North Road {HS}

15. Pierce

The door swung open as we approached, slamming against the side of the house in protest. Harry stood on the top step watching us draw nearer. I could feel the hand that had been tangled with mine at my side pull nervously away before I held more tightly on to it. I wasn't going to let her go any time soon.

"Where the hell have you guys been?" Harry hissed in a heated whisper as he closed the door behind him.

"Out," I responded, confused by why Harry cared so much.

"Well it's bloody time you came around. I've been looking all across town for you," he growled his frustration evident.

"Well we're back now," I shrugged preparing myself to lead Adelaide around him.

Suddenly Harry softened and his face dropped.

"Maybe you oughtta stay out here for a minute, Pierce," he sighed sounding exhausted.

I felt a ting of worry flutter in my stomach and my grip on Adelaide's hand tightened.

"Well," I said steeling myself for what was to come, "If she's in trouble it's only right I go in and take the brunt of it."

Harry looked at me with an unreadable expression his eyes flicking to our linked hands.

"She's not in trouble mate."

I turned to look at Adelaide. My Adelaide I liked to think. There was a fear in her eyes that she seemed to be attempting to cover up.

"All right then," she shrugged. Because I think in that moment she might have known.

She gave my hand a responsive squeeze before she gathered the skirts of that lovely yellow dress and climbed the porch steps. At the top she stopped and turned to look at me over her shoulder.

"I'll find you once I've spoken to Kitty," she smiled in a way that broke my heart.

Once the door closed behind her I turned to Harry.

"What the hell was all that about?" I demanded.

Harry just shook his head and stared at the ground his hands shoved in his pockets.

Suddenly I heard yelling in the house. It sounded as if Kitty was giving Adelaide the same treatment Harry had given me. And I couldn't figure out what on earth was going on. I moved to go help her before Harry's arm was around me, stopping me.

The door slammed open abruptly but this time it was Adelaide storming out. A rage of tears and anguish and last nights clothes.

I opened my arms to comfort her as she came down to hopefully explain what had happened. But then I felt fists slamming against my chest. Her fists.

I tried to recover, to pull her to my chest, but she was a tempest that couldn't be calmed.

"I wasn't here!" she screamed, "Because of you, I wasn't here!"

A gut wrenching, frightful cry escaped her lips. But she was slowing down and I had caught her wrists in my hands as her body shook in sobs.

"I hate you," she whimpered, ".... I'm so, so angry with you."

"For what, darling? For what?" I asked attempting to get her to look at me.

"I wasn't here," she sputtered, "I was at a stupid party sitting under a stupid tree..."

I pulled her into my arms. She held on to the back of my jacket as if for dear life and sobbed into my neck.

But when she spoke my heart stopped.

"My mum," she hiccuped, "My mum's gone and I wasn't here to say goodbye."
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I know they were short but that's three in one night people.
Thanks for the love. ❤️