Complacent [Duplicity Niall]

☆ 044 ☆

I think he misses Aven.

Realistically, I should've left when Zayn put the idea in my head. I just couldn't find it in my heart to.

Then, we have to do the whole great escape thing. And go into hiding. I say “we” but I mostly mean them. I was just there, really.

But, you know, complicity is still a crime.

I guess I'm just glad I'm not a real person, legally.

You can't arrest someone who doesn't exist.

Besides, I couldn't leave the boys. The thousands of dollars Niall has been sending me monthly never went into a bank account. And accumulated with the money in the shoe box, and the money I got back from the floorboard in Calum and Luke's apartment in Daytona, we had about 7 grand. Well, I did.

I may have kept this a secret for a little while.

And for a little while I mean the whole time.

(We would've been way more set if I had let my intrusive thoughts win in Vegas and taken that 1.2 million dollars in my backpack).

Anyway, this apartment we live in. In New York.

I share with Niall, cause he's been having nightmares. And also, you know, other reasons. But it feels a little mean to brag about. Considering Harry lost Aven and Louis lost Nova.

And Liam’s just- yeah.

The lady, Mei, who owns the store above our apartment, has the boys “protecting” the place and I mostly just help her out. Niall thought I was high the first time I spoke to her in sign language.

Liam mostly does her system related work, Louis organizes her shipments, and Harry does the scary bad guy “Rob the place, I fucking dare you” job. And Nialls basically her handy man. I like watching him fix the appliances and shit. It's hot.

We were on the run for months. Again, I keep saying we, but I keep choosing to be here, over and over. But we finally ended up in New York.

Living on the streets wasn't tough, for me personally. I mean, I didn't ever really get accustomed to the superstar lifestyle.

I'd get the food. I told them I stole it but really I bought it.

I don't know what it was. Maybe it was compulsive hoarding. Maybe it was selfishness. Maybe it was still having one foot out the door.

But today, today. Today wasn't good.

Today Louis found out I'm a fucking liar.

The burner phone was warm against my ear, the low hum of Zayn’s voice grounding me even as my stomach twisted.

"You need to leave, Madi."

I swallowed, gripping the counter. "Yeah, yeah. I know."

"No, you don’t." His voice was sharper now. "It’s not safe. Malakai—"

A floorboard creaked behind me.

My heart stuttered. I turned just in time to see Louis in the doorway, his arms crossed.

Shit.

I hung up before Zayn could say anything else, tucking the phone into my pocket like that would somehow make it invisible.

Silence stretched between us.

Then Louis lifted something. A wad of cash. My wad of cash. The same wad that had been stuffed at the bottom of my backpack.

"Where the fuck did you get this?" His voice was quiet. Too quiet.

I hesitated. "I just— I had it."

Louis let out a short, humorless laugh. "The whole time?"

I didn’t say anything.

"Yeah," he muttered, dragging a hand through his hair. "The whole fucking time, Madi?"

My throat felt tight. "I was saving it."

"Saving it," he echoed. "For what?"

I shifted on my feet. "I used it sometimes. For food."

His eyes darkened. "And the rest of the time? You let us live on the streets. You let us starve. You let us rob a fucking convenience store. You let Harry—" His voice broke off for a second, jaw clenching. "You let Harry steal insulin from a hospital. Because you were saving it?"

I had no answer.

Louis shook his head, voice strained. "Why, Madi? Why the fuck have you been lying to us?"

I bit the inside of my cheek.

I wanted to tell him. Maybe I even wanted him to know. That I knew where Aven was and what she was doing. That she was out there, alive, whole, being someone else entirely.

But I couldn’t.

No one could know.

So I lied. Again.

"I haven’t," I said, voice steady.

Louis just looked at me.

"Then tell me the truth." His voice wasn’t angry anymore. Just exhausted. "Are you doing anything that could hurt us?"

My fingers curled into my palms.

I could still hear Zayn’s words in my head.

"You need to leave, Madi."

I took a slow breath. "No."

Louis searched my face, like he was waiting for me to crack. But I didn’t.

I couldn’t.

His shoulders sagged slightly, the fight leaving him. He exhaled hard, running a hand over his jaw.

"Fine," he muttered, stepping back. "Fine. Whatever. But I'm gonna watch you. Alright? And if something happens. I hope you know who's fault it is."

I can only feel the heat burn in my bones, as I stared at the stack of cash he left on the counter.

I look down at my phone, as it vibrated.

Z: meet me here 📍[attached file]