Ever since I can remember, I have been good at memorizing things. Often times, as a child I would get scolded for it because I would bring it up when all my family wanted to do was forget. I memorized the road we lived on, what the house next to ours looks like, the many doors in the house and where they lead to. But one thing I memorized that my parents didn't know, was our house phone number.

We each had individual phones with everyone's number so that we didn't have to know them mentally, but the house phone was always for emergency's or my father's work. I remember I called it once, I got in trouble and I didn't understand why.

But now, I find myself in front of Harry's phone in his office. It was dark, the clock read two fifteen in the morning. I should be in bed, but after Harry's words from last night I just couldn't get much sleep. So I sneaked out of the apartment, walked the silent and empty warehouse all the way to his office and here I was.

Afraid of picking up the phone.

What if they don't answer? What if Harry was right? I doubt my father would allow the worst to happen, he was always ahead of everyone else. I must've been biting the skin on my fingers for too long because I wince when it hurts and bleed. I should just do it—they couldn't trace me, right?

I let out a breath as I pick the phone up, the keypad glows green and it waits for me to use it for its intended purpose.

With one last intrusive thought on why I should not dial, I do it anyway and press the phone to my ear. I gripped it as if my life depended on it. The line rings, the number of pauses between rings seemed infinite that it made the palms of my hands sweat with anxiety.

Why aren't they picking up? My heart pounds in my ears, my face grows hot. They can't be.

"We're sorry, the call you are trying to reach—" I cut the operator short as I end the call. My eyes burned with tears and just as I was setting the phone down back in its holding place, it begins to ring uncontrollably that it startled me and even managed to wake Onyx up.

My hand shakes as I reach for it, my home number across the screen and I immediately pick it up. I wait a second, hearing breathing on the other line and then I speak. "Hello?"

Shuffling. "Hello?"

I quickly recognized this voice and I suddenly felt like crying. It was my baby brother, Tadeo. "Deo," I breathe out, relieved to hear his voice, my hand goes to my mouth as I try to hold back a sob.

"Emmaline?" He says in a whisper, he sounds shocked and I hear more shuffling. "Where are you?"

I look around the room. "I'm in an office, I don't know." I say.

"You've been away so long." He says. "I'm so glad to hear your voice."

"Is everyone okay?"

There's a short silence on his end before he speaks again. "You're not supposed to call here."

My eyebrows furrow at this. "I know, I just wanted to know if you guys were okay—"

"We're okay," He says shortly and I let myself relax at his words. "I understand if you have to go, I won't take much of your time."

The furrow in my eyebrows remain as I try to listen to what he's saying. "What?"

"I'll see you around." And before I can say anything else, the line goes dead. I refrain from calling back, that was too weird and it didn't sound anything like my brother. What if they aren't really okay and he was trying to get me off the phone so I'm not located?

I quickly erase and block the number on the machine and stand up from the chair, my foot gets caught on the drawer on the bottom left and it opens slightly. I look around the quiet dark room, hoping this much noise didn't wake Harry although I doubt it because he was asleep on the couch when I snuck out.

I was about to close the drawer back but I stop when I see a photograph, hesitantly I reach down and grab it. There was words on the back that read: Al, Harry & Claudia. '08.

When I turn the photograph over, there was an older man with a grin, a small child no younger than 2 years on his lap and what I am assuming is a young Harry on his side. The name Claudia triggers something in my head as I remember the name was also carved on the counter upstairs. I swear, this man became more and more of a mystery.

The door to the office suddenly opens and when I look up, it's Harry. "What are you doing in here?" He asks in annoyance, his curly hair was messy on his head, resembling the sleep and how tired he was not to fix it. It takes him a second to realize what I'm holding because he then quickly snatches the photograph from my hands. "What the hell are you doing, going through my shit?" He queried in anger.

"I wasn't going through your stuff, I came in here to make a phone call." I quickly defend myself and stand up from the floor. Harry puts the picture back where it was and slams the drawer shut.

"Who the fuck are you calling at two in the goddamn morning?" It was evident that he was pissed.

"That is none of your business." I retort, crossing my arms. His fingers go to pinch the bridge of his nose as his other hand goes to his hips.

"I think you're forgetting what we talked about here," He recollects his tone so now it sounds like he's forcing himself to be calm. "You are under no condition to make phone calls that can very easily be fucking tracked, especially if people are trying to locate you for whatever fucking reason."

"I called my family, I only wanted to see if they were okay."

"Please just get out." Harry heaves, trying to catch his breath.

I furrow my eyebrows. "What?"

"Get in bed and stay there." He gets in front of the phone, placing his hands on the desk and letting his head hang. He turns to me, anger in his eyes as in asking why the hell I was still standing there. With one last look, I leave.

I make the quiet walk towards the stairs but all that soon changes when there is loud banging on the garage door and it sounds like thunder. When tires screech away, I realize it was probably something else. Harry soon comes rushing out from his office and runs towards the garage door, he soon runs back in. "Fuck!" I run outside and see his car on fire.

Harry comes out with a fire extinguisher in his hands, he removes the safety clip and begins to extinguish it. I look around at what was thrown and see a brick, the flat sides were painted white and it had black messy letters on both sides.

GOING ONCE.

GOING TWICE.

I pick it up and walk towards Harry who was now looking at the damage done to his car. I say nothing as I approach him and show him the brick, he takes it, looks at it and chucks it. "Well this is just fucking great!" He exclaims angrily. "I've got these fuckers on my ass and now you've probably lead people that want to kill you to my shop!"

I look at him, offended. "You don't know that!" I remark and Harry waves me off and walks back inside with me on his tail. "If we weren't awake we probably would've died in a fire, so you're welcome." I retort.

Harry stops and turns around towards me. "Well aren't you just full of fucking favors?" He says rhetorically. "Why don't you go and bother Zayn for a change, huh? He's the one that allowed you to stay here in the first place. I have every right to kick you the fuck out!"

"So do it." I challenge, crossing my arms. "Kick me out." Harry looks at me in disbelief, he raises his hand to point at me but quickly clenches it and turns around to walk upstairs. I follow behind. Once inside, I close the door behind me. "What? Can't do it?"

"Just leave me alone." He grumbles, walking inside the kitchen, he opens the fridge and takes out a water bottle.

"No, you're so tired of me being here and taking up your space, you're always in a bitchy mood it's annoying. So kick me out, otherwise I'm not leaving." I stand my ground. If he wanted me out, he would've said so by now. I honestly don't know what I'm doing, I have nowhere to go but I guess it's in the heat of the moment and Harry just annoys me. He doesn't say a word and just continues to drink from his water so I push further. "You can't, can you?"

"For someone who doesn't have a place to drop dead you sure know how to push your damn luck." His eyes narrow in my direction, still clutching the water bottle in his hand. "You know how easy it is for me to turn you in to whoever is looking for you?"

He's lying. I don't know Harry well enough, but I can tell when a person lies. "Good luck with that." I retort and push past him, closing the bedroom door behind me.

I had trouble going to bed that night.