A.

I waited far longer than I should have for Harry to come back to the apartment. I sat on that window sill for what felt like days, but surely couldn't have even been hours. But Harry didn't come back - I was even planning to drag his suitcase to the front door in case he were to come running through it last minute.

I knew I'd screwed up - badly. I knew I should've told him about Mason from the moment I'd found out, even if it wasn't confirmed - but what I couldn't deal with was silence. Just a simple text would do, and although I knew he was angry, and I knew he was upset - I just wanted to know he was okay.

"Would it be stupid of me to stay here?" I asked Liam as I leant back against the wall in the cramped hallway, as Liam took long strides towards me and pressed his back to the wall opposite me.

"Yes, it would," Liam sighed, shooting me a sympathetic look, "I wish I knew what to say to you, Ana."

"I really fucked up," I muttered, chewing on my lip, "have you heard from him at all?"

Liam's eyes shifted from me to the floor, as he pressed his lips into a fine line and dragged his foot over the tattered carpet. I frowned.

"You've heard from him.." I trailed off, furrowing my eyebrows, "what did he say?"

"He was replying to a text I'd sent him," Liam leant further back into the wall, "said to leave him alone, and he's not coming back to Seattle with us today."

My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach, "He's not? Why?"

Liam shook his head, blowing out a deep exhale, "He's just being typical Harry, Ana. There's nothing to be done about it."

I scoffed half-heartedly, "So he's just cutting me off for a few days until he feels like it? I know I lied, but to just pop back when he feels like it can't be healthy for any of us.."

"I doubt it's because he's angry at you, Ana. He's upset, sure - but he's more wrapped in his own head than most of us are, y'know. Harry needs his time to think, do some of that dramatic writing of his.. he'll be back for graduation, I'm sure," Liam assured me, and I shook my head.

"Whatever," I muttered, unsure of what else I could even say to Liam. He was more Harry's friend than mine, and so I didn't blame him for being careful about what he said. He had known Harry far longer than I had, and was slightly more used to Harry's ways than I was, even after being with him for so long.

A knock sounded at the front door, and I practically raced towards it, swinging it open with such haste I'd yet to even catch my breath. Reality settled in as it revealed who was truly behind the door. Harry would have a key, you idiot.

"Hey, Celia," I smiled weakly, as I came face to face with her - her arms thrown around me to catch me by surprise in an engulfment.

"Ana, how are you?" Why does everyone ask me that? I stepped aside to let the three of them inside.

"I'm okay, don't worry about me. Did you get down to the courthouse this morning?" I changed the subject, sending a smile at Ben behind her and a small wave in Livi's direction.

"Yeah, we did," Celia beamed at me, sending another smile in Ben's direction which he easily returned, "We're officially married!"

"That's incredible," I smiled, "congratulations."

"Ana, where's Harry?" Livi asked, a doll clutched to her chest as Ben placed down a large suitcase which I assumed him and Celia would share, and a small pink trunk clearly belonging to Livi.

Liam stepped up from behind me, "Harry's having a little holiday, Liv. He'll be back soon."

I watched Celia's eyebrow raise, as she shot me a skeptical look, nodding towards the kitchen. I exhaled, following her towards it as she stepped through.

"Where is my son?" she asked rather frantically.

"I don't know, Celia. He walked out yesterday, which you saw, and I haven't seen him since. He told Liam he wanted to be left alone."

"He hasn't called you?" she pursed her lips, and I shook my head, "son of a bitch."

I laughed at the irony of her insult, "He's just being Harry, I guess. He won't miss graduation, I'm sure."

"I'm sorry, Ana," her face fell a little, "I should never have asked you to lie for me."

"Don't be silly," I sighed, a little defeated, "I chose to lie to him about it - it was my choice."

"So you haven't heard from him?" Celia chewed on her lip, and I shook my head, "only Liam has?"

"Only Liam has.." I trailed off, silencing myself with my own thoughts. Harry wouldn't talk to me - I was expected to wait around for him, until he decided he wanted to speak to me and move on. All I wanted was to talk to him, apologise, and then move past this. I knew I'd betrayed his trust, and I knew I'd hurt him. I wanted more than anything for him to know how sorry I was, and I didn't expect him to move on overnight - but we had a time limit, and I failed to see the rationality, or even the fairness in him pushing me out and ignoring me until he could be bothered to have a conversation.

I narrowed my eyes as the thought crossed my mind, dragging my teeth over my bottom lip as I contemplated what I was going to do. I broke myself off from my train of thought, shooting Celia a look before walking back into the hallway.

"Right, Gemma and James will meet us at the airport, so," Liam began, "we have a couple of hours or so until the flight, so we should think about leaving in the next fifteen minutes, since-"

"I have to go, Liam," I walked past him into Harry's bedroom, grabbing my bag and swinging it over my shoulder.

"Huh? What are you on about? Like I said, we're gonna go to the airport in a few minutes," Liam frowned as I resurfaced from the bedroom, Celia, Ben and Livi all watching in equal disbelief.

"Ana, what's happening?" Livi ran her hand through the hair of her small doll, sending me a puzzled look, "Are we still going to Sea Beatle?"

I smiled softly at her mispronunciation before crouching down to her level, "Yes, darling - you're still going to Seattle. And I will meet you there tomorrow, with Harry. How does that sound?"

"Yes!" she squealed, clapping her hands together excitedly as I stood up to my full height, glancing back over to Liam.

"Ana," Liam sighed, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Liam, in all honesty - I don't give a shit if it's a good idea at this point," I sighed exhaustedly, heading towards the front door, "safe flight, you guys."

And with that I headed off down the hall of the apartment building, choosing to act on my instincts before I even had time to process the thoughts. I was going to find him, and that was that. He couldn't just cut me out - and though I felt selfish for cutting his time short, I already couldn't bear it. Anger I could deal with, silence I couldn't.

It was only when I stepped foot on the street outside that I realised I had no clue of where to go. I knew nothing about Manchester, nor did I know a single person here other than Harry and his family - I had no clue of where to go - hell, I didn't even know what I would say to Harry if I found him.

I wandered down the street, aimlessly heading towards the town centre. A melancholy twist settled in the pit of my stomach as I continued further into town, officially coming to terms with the fact that I was lost. Unfamiliar swarms of faces passed by, a snobby group of teenage girls, as well as a couple every so often - elderly groups of women and men, too.

"Oioiiii!" a man called from in front of me, shockingly drunk for this time of the morning. I kept my head down in hopes of shifting the attention from myself, but to no avail. I stood face to face with a group of men surely not older than twenty, all possessing hungry eyes and at least two packs of cigarettes in each hand.

"Excuse me," I said quietly, hoping to fend off the group of them with the bluntness of my words, but again - to no avail.

"Whoaaaa," another man jeered, his hair ginger and eyes a wicked grey, "she's an Americaaaaaaan!" he dragged out the word in a singsong voice as his friends started cheering, and I groaned internally, trying to shift past them.

"Aye, aye," the man spoke up again, blocking my exit, "where 'yer off to, love?"

I frowned, opening my mouth to speak before he interrupted me, "why don't ya' just come with my mates 'n I, eh? 'av a bit 'a fun, yeah, babe?" he reached for my arm, which I quickly withdrew from his reach.

"Don't touch me," I huffed, and he raised his eyebrows, earning a loud array of jeers from his mates behind him. He was embarrassed now, I could see it, but he didn't seem to be backing down.

"Oi," he hissed, now gripping my wrist in his hand so tightly it was guaranteed to leave marks, and I almost winced. "Come with me."

"Fuck off," a thick accent to match the rest of the men in front of me sounded from behind me, and I didn't dare turn around, "when will blokes like you lot ever take no for an answer?"

Several men of the group scoffed, while their 'front-man' spoke up, "Mind your own business, yeah, mate? No one asked ya'."

"She doesn't want you," the other man spoke up again, stepping up to my side as I now finally brought myself to look at him. An unruly set of dark curls and a pair of piercing green eyes - I'd have labelled him my boyfriend if I hadn't known any better. The facial structure differed in the slightest, as well as the overall face - but it was easy to recognise him.

Mason.

I hadn't noticed the group of men leaving until they were actually gone, my eyes fixated on the man beside me. I blinked awkwardly as he turned to face me.

"Thank you," I said weakly, my voice quieter than I intended - maybe just shocked by the spitting image of my boyfriend who stood in front of me.

"S'alright. Ana, isn't it?" he clutched a plastic carrier bag in his hand, clearly having just emerged from a store, "I don't think we've officially met.. I'm Mason Styles." Well that's certainly a tough pill to swallow.

"Ana," I took the hand he'd extended before trailing off, "but I guess you knew that already.."

"You're Harry's girl, eh?" he said, "I saw you at the wedding."

"Oh, you did?" I felt my cheeks flush a little. It's likely the only time he saw me was when I was chasing after my boyfriend who still wouldn't talk to me. "Some first impression, right?"

"Yeah, Harry storming away from you was quite a memorable one," he chuckled light-heartedly, and I tried to find the humour in it, laughing along with him.

"Speaking of Harry.. have you seen him, by any chance?" I asked stupidly. Why would Harry have gone to the brother I kept from him? "We have a flight to catch today, and apparently he's not coming home, and-"

"Oh, I know," Mason nodded, much to my surprise, "he crashed at mine last night, actually - I came to pick up a pack of cigs for him," he held up his plastic bag, while my face undoubtedly held a look of pure disbelief.

"He's with you?" I asked surprisedly, "he went with you from choice?" And though the question sounded idiotic and rude - it was a rational one. Harry getting to know someone from choice was extremely unlike him.

"Mhm," Mason hummed in response with a chuckle, "and though I've known him about five minutes, and he might kill me in my sleep for this.. I'm guessing this is the part where I take you to him."