No Control | Holding Me Ransom (Book 2)

56 - Starting Up Trouble

The following week was hectic. Made In The A.M. was due to be released on Friday, so Harry was up to his eyes in promo pretty much the entire week, and I was scurrying around in work trying to get myself up to date before I flew out to the US with him and the rest of the boys. I spent Saturday packing while One Direction did the London Session and got everything ready, as we were leaving for Heathrow at 6am on Monday morning. I was due to accompany Harry to the band's live performance on the X Factor on Sunday night (their first of two scheduled appearances, the second being their final performance before the break).

I was beside myself with excitement for most of Sunday morning and early afternoon, and I was just checking my luggage for the last time before I was to drive over to Harry's house, when my phone rang. It was Callie.

"Hi," I answered happily, but all I got in return was a high-pitched squeak, accompanied by what sounded like muffled sobbing. "Callie?" I asked, nervously.

More scuffling. My heart began to pound.

"Callie," I said again, more forcefully. "Are you alright? What's the matter?"

I could hear her taking rapid, hysterical breaths, and attempting to answer.

"H - H - He fuckıng ch - cheated on me," she managed to choke out, and my blood ran cold as I finally understood. James.

"Oh my God," I breathed. "Oh God. Oh Callie. What happened? How do you know?"

"Caught them," she wheezed, and I began to feel panicky as I realised the state she was in.

"OK," I said gently, thinking fast. "Where are you now?"

"At h - home."

"Is anyone with you?"

"No!" she wailed, and the hysteria started again.

"OK, go into the lounge and sit on the sofa, and I'll be straight round," I told her.

"Br - bring wine," she stammered. "Lots of it."

"OK," I nodded. "I will. Just... put the TV on or something, OK? Try and breathe steadily. I'll be as quick as I can."

I grabbed my keys and phone and was just about to rush out the door when my gaze fell on my suitcase sitting on the mat. Fuck. I was supposed to drop my stuff off at Harry's, travel with him to the ITV studios, come home with him afterwards, and then we were due to be collected from his house the following morning to be taken to the airport.

I stood motionlessly in the hall for a few moments, my mind racing. I knew Harry would be pissed off if I let him down tonight, but what choice did I have? Callie was barely coherent. And she had picked up the pieces of my destroyed love life enough times. I couldn't abandon her when she needed me most.

"Fuck!" I swore loudly. I pulled my phone out again and called Harry as I locked the door to my flat behind me and began to jog down the steps.

"Hi baby," he answered.

"Hi," I sighed. "Something's happened..."

"Are you OK?" he asked, and the concern in his voice made me feel even worse at what I was about to say.

"Yeah... well, I am, but Callie's not," I began, unlocking my car and sliding into the front seat. "You know she thought her boyfriend was cheating on her? Well, it turns out he is, and she just found out. She's hysterical, and I need to be with her."

There was a strange silence on the other end of the phone. I pulled it away from my ear to check the call hadn't broken up.

"Harry?" I said.