"Go get your knife, go get your knife and kiss me...."
♫ Knife Prty by Deftones.
This chapter contains violence. Viewer discretion is advised.
✰ ✰ ✰
"Are you ready to do this?" My hands shook as I clicked the buckle on Harlow's bullet proof vest. It was tight and secure around his body, underneath his black shirt and jacket.
I walked around to his front to face him as he dropped the fabric of his top and picked up the duffel bag that was on the pavement outside the lake house. I rephrased, "Are you okay with doing this?"
"Of course I'm not. M'scared..." He whispered honestly, looking down at my hand. He reached out and took it, brushing his thumb over my knuckles, "But, I want it to be done. This needs to be over."
"It will be." I tucked a stray hair from his bun behind his ear as my stomach twisted with anxiety, "Just follow what Zayn says. He and Zack will both be there. As long as there are no surprises, as long as you don't play hero and get yourself fucking killed, everything will be fine. And you call, as soon as Aurora is locked up in there at Leo's place, you call me and you tell me everything's okay."
I hated that we had to split up, but we needed to take care of Jess and Aurora at the same time. So, Niko and I were going to take care of Jess who was stalking around my house in hopes we'd show up, while Zack, Harlow, and Zayn, took care of Aurora and waited at the safe house Zack had given us the location of this morning.
Naomi, Mikey, Kristen, Morris, and Koi were staying safe at the beach house until everything was taken care of. They didn't need to be involved too or hurt.
Harlow exhaled shakily and pulled me into a tight hug, the wind outside running through us. Everyone was making their way out to the cars, getting ready and going over the plans.
"Be scared, but be brave for me. You can do this." I whispered reassuringly, kissing the side of his head a plethora of times.
"You be safe too. Kick Jess's ass for me." He muttered, pulling back and holding onto the side of my face. I nodded and he kissed me, our lips molding perfectly together one last time.
His grip on me, was firm, for dear life, and his lips parted from mine to kiss me over and over and over like he was trying to make sure the kiss was flawless and long lasting.
"Hey, fuckfaces! You already said your goodbyes!" Zayn shouted loudly, making us break apart.
We both looked over at him with an annoyed glare as he stood with Niko by his SUV.
"He's right." Niko scoffed, "You said them already and you said them very fucking loudly. Last night. All night, in fact! Look at these eye bags," He pointed toward his face, "These eye bags are because of you. Or rather, you," His finger pointed to me, "You and your—oh... Harlow... mmm, fuck my pussy like that, baby, yes! Harder! Harder!"
"Oh!" Zayn started moaning too, clapping his hands to mimic us.
I yelled with a roll of my eyes and a laugh, "Okay, we get it!—"
"Spank me. Fuck me like a dirty whore!" Zayn clutched his chest as if he had boobs and Niko pretended to fuck him from behind.
"We were a little loud..." Side eyeing Harlow.
"We? You."
"Okay, would you rather me fake it?" I scoffed.
"You couldn't if you tried." Hekissed my cheek once more and then walked away from me hesitantly. When he passed them, he smacked Zayn and Niko to make them stop and they stumbled against the car laughing together as they kissed goodbye.
I picked my duffel bag up off of the ground and watched them as I walked to my car that was right next to theirs.
"Don't fuckin' die or I'll bring you back and kill you myself, you cunt." Zayn gave him a sweet peck on the lips and ran his fingers through his curls, "Be careful."
"Yeah, yeah, Zanie, you too." Niko cradled his body in a quick hug.
I smiled as I tossed my bag into the backseat and then slammed the door shut.
When I turned back around they had parted their ways and we all faced each other, "Okay, so... this is it, right? We all meet at Leo's house the second it's done and then leave back home together-"
"I'm ready! Fuck, I'm here," Mikey came sprinting out from the house suddenly, a skating helmet and knee pads on as if we were going to the skate park. There was a bag in his hand and he had on enough padded hoodies to make him look like the Michelin man.
"Sorry. I had to take a shit. But, I'm ready."
"For what? Roller-blading?" Zayn asked, "The fuck are you doing?"
"I'm coming with! We're saving the world or... the neighborhood — whatever! I'm comin', who am I riding with?-"
"You're not going anywhere, dumbass. Go back inside. You're staying here with Kristen, Koi, and Naomi." Niko snatched the helmet off of his head and pointed toward the house, "I'm not letting you anywhere near a fucking gun."
"I can help!" Mikey exclaimed, "I'm good at shooting! I... I can use like a sword or something. C'mon, I don't wanna stay here with the ladies?"
"Too fucking bad. Get in the house." Harlow said, crossing his arms as he leaned against the car.
Mikey's eye contact flicked to Harlow and he glared.
I knew he didn't respect him at all, he didn't care for him and they had their own issues that they didn't work out just yet.
That didn't stop Harlow from treating him like a little brother though.
"Go. We're not playing around, this isn't going to be fun. You'll stay here with the girls and keep them safe."
"You're not in any position to tell me what to do-"
"Except I am! Because I just fucking did, go!" Harlow barked, pointing toward the house.
Mikey flinched and huffed like an upset child, tossing down his bag and walking back up to the house.
"You could've been nicer about it. He already doesn't like you." Niko smacked Harlow on the arm.
"He never will like me either. Get over it, I am." Harlow was irritated and his attitude reminded me a lot of when we first met. "Let's just go, let's get this over with. Everyone has guns, everyone has vests, right? Niko, you gave Zayn one, I have mine, Cherry has hers, Zack has one-"
"Wait - you gave me back the one I gave you? No. No, that was for you, I thought you found an extra, I'm not taking that." Zayn said, reaching under his shirt to take his off.
"I don't need one, I'll be fine." Niko stopped him, "It's just Jess. There's not much damage the fucker can do-"
"Except I'm trained with guns and you're not! Take it!-"
"No! I'll be okay. Stop. Please, just wear it..." Niko pulled his shirt back down, "Worst-case scenario, I get shot. I'm tough as nails, babes, I'll be fine."
"Sweets, please-"
"No. Take it. You're taking it. I'll be more than careful. I'm okay. Cherry, let's go." Niko kissed him once more and backed up from the car before he could change his mind again.
Zayn sighed and I knew he had a bad feeling, as did I, but he brushed it off and got inside of their SUV.
My eyes flicked back to Harlow as I opened up the passenger door to our car, "Be careful okay? I love you."
"I love you too, baby." He mumbled, drifting away to the passenger's seat of their car.
I took a deep breath of the fresh, crisp, outside air for clarity, right before I hopped into the car with Niko as it started.
It felt like I was gonna throw up.
But I knew it was no use. I didn't need to panic until I needed to panic. And right then, I just needed to use all of the willpower and anger I had to get the goddamn job done.
Niko started the car and we pulled out of the lot, trailing behind Zayn and Harlow.
For five minutes we followed them and then we came to a crossroads and split away. They went in one direction... we went in the other.
It was like I could feel my blood running cold, I could feel my chest aching to be near Harlow. I could hear his voice in my head telling me to be safe and telling me to be careful, that he loved me. That I could do it.
And that was my motivation.
"So... you're really smitten with Zayn, hm?" I decided to take the happy route and keep my energy high by talking to Niko about something I knew would put him at ease.
"Mmm. He was unexpected," Niko said as we drove down the road encased in fog and silence . I glanced over at him while I picked the nail polish off of my fingers. He was coasting so casually, a soft smile on his face, "So unexpected. I um... I never saw him coming. I never thought I'd be with a guy again, anyone again, let alone him. It was sex, it was random, prom night, bathroom sex, and the next thing I know, I'm thinking about him all the time."
"Yeah, I remember." I smiled softly.
"You think I'd try to avoid heartbreak at all costs, try to push through the feelings but it was immediately different with him. And you know, Harlow... he's different now, he's so much better, but before? When we had sex, when we hung out, when we went on dates, he never once treated me with the care that Zayn does. He was never as attentive, was never as sweet," He murmured, driving with one hand, "Even with Naomi, and I love her... I love her so much, it was always different because I still had that love for Harlow in the background like a buzz."
"And there's no... there's no fucking buzz anymore, Cherry." His eyes watered as he let out a heartfelt smile, "Zayn makes me feel so loved, so appreciated, so happy. That's all I've ever wanted, you know?"
"I know." I assured him, "Believe me, I know."
"H-he feels like it for me. It. The fucking stupid happily ever after everyone bitches and moans about. He's it. So, I need this to go exactly as we planned. I need this to work, cause I did this." He glanced over at me with a pained expression, "I fucked up. I did a stupid thing for love and I'll be damned if it's the thing that ruins mine. I need this to be the last thing that ever gets in the way of my happiness. You get me?"
I nodded and took his hand in mine, using my other to run through his curls and wipe his tears. He kissed my palm and gave my hand a 'thank you' squeeze that made me smile.
"When's the wedding?" I wiggled my brows.
Niko laughed with a sniffle, "Ah, I don't know. We haven't even said I love you, yet. We're a far ways away from a wedding but I've been thinking lately about... leaving Chicago?"
"What?"
"For so long... I've followed Harlow wherever he went. His home was my home because he was my home. But I think I want my own. I wanna buy a big house for Naomi, Zayn and me, and the baby. Koi could come too if she wanted. I feel like I need to start fresh and there's no one in the way of that right now except for well, Jess and Aurora so yeah, I'm thinking about it. Might move back to New York or to New Jersey, someplace nice. Buy a house, and just fucking live."
"What about the band? Bloody valentine?" I asked with concern.
"They'll be alright without me, at least for now!" Niko shook my hand, "The band is owned and founded by Harlow. He can do what he wants with it, he could make it something really great. I'm not saying I'll be gone forever, but I do think I need my own life for a while. Don't uh, don't say anything okay? Not until I'm sure."
"I won't, I won't." I frowned, "But I'm gonna miss you a lot if you do go."
"Yeah, I'm gonna miss you too, pretty thang." He smiled and looked over at me as I rolled my eyes.
I sighed and glared out of the window, watching soft rain suddenly patter against it as storm clouds rolled in.
There was nothing more to talk about, but Niko comforted me as we drove, playing thumb war with me and holding my hand.
We drove for over an hour.
And it wasn't until we got in our neighborhood that either of us uttered another word again.
"I see Jess's car." My stomach dropped when I saw his black Honda sitting on the house four down from mine, "I recognize it, that's him. I don't know if he's in it or not though,"
"He's gotta be inside..." Niko said it like it was intuition, cautiously glancing around as we drove slowly down the neighborhood, "If I were him, I'd wait inside. Which means, we park, we go in and we stick together throughout the entire house. You fucking stay behind me, you got that? You stay behind me and if I tell you to shoot, you shoot."
"Got it." I nodded, my chest buzzing. All I could picture was my courage in tiny, human form, walking throughout my nervous stomach and taking a spot in a corner like a small child to hide. Luckily for me though, my anger got me past that. I couldn't believe that I'd let Jess into my house, into my life, even if it was just momentary.
He tricked me. And he'd pay for it, he'd pay for working with my sister. For causing us all so much pain and suffering.
"Are you ready to do this?" Niko said right before we pulled into the house driveway.
"As ready as I can be."
Here goes nothing.
"Zack says she's leaving now to get to her safe house and that she has a lot of fucking guns," I said to Zayn as I read the text message from him that had flown into my iMessage inbox, "Drive faster, we need to get to that house before she does."
"Got it." Zayn pressed his foot down harder on the gas, rain whipping against the windshield roughly, "So, you two really did have some fun last night, huh?-"
"Zayn." I ridiculed, resting my elbow on the car door and looking out of the foggy window. My hand came up though and I couldn't help but trance patterns on it.
"I was just asking. I mean, jokes aside, you two were at it all night."
"We couldn't sleep. She was nervous, I was nervous, so we made up with sex. We distracted ourselves. It's not an easy thing for Cherry to do, me either. And knowing the violent things she's encountered in her life already, I wanted to ease her mind as best as I could, y'know?" I murmured.
"Could've watched a movie-"
"Zayn." I rolled my eyes, rounding my head to look back at him.
"Look, I'm just saying, it's not all about sex all the time." He said with a mouth shrug, turning a corner, "And Cherry, you're her first love. Her first ever anything for that matter..."
"Yeah? And?" I dropped my hand from the window and adjusted my seatbelt.
As we ventured down a big hill that was guided on a straight country road, Zayn looked over at me, "You're her first-ever experience romantically. I mean, really think about it. She was sheltered forever and then she met you and you're a fucking sex maniac. I don't want her to get hurt, or feel like she's being used. She wants to be loved."
"I love her, Zayn. I know that. Why does it sound like you're implying something?-"
"Okay woah. No. I'm not tryin' to ruffle any feathers here. Or break you two up, you're engaged, and you're perfect together. But Cherry has never experienced love outside of you. What if one day she decides she wants someone who values things differently than you? She's never gotten to freely date, see other men around. Or women." He explained, gesturing with his hand. "I care about Cherry. She's been through a hell of a lot. And if I'm implying anything, it's that you need to not take that for granted by abusing your power dynamic in the relationship."
I slowly nodded, "I know."
Zayn sighed, "I'm gonna tell you something and I just want you to listen, I don't want you to say anything about it. Ever."
"Okay..." I furrowed my eyebrows.
"The first time Cherry had sex with me, right before we were about to sleep, she started crying. She was so happy that a guy had thought she was pretty or quote 'worthy of love.' And I had to sit there for an hour and explain to her that sex doesn't define love. You don't measure love with how badly someone wants to sleep with you." He explained, "Cause she thought that, that was what it meant."
"She said that?"
"Yeah. Yeah, she did. N' ever since what happened with William, happened, I've been looking out for her. It's my job, I feel — fuck, we all feel like her family. So, jus'..." He stares at me dead in the eyes, "Don't hurt her, or I'll fuckin' kill you, mate. I love that girl. I will rip your nuts off of your body. Don't use her. Don't abuse your power. Whether you think so or not, you have it."
I nodded in understanding, twisting the skull ring on my finger, "I'm trying to be better for her. M'trying to make her feel appreciated in a way that's not through sex but sometimes it's so hard. She told me about how she feels like I need her all the time, like I just need her for sex or for comfort and I don't feel like that at all, I love her."
"Well, once this is all over, take her out on real dates, give her flowers, spend time with her that doesn't involve sex at the end of the night. Fuck, maybe you and her can go on a double date with Niko and me. There are lots of things you can do. You just have to have the will and the want to try."
"Yeah."
I understood what he meant and I knew he was only trying to look out for Cherry, but what he said was really making me think.
I was her first real boyfriend, first real anything and now we were engaged. Thinking about that was insane. I'd loved only two people in my life, but I got my chance to see what was out there. I got my chance to be single and have fun, and see my options out there.
What if one day she did decide there was more to life than one person? More to like than me?
What if I didn't treat her the right way and she left me?
I didn't want that. I loved her, I could imagine spending the rest of my life with her.
We were best friends before anything ever happened between us. But, lately, it felt like that part of us was gone and I wanted it back.
I'd have to do better, be better no matter what it took. For her and me.
Shoving my thoughts away, I sat up in my seat when Zayn pulled into a dirt road.
"The house is through the woods. We pick the lock and we wait inside for her and Zack. The second that she gets there, we grab her and we go. If you have to shoot, aim for the waist or below, something easily cured. Remember; we're not here to hurt her." Zayn said as he slowly parked the car in a patch of shaded trees and then yanked the keys out while looking over at me.
"No matter how much we want to."
The sound of the clicking front door to our home opening up made me sick.
I stood with the key in my hand, right in front of the door. Opening it up as normally but carefully as possible.
Every one of my senses was on alert and I wished I felt more confident with a loaded weapon in my hand but no matter what attitude I brought to the table, fear would win out; just a little.
The lock clicked under my finger and I reached down to the doorknob on Niko's signal, opening it up.
I immediately kicked it open wider and raised my gun, looking to the right; the living room.
It was empty to my relief but my finger clutched the trigger tightly as I advanced slowly.
"Circle around that way, I go this way, we clear the downstairs first," Niko whispered in the quietest tone he possibly could.
I nodded and advanced into the living room which looped around to the kitchen and hallway; all the way back to the front door. My house was open concept thankfully. There weren't many nooks to hide in.
Nothing looked touched, there were no windows open, no nothing.
I slowly advanced around the corner to the dining room and discovered a vase of flowers on the table and a note, but no person.
My head whipped to the side toward Niko as he suspiciously looked at it too. "I don't think anyone's here, let alone Jess. The fuck is that?"
"'A gift'..." I read the outside of the card on the table and examined the sunflowers on the table which I'd told Jess were my favorite once upon a time.
The writing wasn't Jess's though, I knew that much. I'd worked with him for almost a year and his wasn't as pretty. It was scraggly and short, a man's handwriting.
This was flowy, like calligraphy.
It had to be Aurora's.
"Flowers, really? What kind of twisted game is this?" Niko wearily lowered his gun and walked closer to the table, right where the card was positioned.
I glanced behind us and double-checked that no one was coming, before I looked back at him, "I don't like this, I have a bad feeling, we should just go. Where;s Jess? He's supposed to be here. Zack said Aurora had him watching the house."
"Obviously he was. Do you wanna read that or should I?" He glared at me nervously, "I mean I'm gonna go off on a limb and say it's for us."
I snatched the card off of the table and huffed, opening it up.
It was pink and decorated with balloons that said, "Welcome home."
This bitch is twisted.
With shaking hands, I swallowed down vomit and I opened it. I peered inside to a blank white background with one single line, to which, I read out loud, "'A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, it only hastens fools to rush... in where angels fear to tread' - Samuel Johnson. I-it's a quote. What does it mean?" I whispered.
Niko seemed confused himself and furrowed his eyebrows as he recited it to himself again, piece by piece. "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. So, is she talking about us knowing something or her?"
"I don't know. I don't get it." I murmured, looking behind me one more time.
Just in case.
Niko moved toward the table, reaching for the flower vase, "It only hastens fools to rush..." He took another step forward.
"In where angels dare to tread."
Click.
The sound of a soft shifted metallic click hit my ears and my eyes flew down to the floor, right where Niko had stepped in his heavy, black boots.
"What the—" Niko looked down at the floorboard where the wood had sunken down.
Like a button.
Like a trigger.
It was the exact same color as our flooring, but underneath the wood, I could see a bright red flashing light.
Jess or Aurora had put something inside of it.
Something that soon started a slow, quiet beeping.
My heart rate sped up and I looked back up at Niko, "W-what is that? Niko, what is that? I don't understand. Move, get off of it-"
"No... no, I can't move." He exhaled, creasing his eyebrows and looking up at me.
His hand with his gun slowly lowered and he didn't know where to look, panic was overtaking him just like it was me.
And that panic was haunting.
"If I move, it'll go off. I... I can't move." He whispered, shaking his head.
Fuck.
"It's an explosive..." I whispered in realization, glancing back down at the floor. It looked so real, it looked like nothing had been touched at all.
I couldn't wrap my head around the concept, I didn't wanna believe it.
"We have to get you out of here, j-just move really fast, we can get out if you move really fast, right?"
"Cherry, I can feel the weight, I feel the pressure underneath my foot. I'm holding it down." He swallowed loudly, "And if I move even an inch, it'll go off. So..." His voice began to tremble, and his hands followed as he set the vase of flowers back down onto the counter and held his gun out to me. He looked deeply at me, "I need you to get out of here cause we're not both dying."
"No, there has to be a way. We can replace your weight with something, right? We can figure something out." I glanced around, spinning in circles. I felt too scared to step though because I didn't know if there were any others in the house.
"Cherry, go. I don't trust myself not to move, and I'm gonna start shaking worse in a second. I'm gonna start freaking the fuck out. So you need to leave the house, take the car, and go as far away from here as possible-"
"I'm not..." I was breathless. My chest was caving in on me.
"N--No! I'm not just gonna leave you here! I won't-"
"You have to go. Okay? You have to. You take my gun and you find Jess and you kill that son of a bitch. Do you understand me?" His breaths were shallow as his eyes grew glassy, "You have to go now. If it goes off on accident, if I move a muscle, we die. Move carefully but move quickly. Do you understand?" He enunciated again.
"I am not leaving you here!" I said as my eyes burned, "Not today! You are going to live, we just have to f-figure something out, I'll call Zayn-
"Cherry go!" He yelled, his upper body shaking, "Get out! You're making things worse, you will die in here with me unless you leave! This is a fucking bomb! And anyone else who steps foot in here to try and help will die too. It was a setup, he knew we'd come home sooner or later, he knew we'd come looking but we never anticipated this. It's not your fault. It's not mine, but you have to go!"
"There has to be a way, I can't lose you. Zayn can't lose you, Harlow can't lose you, The baby - no, we have to f-fight! We have to figure something out!" I was crying already but the tears willed to come out faster than a solution inside my head.
"Will you tell Zayn that I love him?" A tear streamed from his eye while his adam's apple bobbed, "And that I'm so, so s-sorry."
"No." I cried, moving my eyes back up to him as he blurred in my sight like a vision that wasn't even there, "There has to be something-"
"Tell him that I loved him m-more than anyone, that we were meant to be. That he - that he's beautiful, and kind, and the best man I've ever known," He cried, his eyes glossing over while he nodded, "That he made me feel like the luckiest guy in the world and that anyone would be lucky to have someone like him, you tell him that. You promise me. Promise me you'll tell him."
"I-I can't-"
"Promise me!" He cut me off in a yell.
"I..." I exhaled as a full force sob pushed out of my throat which I shoved down with a hard swallow, "I... I p-promise, I promise."
This can't be happening.
"Good. T-tell Harlow and Naomi n' Koi, that I love them, tell my little brother I love him. Tell all of them that I love them. I'll run too. I'll try. But if I don't make it out of here, you tell my kid how much I love them. You made sure they're loved, you hear me? You protect them, you make sure Naomi isn't alone, she shouldn't ever feel alone. And you, Cherry, I love you too—"
The artificial wood floor underneath his foot snapped just a bit and the beeping increased to a faster pace that was accompanied by a ringing.
He whipped his head back up to me in a panic, a cry getting caught in his throat, "Tell them! Go! Cherry! Go! Now! Get out of here and get safe!"
The force of his words, the force of my panic, and the force of my tears pushed me from the house.
I ran as fast as I could but my feet felt so heavy with the burden of the loss that was already hitting.
Even when I couldn't hear it anymore, the beeping lingered in my ears like a constant reminder.
It happened again.
My lungs burned as I sobbed and made it down the steps of my house.
But only when my foot touched the very bottom step, did I stop.
And the only reason I stopped was because of the force, the heat, the cracking of every window in my home that hit me like a bag of bricks.
The wind and fumes, shoved my body down to the wet ground full force and pushed me down onto my raining driveway.
The pressure made my body ache and I could feel my each and every limb hit the ground, each with an echoed thud or a crack of my breaking ribs.
My back was scraped, a part of the vest I wore for protection, simply torn to shreds. I felt it all. Searing, mind-numbing pain.
I felt it all, until my head hit the ground along with the rest of my body, hard.
And everything went black.
***