Ignorance ➵ h.s. au

seventy eighth

"He started it!" Harry defended, still held by their cousins as he was still prepared to pummel Dani's brother.

"Carter, what the hell happened?!"

Milla's demand for an answer only in the thick air and silence only came out of him as he sat there, looking at his mother through the swelling of his own eyelids. Dani held her breath and so did Harry, heart pounding inside their chests as they waited for him to speak, tell on whatever it is he just saw and doom their lives forever. As much as she didn't want that, part of Danielle wanted him to reveal the truth just so the pang of guilt poisoning her bloodstream would lift, and she could receive the same amount of penance. 

Carter suddenly shot up his feet despite his injuries, catching everyone off guard as he pushed through the guests, including his own mother and walked out of the room. His friends quickly did the same and followed him, leaving Dani still sitting on the floor, questioning herself as tears dried into sticky spots on her cheeks. It was over, yet the sight of Harry hitting her brother over and over again remained engraved in her head. Why didn't he talk? Why didn't he say anything that could defend him and he just let everybody look at him like he was the villain? He could've easily told, he had absolutely nothing to lose. And perhaps that would've been easier than facing the fact he found out but somehow he didn't open his mouth.

Eventually the buzzing of people in the background became more distinguishable, wondering what just went down. "Everyone, I think it would be better if we call it a night." Milla addressed, "I'm sorry you had to see that, there was just a little bit of misunderstanding between the two parties, everything's alright."

A cold hand latched onto Dani's back, glazed eyes perking up to see Louis hunched over, helping her up from the floor. With much more coaxing from her mother, everyone left, the entire house submerging back into the quiet. The door creaked with each guest passing, Milla giving further assurance to their relatives that all was well when they asked where Carter went and what occurred. She didn't need to say it for Danielle to know she messed up bad, perhaps even worse than the previous times, and her brother was getting all the hate for it. He didn't need to leave, not like this, not when they've just made up. He could've just stayed in his ground, but he didn't. Just like how quick it took for her doubt to go way, dread came back just as fast.

She sat by the dining table, muffled sobs filling the kitchen as Louis next to her and rubbing gentle circles on her back, shirt soaked from her tears. Back then she thought she did something wrong for Carter to distance himself so suddenly, perhaps he saw there could be so much more than just his sister if he branched out and did what he wanted without their mother's supervision. And then he spoke, and turns out everything was alright. Nevertheless, just like that it was back to square one, and this time around it was real, too real she could feel it in her lungs and even breathing hurt, the vibrations of her sobs vibrating through Louis' chest. 

Harry remained far, stood beside the counters giving her as much space as possible. Even though he wanted to ease her sobs, there was nothing he could do that would make everything okay. He acted in the heat of the moment, knuckles swollen and red as he folded his hands over his stomach, fighting himself from approaching Dani. Even he had no idea why Carter didn't speak, as if the cuts on his face wasn't enough of a reason he should. Each hit was fuelled by fury, and he was beyond certain he would talk. But he judged too soon. At the end of the day, he wouldn't put his sister in trouble. He stayed behind, grabbing an ice pack from the fridge and placing it over his mouth, blood still gushing from his gums.

He aids Alfred to take down the decorations and getting the dishes scattered across the living room to put them into the sink. That was until Milla came back in from the front door, hands on her waist, infuriation evident on her expressions as her eyes landed on Harry, motioning for him to go to the kitchen. They sat around, Dani still curled up beside her cousin as Louis tried everything in his power to coo her to tranquility, yet nothing worked. Danielle swallowed her sobs, conscious of her mother's presence in the room. Nothing would happen even if she cries, her tears won't rewind everything and make it go back to the start. Carter would still be somewhere outside, the view of his sister and their neighbor kissing carved on his head whilst his nose bled to death because of her.