This Is War [sequel to So Cold]

20: In Too Deep

I plan on a couple of more chapters, and then the Epilogue. ♡

(UNEDITED.)

Harry's POV

Something felt off in the air around us. I knew for sure that it wasn't about the devastating news about Eleanor. No. It was much worse. There was an anonymous finger prodding at my shoulder, whispering into my ear that the ghastlier is about to come and take us all by the throat, squeezing until our necks snap in half. It made my head feel heavy, my mind drifting off into translucent thought a lot more often.

Sam's eyes wandered on me more often as I sat on the edge of the hotel mattress, running my clammy hands over my jeans. She has an idea that something felt suspicious, especially as I avoided speaking much whenever she asked a simple question. At some point, I felt her rest a gentle hand onto my shoulder. I was a bit frightened as a picture of Liam dissolved before my very eyes. My head snapped upward, looking up into Sam's eyes.

"Are you feeling alright?" She asked, taking a seat beside me. She wraps her arms around my arm, her hands encasing mine, her thumb running over the bumps of my knuckles in an attempt to squeeze some sort of words out from my mouth.

I took a moment to myself, my tongue running over my lower and upper lip. Running my lips against each other, I inhaled and exhaled deeply from my nose. I rested my forehead on the stop of her head, taking in her soothing touch, calming my fast-paced heart.

"Something's off with Liam," I said. "He left breakfast so suddenly. I'm wondering if he's alright or not. I mean, he was definitely upset about the poll the group took and whatnot."

Sam tightens her hands around mine, humming in understanding. "He needed some space. It was pretty easy to tell that he wanted all of us to just... jump in on the idea."

I pushed out a perturbed sigh, nuzzling my nose into her soft hair, taking in the scent of her sweet shampoo, reminding me of an extensive field of wild flowers. "He can be irrational at times," I murmur, "and after he does something absurd something stupid he does typically follows and I have to tug him back so he doesn't do something that he'll regret."

Sam pulled away slightly, looking into my eyes. "What are you saying, Harry?" She scrunched her eyebrows together. "Are you..."

"I'm saying that he may be doing something stupid like going to Carlisle's base by himself with little to no protection and too focused on his need of being the heroic figure of the group." I shrugged my shoulders. "You could be right, though. Perhaps he's walking around the streets and getting some fresh air to let off some steam." Even to myself, I sounded very unsure of Sam's assumption.

She presses her lips together in a line, releasing my hand and pulling her fingers through her silky hair. "I guess you have a point."

I nodded. "Yeah, and as far as I know, no one has seen him since he left the diner."

Sam shifts uncomfortably in her spot, running her hands over her bare arms. "What do we do?" She says. "Laura or Niall will probably flip if they find out that anyone's going to go after Liam."

I shake my head and boost myself up from the mattress and locate my shoes by the door. "She has to understand," I say. "Liam is her only baby brother. She cannot be that stubborn to let her brother kill himself." Slipping my feet into my shoes, I kneel down onto my knees and tie them tightly.

I listened as Sam's light footsteps approached me. "Is this a good idea?" She asks nervously. "I mean, we don't have our own weapons, right? Laura and Niall confiscated all of our guns and knives and such." I peered upward at her as I continued tying the laces. She picked at the hem of her shirt, rolling it between her fingers.