After The End: Book 1

35. Safe

Harry's POV

"This is bullshit," I snapped pacing back and forth through the police station lobby.

Lux was standing off to the side watching me with some interest. Mostly she looked scared. She'd been so bold and caring earlier but once I'd mentioned that Naomi was vulnerable, she hadn't been able to shake the worried crease in her forehead.

Louis had left with the police some time ago to check on Naomi. They wouldn't let me come. Something about me acting too erratically. I'd yelled a lot so I wasn't surprised, just angry. My little ptsd episode now passed, I was anxious and buzzing with electric energy. I wanted to do something. I didn't want to just sit here on my ass wondering if Naomi and Louis were okay.

The police were doubtful that Evan and Marcus would show at our house but I was positive they would. I was the one they had a problem with. If they wanted to be in London, they had to make sure I wasn't a problem anymore especially now that they knew that I'd seen them. The police argued that I was just paranoid and that I had an inflated vision of my own importance but that's not what this was. I knew these people. I knew how they acted.

"You need to sit down Harry," Lux said softly.

"If I stop I'm going to start hyperventilating again," I muttered casually continuing to pace.

Then there was the matter of Lux and the fact that I'd professed my affections for her and then kissed her in the park. That felt like it happened a long time ago. It felt silly and childish now that my dangerous reality had come back so rapidly. One second I'd been having the best kiss of my life and the next I was locking eyes with my would be murderers.

Lux stood up and approached me, grabbing both of my wrists in her own. I let her hold me there, preventing me from taking any more steps. Instead, I focused on the splatter of light freckles over her nose and took a couple of deep breaths.

"We're going to be okay," she said softly. She said it like she believed it.

I nodded. She was right. I had to keep telling myself that she was right. My initial panic had been an overreaction prompted by my own poor coping with the situation but we were objectively safe. Louis had gotten the police involved. We were protected.

"I feel like my brain is sleeping but my body is wide awake," I muttered blinking hard. This type of anxiety-exhaustion combo was definitely not heart doctor approved.

"You've had a really bad few hours. The feeling is understandable." Lux was trying to be reassuring. I appreciated the sentiment even if it did nothing to calm me.

"It wasn't all bad," I said trying to smile. It felt more like a grimace. We had kissed. That had happened. "I'm sorry for losing it back there."

She shrugged. "You got us out of there. That was best thing you could have done."

It occurred to me that Lux had been mostly oblivious to what was happening for the entire first part of our escape. She had simply trusted the look of fear enough to not argue. Now she was a part of the mess too. "I'm sorry for getting you involved in this," I blurted out.

She smiled her soft carefree smile for the first time since before our kiss. "I love being a part of your chaos. Don't worry about me."

She was mental. She had to be. I often found myself questioning her sanity, for reasons like that.

She looked as though she wanted to say something more but then the front door to the police station slammed open. Several officers walked in looking grim and serious and then in the middle of them I saw the angry faces of Evan and Marcus. They were handcuffed and being led in with a thick police escort.