Stupid Harry. Who the hell did he think he was? I know my silence after that bothered him because for the past two days, he's been trying to come around. However I always do my best to avoid him. It certainly doesn't help that he knows no boundaries when it comes to me but I quickly learned to keep my door locked.

I was glad Zayn and I had started talking again, that certainly pissed Harry off even more especially since I openly showed more affection towards Zayn when I knew Harry was looking. It was a horrible thing to do I know, but I hated Harry at the moment and it was about the only thing that I knew pissed him off, even more so than my intrusiveness.

"I can't think of a single person here that cares, Niall." I hear Louis say mockingly as I enter the pool table room. Louis was aligning his cue to a striped ball while pinching a cigarette tightly between his teeth, not once putting it down. Liam, Max, Louis and Niall were surrounding the table hoping Louis would miss but they secretly huff when he makes his shot.

I couldn't help but notice Zayn, Giza and Harry missing from the group. "What are you guys talking about?" I say. By the looks of their face, they're surprised to see me here. It was well past twelve on a Friday night and I couldn't sleep.

"Not much," Niall shrugs as he sets his empty beer bottle on the table. "Louis just can't help but talk shit, can't you mate?"

"I ain't all bark, mate. That's why I can talk all the shit I want." Louis remarks and I roll my eyes. He looks up and walks around the table for his next move before speaking again. "What are you doing here?"

"Nothing," I shrug. "I was just bored." I was hoping to run into Zayn but apparently he's busy with Giza and Harry, I wonder what they're doing.

Oh God, I hope it isn't what I'm thinking. Seeing Harry and Giza was already disturbing enough.

Before I can let my mind wonder, new people come in and it's the three that were previously missing. Giza takes a seat on a chair beside Max, takes his cigarette and ignores me completely. Zayn walks over to me but before he can reach me, Harry beats him to it. "Come with me." Harry says.

I look away from Zayn to Harry and furrow my eyebrows. "I think I'm good." I say and hook an arm on Zayn's. "We're going now." Harry doesn't say much else and neither does Zayn as he lets me lead him out of the room that silence fell upon. I knew the guys were probably watching but I didn't care.

Zayn snickers once we're out of there and I let go of his arm. "What was that for?" He asks, looking back to the room momentarily, telling me exactly what he's referring to.

"Harry—" I begin but stop myself when Zayn clenches his jaw. "Sorry, I just really wanted to spend some time with you. I hope it's okay that I dragged you away?"

"Oh, sure. You know, it's not like I had anything better to do." Zayn stuffs his hands inside the front pockets of his black jeans as we walk upstairs.

I wanted to ask him what they were off doing, I could probably ask and he'd probably tell me. Harry's the one I have to worry about asking questions like that, Harry wouldn't tell me. Not willingly anyway. "You okay?" Zayn asks and I realize we're in my bedroom already.

I look up towards him and nod. "Can I ask you something?"

Something tells me he knew exactly what it is that was going through my head, I mean he must with the way his gaze lingers on me in a way that said "I can see right through you".

"Do you have to?" He subtly asks, proving my suspicion.

So I just go straight to the question. "What were you guys off doing?"

Zayn bites the inside of his cheek for a split second and his eyes no longer meet mine. "We were just having a talk."

"You, Giza and Harry?" I fully doubt it. It's like Zayn being locked in a room with two Harry's and I know for a fact he would rather shoot himself than have that happen. "Please don't lie, I'm through with the lies."

God knows I've had enough to last me a life time.

"It's true." This time his eyes go back to mine, letting me know he's being sincere about that. However it's the basis of the matter that he will most likely lie about or tell me that it's private, something between them that only they know and couldn't even count the others in.

But I ask anyway. "What about?"

"Valentina, you know I can't tell you."

"Why not? It's not like I have anyone to tell."

"Because it's about you." My eyebrows quickly furrow in offense.

"So you just got together to talk about me?" I cross my arms and Zayn gives a small chuckle.

"Not like that." He reassures and sighs. "I assume you know about Alfio and Harry?"

"And how he offered Harry a job to help him look for whoever killed Rick?"

Zayn looks a bit surprised but he recomposes himself. "So then you know Alfio has been trying to convince Harry to leave with him?"

"I mean I assume that's part of the deal," I say. It'd be hard to look for the killer when you've got twice the responsibility. I'm sure Alfio would prefer Harry to focus solely on that. "I just don't think Harry would do it."

"That's the thing." Zayn says, dragging me out of my thoughts. "He wouldn't leave if he didn't think it was the best idea."

"Do you think he will?"

"He seems devoted on wanting to keep you safe, even if it means he's not physically here to do so." He would. As much as Harry would hate to go work for Alfio, I fucked up and now he is definitely going to leave.

Still, this seems like a conversation they would have with every one of the guys, not just them three. I mean they were all there and they knew what happened. "Something about that look makes me think you have other questions." Zayn says.

"Why—" Before I can ask my question, I am being cutoff by my bedroom door opening to reveal Harry. I knew it wouldn't be long until he was barging in here, however now I couldn't ask my question.

"We need to talk." Harry says. At first I think he's talking to Zayn, that is until he shoots him a narrowed look and Zayn sighs beside me whilst getting up. He doesn't say anything else, just gets up and walks away leaving Harry and I. "I assume you pestered Zayn about where we were." Harry says, not even in a quizzical tone he just knows.

"I did." I say. "Only I didn't have to beg him as much as I do to you." Harry shuts the door completely behind him and walks to the center of the room. "You're leaving?"

"I think we both know I have to." For some reason my heart drops as if this wasn't already knowledge to me.

"I don't want you to." I say softly, avoiding his stern glare.

"It's too late for that." It really was. None of this would be happening if it wasn't for me. Literally everything that's going on in this household is having something to do with me if not completely. "It's not like you've ever needed me."

I look back up, this time he avoids my gaze as he walks towards the balcony doors and just stares out. I furrow my eyebrows and crane my neck to watch his back.

"I've always needed you, Harry."

"Who are you kidding?" He says comically. "In your time with me, you've defended yourself from the people that tried to hurt you." Suddenly, the guy back in San Francisco comes to mind as well as Rick and that woman at the shops.

"I've also put myself in half of those situations."

"What you lack is guidance, Valentina." Harry turns to look at me this time. "That is something I can't ever give you."

"You'll never know if you don't try?" My attempts to get him to stay were pathetic.

"I don't teach, I protect. I think we can all agree on that." His tone tells me he's referring to Rick and what I did to him because Harry taught me to use a gun in the first place. "It's not like you'll be alone. Zayn and the guys are going to be here."

"Yeah but it won't be the same." I say almost instantly. "I need you here to feel safe."

"And I need to be out there for you to be safe."

"What about you?" I ask and Harry furrows his eyebrows. "Who's going to watch your back?"

"I've been alone majority of my life, I assure you I'll be fine." It's the arrogance in the tone that gets me and the way he so carelessly dismisses it.

"I don't think you'll be fine." I say truthfully. "As long as you're in Alfio's vicinity, you will never be safe. Especially when he finds out what I did."

"He won't ever get the chance to hurt you."

"I don't trust him, Harry." I stand from the bed, Harry and I are two feet apart and my nails dig into my palm. "And I don't think you should either."

Harry looks around before he walks towards the door, opens it and shuts it again, probably making sure no one was around to listen. "I don't trust him either," His voice is much quiet now, almost as if he was afraid someone might hear us. "But this is something I must do."

"It's all my fault." I sigh. "If I hadn't killed Rick none of this would be happening." Harry doesn't say a word, he just stares at me for a moment. "What?" I ask and I watch as any twinkle of light in his eyes vanishes.

"Nothing."