Breathing

Chapter 72

I knelt down picking up the pictures Lo told me about. Looking over them I pinched the bridge of my nose, an angry grunt escaping my lips, before throwing them across the room. They had been watching her for months. Watching all of us.

"This is fucking bullshit! Why can't they just leave us the hell alone!" I grabbed a few of the pictures off the floor ripping them in half.

"Harry just come out here babe please" She requested. I sighed walking to the cracked door. I hit the light and closed it as I exited the tainted room.

"Char I'm gonna fix this. I'll paint it myself" I could no longer hold back my tears. Between seeing her defeated face and being back in that room, I couldn't stop the images of her lifeless body on the bed. Of course I had been strong for her at the time, but she wasn't the only one having nightmares when everything happen.

Mine mostly revolved around my guilt of leaving her alone. For not being there to stop him. Standing, frozen in the hallway yelling for him to get off of her, but the bedroom door would just slam in my face. Sealing shut and making it impossible for me to help her.

Coming back up here and seeing the disgusting words and hate painted on the walls brought it all back. Red smears covering the bedroom that held just as many beautiful memories as bad now.

Charlie's arms were around me. Comforting me while I zoned out of this living nightmare. I gripped her shirt as my eyes betrayed me letting more tears escape. I needed to do something about the walls. I wasn't going to be able to rest until it was taken care of.

"I'll be back" I pulled away stepping around her.

"Where are you going?" She mumbled as I walked past her towards the front door.

"To the store. I need to get paint"

I pulled the door open and stepped out.

Charlie's POV

"Wai-" the door slammed behind him. I stood in the hall starring at it.

"Where did he go?"

Niall was at my side.

"He said he was going to get paint"

"I'll go with him." Niall grabbed his keys and jacket.

"I'll go too" Ed was up and following behind Niall.

The door closed behind them and I turned back to Lo.

"We should go back down to your apartment" Lo took Niall's place next to me.

"Yea..ok" I sighed.

Harry's POV

I slammed the door to my car before shoving the keys into the ignition. As I put it in drive I heard knocking on my window. Niall motioned for me to open the door. So I hit the locks and both he and Ed climbed in.

"Are you ok?" Niall asked cautiously.

"No. I don't want to talk about it. I just want to get some paint and fix it"

"Harry maybe you need to talk about it. We were so worried about Charlie. Nobody really thought to ask how you might be affec-"

"I said I don't want to fucking talk about it!" I barked slamming my fist against the steering wheel.

"Harry breath man" Ed spoke up from the backseat.

"I can't! I can't relax. I can't breath. I can't do anything! I just want to protect her and every attempt I make in the right direction, something else is waiting in the fucking shadows to ruin it. What kind of dad could I possibly be when I can't protect Charlie? I can't stand up to my dad, I don't have a job. I have a kid coming in 4 months. This is not how my life was suppose to be! I'm fucking failing at everything. "