, this should be interesting.

After much searching, they found a cute little dress. I liked it, except I thought it was too short and had that "sexy" style about it. But they insisted and even offered to buy it, so I let them, and we went back to the hotel. Several fans screamed in our ears as they crowded around us, but Paul came to the rescue fast. He escorted us to the boys' penthouse and as soon as we walked in, El, Perrie, and Danielle grabbed us and took us into separate rooms. El took me, Dani took Maggie, and Perrie took Jess.

"So, Lia, what do you want for your birthday?" Eleanor asked politely as she curled my hair. "Oh, that's nice of you, but no one has to get me anything," I insisted. When I would get presents, it usually caused flashbacks of how life was before my real dad died... After he died, I had my birthday with just Mom and I for two years. Mom brought my stepdad to my seventh birthday party when they were still dating. He seemed nice, and I actually liked him a lot. But then he married Mom and everything changed; we moved houses and I moved schools, he began to be harsh with me and Mom, and he forbid parties, friends, and cut off family ties......

"But all of us want to! We just all became friends so easily and it's your Sweet Sixteen! Please tell me want you want?" El begged, snapping me out of my thoughts. I blushed, remembering what I always wished for: at first, I wished for Daddy to come and save me and Mom. Then, I wished for someone to love me. Then I became a Christian at age ten and saw God's love and life got easier to handle; I got stronger in many ways. Then, when I was eleven, I began wishing for boys. When One Direction happened the night I watched X Factor UK, all I wished for was them.

I smiled at her reflection in the mirror. "Anything I could want, I have it right here. I have everything I ever wished for."

Harry's POV

As I sang "She's Not Afraid" with the guys, I pasted a smile on my face and searched the crowd for Lia. She disappeared when the doors opened, about half an hour after sound check, and I hadn't seen her since.

I eventually found her in the front row sitting with Perrie and the girls from Little Mix. They were all laughing and it looked like they were having a good time. I smiled a real smile at her and she waved.

"I know you've never loved

The sound of your voice on tape

You never want

To know how much you weigh

You still have to squeeze

Into your jeans

But you're perfect to me..."

I stared directly at her when I sang my solo in "Little Things" about twenty minutes later. I saw a couple tears stream down her face, like Perrie when Zayn sang his solo to her. We were all singing to someone special that night.

After the show, we piled in a car with the girls and went to the party we were hosting at the hotel. Lia, Niall, Louis, and Eleanor had all pitched in to fix the food and arrange everything. "Harry!" A hand clapped down on my shoulder. "Great party!" I turned to see Ed Sheeran, who seemed to be as drunk as Niall on New Year's. "Thanks, man!" I smiled but gagged a little when I got a whiff of him; it smelled like someone had poured alcohol all over him. I smiled again politely and went to search for Lia.

"Perrie!" I yelled over the music, trying to find someone Lia could be with. I found Danielle, though, in the kitchen. "Hey, Dani. Where are Lia and the rest of the girls?" She thought for a moment. "I think Jess and Maggie went to get a pizza, and Lia is in your room," she said. "Thanks." Danielle nodded and I fought through the crowd to get to my room.

"Lia?" I opened the door a crack She was laying on the bed, listening to music and reading a book. She looked up and took her headphones out when I shut the door. "Oh, hey Harry. Sorry for being rude, but big parties with thumping music and alcohol aren't really my thing," she apologised as I lied next to her. I folded my arms behind my head, and Lia giggled. "What?" I asked. She laughed and shook her head. "My dad... My real dad used to sit like that. I would crawl up in his lap and he'd do that and watch the Sunday football game..." She trailed off. She scooted closer and put her head on my chest hesitantly. I put my arm around her, letting her know it was fine, and I felt her entire body relax.

"Harry?" Lia asked after what seemed like forever. "Hmm?" She sat up and looked at me. "I think I can tell you, now...." I looked at her, puzzled. "About.... The nightmares..... About... Everything."