"Keep your back arched just like that."
I whimpered into the pillow, jaw parted as my fingers got lost into the sheets. Harry's thighs slapped against me quickly, his throaty desperate moans drawing from his lips as his cock sank further into me until my toes curled.
"Your little hot cunt feels so fucking good, spread your legs out more f'me, Angel." Harry demanded with a dark voice, a burning sensation on my ass as his hand smacked each cheek.
Ever since I found out about Harry's lies, he had me in bed almost every day. Morning, night, breakfast, lunch. A couple days ago he had me against the front door. Then he had me against the kitchen counter. While we were eating one night, he pushed our dinner out of the way and fucked me on the kitchen table.
This morning, he woke me up with his hardened cock pressed into my ass.
I couldn't complain. Each fuck session made me forget about every lie he told me. It suddenly didn't matter anymore when he was begging for forgiveness on his knees while he sucked on my clit.
It was quite the sight to see.
Large hands scooped my cheeks, spreading them as his hips shifted harder to the hilt. Harry was pleading, slowing his thrusts to edge himself as he whimpered. His hand drew down the curve of my spine, lips parted as he grabbed the back of my neck and held tightly.
"Do you feel how deep I am?" Harry asked darkly, a hushed breath coming after, "Feel how hard I am inside of you?"
"Fuck." I panted out.
In fact, I could feel how deep he was inside of me. It was milking me for everything I had. Each thrust sent me further towards the edge. Harry's mouth kissed my shoulder blade as his hips sloppily thrusted, finally reaching his orgasm, as I did as well. The euphoria flooded me, making me fall to the bed, and let out uneven breaths.
Harry rolled off of me, but kept his arm around me as I laid onto my back with a huff. We were working overtime, for what? We weren't sure. Maybe it was for forgiveness, for normalcy, or maybe we were desperate for each other once more.
"Did you ever think about Italy?" Harry asked as his fingers traced around my stomach slowly, flicking his glazed eyes towards me.
"A little bit," I sighed, watching his fingers trace circles on my skin, "Not much though."
"I keep thinking about it," He stopped his fingers, laying his hand flat on my stomach, "Like I'm gravitating towards it."
"I'm surprised you have time to even think about it," I said lightly as I removed myself from the bed, grabbing the oversized shirt I was wearing and threw it on.
The sheet draped over Harry's hip just barely, the curls of his pubic hairs showing as the v-lines of his hips curved into his pelvic bone. He let out a soft sigh, stretching his legs out.
"I've been trying to think about anything but what's happening," He admitted softly, watching me as I walked into the bathroom, "Is that a crime?"
In the bathroom, I started the hot water to wash my face.
"It's not, I think it's good that you're being optimistic," I squeezed the liquid into my hand then began to wash my face, "I just think that we need to be focused on Angela right now. Getting ready for what's to come."
"I don't want any more violence," He confessed, I watched from the mirror as he rose from the bed, seeing a glimpse of his round ass before pulling his pants up his legs, then his trousers, "I'm tired of it."
"I know, love," I sighed, rinsing the foam from my face before drying it with a towel, "I'm sorry."
Harry leaned against the door frame, arms crossed. His torso sweaty, gleaming and vibrant. He stretched his arm out, flexing his muscle lightly; unintentionally.
"Never really liked violence that much," He said quietly, eyes wandering over me, "Sure, back when I was high, but even then. I didn't like it. Something about throwing a punch made my stomach sick."
I frowned, turning towards him as I massaged my moisturizer into my skin, "How did you come to kill people then? Did that ever make you sick?"
"Used to," He shrugged one shoulder, parting his lips, "But when it came to you, it was natural. Like an instinct I never knew I had. Everything just kind of goes numb when it comes to you," He pushed himself off the door frame, "When someone tries to hurt you."
I went silent. It wasn't the first time that he'd said something under that effect. Harry took that silence and started a shower. I had to get ready to go to the shooting range with Niall and the girls today. Niall was picking me up, thankfully.
"Niall should be here soon," I kissed the nape of Harry's neck as he undressed, "I'm going to get ready."
Harry smirked softly, turning his head towards me. As I walked away, his fingers wrapped around my wrist and brought me to his naked body. His fingers running up the backside of the large shirt I was wearing.
"Are you sure you don't want a quick second round?" His breath hit my neck as his mouth assaulted my skin, a soft sound leaving me, "I promise I'll be quick."
"I can't..." I drew out, chuckling softly as his fingers released me and I stumbled backwards in a daze, "I want too, but I can't. He's gonna be here soon."
"Cockblock." Harry muttered under his breath playfully.
I rolled my eyes, leaving the bathroom to Harry alone.
It was a sunny day, and the weather was starting to warm up. I wanted to wear something practical, though, because I didn't think that a dress and sandals were appropriate for shooting scary guns.
So, I opted for a loose sweatshirt that was baby blue and a pair of ripped jeans.
Twenty minutes later, I was sitting in the living room waiting for Niall to text me that he was here. Harry came from the bedroom, wearing a white blouse that was nearly see through and black trousers. He ran his hand through his curly chestnut locks as he sat down on the couch and started to pull his vans on his feet.
"Are you coming with us?" I asked, pinching my brows together.
"I've decided," He strained lightly as he pulled his left shoe on, "I am. I want to see my girl shoot a gun."
"You're going to make me nervous," I laughed softly, "With you there, there's so much pressure."
"Pressure?" Harry half laughed, throwing his head back, "That's funny."
"What?" I scrunched my brows together, "I'm serious!"
Harry slid his arm around my waist, placing a hard kiss to the side of my face. A grin on his lips.
"Angel, I've seen you in the most vulnerable positions..." He said, sultry, but serious, "Spread open..." His hand ran down my side, "I think seeing you with a gun is fine."
I rolled my eyes, "That's different."
Even if he was right. He'd seen me at my best and at my worst. I supposed I was just nervous to shoot in front of Harry when he knew how to handle one. I didn't really. Not so much. I guessed there was a side one of me that wanted to impress him and I was scared it would get to my head and I'd fuck up.
"Whatever you say." Harry sang softly as he pushed himself from the couch.
As he stood, his eyes set on a car that approached down the driveway. I stood to my feet, watching as Niall parked the car and started fumbling with his phone.
"Ready?" Harry asked, taking my hand.
"As I'll ever be." I tried to swallow the bile in my throat.
"You're not holding the gun right." Rina said as she tried to fix my hands around the handle of the gun.
"Deja vu," Niall chirped with a smirk as he polished off his gun, then proceeded to load it.
The field was empty, thankfully, I didn't have to perform in front of everyone. The wind was blowing, the sky was turning different shades of blue and gray. When I checked the weather, it said it was supposed to rain at some point. We were willing to stay out here till the rain started.
"Alright, alright," I swallowed thickly, feeling my throat constrict, "I'm trying okay? Don't overwhelm me."
"I'm not trying to overwhelm you, I was just–,"
"Let me take over, Rina."
I turned around to Harry who was standing behind us, a soft smile on his lips. Rina shrugged her shoulders, leaving the gun in my hands.
"I'll work with Gracie, it looks like she needs it." Rina said.
Gracie, who was standing on the other side of Niall, glared towards us.
"I never asked to shoot guns, alright? I was dragged into this. You guys have no right to judge me." She bit, playfully.
"Don't worry, Gracie," I called out, "We will learn together."
Rina stood beside Gracie and immediately started to show her how to hold her weapon. Harry got closer to me, his arms wrapped around my waist as his fingers wrapped around mine that were around the handle. I leaned back into him, smiling softly.
"Fancy seeing you here." I joked softly.
Harry chuckled quietly, holding a smirk back, "Come here often?" Before I could joke back with him, he pressed his lips to my ear, "You look very sexy with a gun, by the way."
My cheeks heated up. Harry cleared his throat, setting his gaze at the target in front of us. His fingers wrapped tighter around my fingers, his breath suffocating me. Every flicker of his jaw, every slight movement, I could feel it against my back.
"Arms straight," He said, wiggling my arms out, "When you shoot it, it's going to coil back."
"I've shot a gun before, Harry," I scolded softly, "Maybe only once, but I've shot one."
Harry rolled his eyes, "But you haven't shot this one. Each gun has different punches. This one is going to blow your arms back when you shoot it. Don't be scared though, as long as you have a strong grip on it, you'll be fine."
"I liked the baby gun that Niall let me shoot before," I frowned.
Examining the gun in my hands, I realized that this was much bigger than the one I shot before. It made me nervous, not that I would hurt myself, but to not follow through after pulling the trigger. Harry said that this one packed a punch, that I could coil back. What if it startled me when it went off and dropped it? And I hurt someone?
Harry could tell that I was in my head. When I came too, he was putting headphones on my ears to muffle the sound.
"For protection," He said, "Well, for your ears anyways."
His hands found a place back into mine. I steadied my legs, letting out a few deep breaths with my eyes closed. I thought about the day that I came here for the first time, and how I was able to shoot the bullseye with little to no effort. I tried to channel that energy back so I could at least impress Harry.
"Are you ready?" Harry asked, his voice muffled from the headphones.
I parted my lips to reply, only to hear a loud pop explode in the air. I flinched back, shielding my face as my feet stumbled backwards. Harry gasped, catching me from the back as he leaned forward and stared at me with a concerned expression.
"Are you okay?" He asked with a frown, "It was just Gracie, okay? Just Gracie."
I let out a panicked breath, squeezing my eyes shut for a moment.
"I don't know why that scared me," I chuckled nervously, moving my shoulders to release the tension in my muscles, "I'm okay. I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" Harry asked, still keeping his concerned look, "We don't have to do this. We can do this another day."
"I want to do this." I said more forcefully.
The nerves were getting the best of me. If Gracie could effortlessly shoot her gun, then so could I. Not that Gracie was hitting much of the target, but still. I nodded towards Harry, putting myself back into position. Harry positioned himself behind me, wrapping his hands around mine and setting his chin on my shoulder.
"You've got this, Angel. I know you can do it." He reassured me softly, placing a gentle kiss to my skin, "Arms out," I did as he said, "Finger on the trigger," I placed my finger on the trigger, feeling the familiar uneasy feeling in my chest, "Take a deep breath..."
I took a deep breath. This bullet couldn't hurt me. Not unless I turned it on myself. The only place it was going to go was forward. I reassured myself repeatedly, relaxing my jaw. When I opened my eyes, I took another deep breath and felt the cold metal on my fingers as my pointer digit pushed down onto the trigger.
Pow.
My arms recoiled backwards, but Harry's hands were there to hold them steady. The power packed a punch, just as Harry warned me. I felt the vibrations through my hands and arms, almost feeling it in my chest as I watched the bullet hit right outside of the target. My shoulders fell.
"That was good, Angel," Harry reassured, "Was that okay for you? Do you want to do another one?"
"I didn't even hit the target," I said quietly, frowning.
Niall, who was standing beside us, looked over to me with a reassuring smile.
"That was a good first shot with that gun, though," He waved his similar gun to show, "It's harder to shoot with bigger guns. Keep practicing and you'll get it."
I nodded, smiling a bit, "Thank you, Niall."
"You did a good job," Harry said, kissing my cheek, "Do you want to try by yourself? Or do you want me to hold you again?"
I thought about the way my body felt when I shot it. How I coiled back and almost stumbled. If it wasn't for Harry who was holding it, I feared that my arms would've gone further back. I had to hold a stronger grip this time, I needed to do it by myself.
That was the whole reason I was doing this.
"I wanna try it by myself," I said, positioning myself back as I held my arms out.
Harry only nodded, creating a distance behind me.
I closed my eyes once more, taking a deep breath. Focusing on the way the wind brushed against my skin, the way my toes curled nervously in my shoes, and the cold feeling on the trigger of the gun. Another deep breath. This time I held it tighter, letting my eyes flutter open. It didn't matter if I hit the target, what mattered was keeping my composure so my arms wouldn't fly back and hit me in the face.
I almost hesitated when my finger pressed harder on the trigger, but there was no going back. I was strong. I had to be. All my life, I had to be the one that was strong. I let my guard down for too long and I refused to reap any of the consequences of becoming weak again.
I refused to be a victim again.
Never again.
Pow.
My arms coiled backwards, but not as badly as I thought it would. A smile stretched across my face as I looked back at Harry with pride in my eyes. Harry matched the same expression with an approving nod.
"That was perfect." He complimented, clapping his hands together lightly.
I put the gun down, letting my shoulders fall as Harry approached me and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. He then turned and grabbed the gun I sat down and took place where I stood before. I was pleased with the outcome, but needed a moment to breathe.
Behind us, there was a small table and bench where I placed my bag. I sat down at the table and shuffled through the bag, taking out a bottle of water. I gulped it down as if I had ran a marathon, but hardly did any work.
"That was really good," Gracie said behind me.
I turned my head as she sat next to me, I offered a smile.
"That was terrifying, not gonna lie," I chuckled quietly, "Felt like my heart was going to burst out of my chest."
"You should have seen my first shot," Gracie giggled, grabbing her own drink; a coke, "I almost dropped the gun when it went off."
I laughed, but there was nothing funny about the situation we were put in. It was best to laugh, otherwise one of us was going to cry. When I looked at Gracie there was an unsettling emotion in her face, a glimmer in her eye, that made me believe that she was feeling the same way that I was.
"Do you think..." Gracie trailed off, pursing her lips to the side, "Do you think that my parents are going to be okay? Like, Angela won't hurt them, right?" As I went to open my mouth to reply, she put her hand up, "Please, be honest with me. I really need someone to tell me the truth."
I inhaled slowly, trying to think over my words. How I wanted to tell the truth.
"Angela is..." I blew out a breath, "Angela is a terrible person. I want to sugarcoat these things for you because I don't want to see you hurt, but..." I paused, turning to Gracie who was now frowning, "But I really think that we could save them, Gracie. Before that thought ever crosses her mind."
Gracie took a sip of her coke, parting her lips as her tongue lapped over them. Nodding, she patted my hand and smiled lightly.
"Thanks, Anna."
A sprinkle of water hit my skin. I looked to the sky, squinting my eyes as the dark rain clouds moved over the field. Harry was still popping off a few rounds, his tongue poked out. When the rain started to lightly mist, Niall paused as his hands dropped down to his side.
"It's fuckin' raining, already?" He barked, rolling his eyes, "Guess it's good there's no lighting."
Harry turned his head to Niall, "We should probably pack it up before you summon it, then."
Rina rushed towards the two of us, smiling wide as the rain hit her skin. She grabbed her bag on the table, stuffing her own gun into it.
"Are you two ready to go?" She asked, scanning her eyes over the rain clouds.
"But I didn't get to hit the target yet," I frowned, "I need more practice."
"I mean..." Rina parted her lips, "I can stay with you in the pouring rain if you want? We can have Niall pick us up later–,"
"As much as I want Anna to have her training," Harry walked up from behind us, clicking the safety on the weapon, "I need her in my sights for now. I don't think staying out in a field in the middle of nowhere is a good idea."
When Harry saw how disappointed I was, not at him, just at myself, he put an arm around my shoulder and pulled me to his body.
"Tomorrow," He kissed my head, "Tomorrow we can come back. It's supposed to be sunny."
I smiled, "Okay."
We packed up the bags and put them in the car. The rain clouds were much darker now, making it seem as if the sun was setting. A few moments later, the rain started to pour. Niall rushed us into the car, holding the door open for us and slamming them shut when we were in the backseat, Harry in the front seat.
By the time Niall got into the car, half his shirt was soaked. He mumbled some curses under his breath, starting the car. The sounds of rain echoed inside of the car, mixed with Niall's seventies music playing lightly.
My arms brushed against Rina's and we were both wet from the rain. I looked at both of my friends, smiling genuinely as we started off down the road.
Rina pushed herself between the two seats, her head leaning towards Niall as she placed a kiss upon his cheek.
"Can we stop for food?" She asked sweetly.
Niall looked back, smirking, "Sure, we can. Is there anything you guys are hungry for?"
"I'm not picky," I chirped.
"Burgers?" Niall glanced towards Harry, "I know a good place with veggie burgers, I heard they made it out of bird shit."
"Fuck you," Harry laughed quietly, rolling his eyes.
"I'm sure you want to, mate." Niall smirked.
Gracie laughed, "You two are so..."
"Yeah, I know." Rina laughed with her.
As we drove back into town, we stopped by a small fast food place and grabbed some food. I hadn't eaten other than a few bites of a bagel earlier that morning and my stomach was growling. While Niall drove, we all ate in the car, unable to wait till we got back home.
The warm food was just what I needed, pairing with a fresh cold sprite. I was practically full by the time I got to my fries, but when I asked Harry if he wanted my fries, he greedily took them and shared them with Niall.
Twenty minutes into the car ride, I dozed off with my head against the window. Ever since getting off of my medication, my sleeping had gotten severely fucked. Some nights I tossed and turned, some nights I would hang out in the living room and stare at the TV until Harry would come in around eight in the morning and find me passed out on the couch.
Other times, a nice hot bath would help.
A few more days and I could see my doctor to get back on my medicine.
My body moved back and forth as Niall turned down our driveway. A tap on my shoulder from Rina woke me up, my lips parted softly. I rubbed my eyes slowly, letting out a small yawn. Harry turned his back, giving me a small once over.
"Y'tired, love?" He coo'd softly, "We can sleep once we get inside. It's good weather for that."
"A bit tired," I yawned again, stretching my arms as far as they'd go in the small space, "A nap sounds lovely."
"Harry," Niall poked his leg, staring at him, "I need to come inside and get the, erm..." He nodded.
Harry turned his head to Niall, pressing his lips together, "Right. Yeah, you can come in."
Niall turned his body to the girls, "Just stay here for a second. I gotta run in and get something."
"Don't have to tell me twice." Rina relaxed in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I'll text you guys later," I said as I slid out of the car, waving them off with a smile.
Closing the door, I locked arms with Harry, leaning my head against his arm as we walked around the house. I was proud of myself for today, shooting a gun that was surely bigger than I could handle. Even if I didn't get the targets like I wanted to, I was still happy I did it.
There was an anxious churning in my stomach to shoot again tomorrow. Not that I was scared, now that I did it a couple times, I felt confident. I was ready to get better, ready to train and learn. Ready to protect myself and not have anyone else do it for me. If anyone would've told me some months ago that I'd be handling guns, I would've laughed in their face.
I would've never shot a gun months ago. The thought of one even being in the house made me sick to my stomach. Now, I was learning to protect myself until all of this was over.
As I went to take a step, Harry's hand grabbed my arm to stop me, pulling me back with him. Too tired, too dazed, I looked at him in confusion. I opened my mouth to ask why he stopped, only for him to put his finger to his lips. Confused, I looked up at the porch, seeing our door smashed open. Pieces of wood lying on the porch, the screen door cracked.
"Get in the car." Harry said quietly.
"What–,"
"Get in the car," Harry snapped, turning my body around, "Go."
A soft shove. I took a step back towards the car, Niall pulling his gun out of his pants as he walked towards the porch. Harry followed close behind. I saw Rina and Gracie's confused expression as I stumbled back to the car, but never opened the door. Through the windows, I was able to see the boys search the house with their guns held up, firm in their search.
"What's happening?" Rina asked as she rolled the window down.
"Roll the window up," I swallowed hard, "Roll the window up and get down on the floorboard."
"You're scaring me, what's going on?" Rina whispered, fear in her eyes.
Anxiety shot through my chest as I turned to face Rina, opening the door quickly and grabbing for her bag. She said nothing as I grabbed the silver gun from her bag, slamming the door shut once more.
"Anna, what the fuck."
"On the floorboard, Rina," I pleaded, "Please."
Rina swallowed hard, nodding. She rolled the window back up, moments later her and Gracie were taking cover on the floorboard, at least as much as they were able to. I held the gun sturdy in my hand, unsure of what my next move was. I could've gone through the front door, but I decided that I wasn't that stupid. I pushed myself to the wall of the house and peaked around to the porch.
Complete silence. I didn't know if that was a good thing or not. If I would've heard the footsteps of Harry walking out on the porch, I thought that would've been much better than the deafening silence of the rain. My clothes started to stick to my body, and as I stood there, feeling like hours, I thought about listening to Harry and going back to the car.
I wasn't brave. For a moment, I thought I was, but I'm not. Trying to force myself to be someone, or something that I'm not, doesn't make me happy. Nor did I enjoy the mold. The people I saw in the Cafe, they were brave. They were much braver than I was, they were able to live after being what they went through. They were able to face the world again, even when they saw the ugliest parts of it.
Yet, there I was. Shaking like a leaf. My shoulders slumped, closing my eyes for moments. I turned myself around to go back to the car. That was until I heard a loud crashing sound, then the sound of a gun sound off.
Less than two minutes.
They spent less than two minutes in the house, finding the intruder rather quickly.
Yelling ensued, triggering my fight or flight mode. My body started pulling me every which way. Back to the car, to the porch, to the car, back to the porch. It was until I heard a body drop to the ground that my heart nearly stopped.
Be brave. For once in your life, be fucking brave.
I choked back a cry as I forced my feet towards the porch. Halfway up the steps, the door crashed open and two bodies came stumbling onto the porch. It took half a second to realize that the intruder was wearing a bold red jumpsuit, and then half a second later find that Niall was struggling with the man. I stumbled backwards off the porch, lips parted as they both fell from the porch.
The man in the red laid face first on the gravel, lifting himself up as Niall struggled to his feet. The intruder took long strides towards Niall, clocking him in the jaw hard enough for a cracking sound to echo. Niall fell to the ground once more, gravel moving underneath him as he withered.
"Stop!" I yelled out, tears beginning to flood my eyes.
Niall gasped lightly at the sound of my voice, leaning his head up to look at me. Only for the intruder to topple on top of Niall and wind his fist back. The sound of his flesh being pelted over and over again, blinking, each blink there was more and more blood that surfaced on Niall's face.
"Stop it! Stop it!" I screamed out louder, fear chilling my bones.
I went to raise my gun shakily, but felt arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me backwards. Yelping out, I started to kick my legs, then a hand smacked over my mouth to shut me up. My heart beating out of my chest, I felt my blood run cold, my body movements stiffen as I was being dragged away. Watching from a distance as Niall was being brutally beaten.
No longer moving.
No longer fighting back, not even trying.
I screamed out into the hand, tears falling hot down my cheeks. I leaned forward and bit the hand that held me, to which he flinched back and dropped me. I fell to the gravel, the gun falling with it. My body stung in pain, the wind knocked out of me as I tried to catch my breath. Rolling to my side, the gravel scraped my arms and pierced me.
The man stood above me, holding his hand with a grimace. His face...he wore a mask. As if he didn't want to be identified. I tried to make sense of it, but before I could, he quickly walked towards me and grabbed my ankle. I screamed out louder, louder, till my throat was raw as I twisted my body and tried to grab the gun.
He kept pulling me back further away from the gun, until I pulled my foot back and kicked him square in the face. He winced back, holding his nose as he growled. I crawled towards the gun, grabbing the handle. Out of the corner of my eye, blood ran down my forearms from the harsh gravel. The wind picked up, a dark cloud casting over as the rain started to worsen. Soaking my clothes.
I looked back at Niall who was on the ground, the man in red pulled away from his body as he stood over him. Tears flooded my vision, burning my eyes as Niall laid still on the ground, his head turned into the gravel. His face was bloodied, I couldn't recognize his features.
I had to save myself first. Then get to Niall. I could get to Niall after I...
Before I could finish my thought, the man in red pulled out a gun from his jumpsuit. My jaw dropped, furrowing my brows as my feet moved before I could comprehend. Gravel moved under my feet, a loud scream that left my throat raw.
"No!"
Before I could think, the gun was raised and I shot blindly at the man. The large gun coiled backwards, making me stumble from its power. The sound of a thump, I watched as the man fell to the ground. My hands shook, god please don't be dead. Don't be dead.
My mind was on a rampage, flashbacks of murdering my mom. The scene was in front of me like someone had filmed it, as if it was a movie. I couldn't bring myself to move, not until I was eating gravel again and my knees dug into the ground.
"You fucking bitch!" The man growled from behind me.
I turned my body around, catching a glimpse of his bloodied nose and dirty face. He gritted his teeth tightly, hovering over me. I whimpered, trying to use my feet to push me back as I fumbled with the gun. The man leaned down as I pointed it at him, grabbing the barrel and fighting to force it out of my hands.
"Let...go!" I screamed out.
My finger bent backwards as he pushed the gun towards my face, hitting me in the nose, making my head ring. I gasped for air, tears burning my eyes as he forced the gun out of my hand. He huffed, throwing the gun to the side as I held my nose and cried softly.
"You're lucky I'm supposed to bring you back alive," He snarled, leaning down to grab my ankles again, "Or I'd fucking kill yo–,"
Pop.
I didn't need to look at the man to know what happened. I felt his body thump onto my legs, adrenaline forcing through me as I pushed myself away from him. I cried out, hearing someone call out to me, hearing their footsteps against the gravel, then cold arms wrapped around my torso.
"You're okay."
Harry.
"I got you, Angel, I got you," Harry breathed, holding me to his chest as blood poured from my nose, "I'm sorry, baby, I'm so fucking sorry. Are you okay? Did he hurt you? Touch you?"
I nodded my head into his chest, gasping for air as panic started to set in, the air in my lungs harder to draw with each cry. Harry took my cheeks into his hands, pulling me back to look at me. My nose was busted, but the look of anger and sadness on his face told me it was worse than I'd thought. A coat of blood was on my tongue and I spat it out on the gravel, out of the corner of my eyes, setting my gaze on Niall.
The rain was pouring, creating a mist sheet. Hard to see more than six feet ahead of me. I cried out, pulling out of Harry's arms as I stumbled to my feet. Head dizzy, the only thing that helped me was adrenaline. If I didn't have that, my knees would buckle underneath my weight. I mustered up enough energy to run towards him, till my knees gave out and I was besides him on the ground.
"Niall," I said desperately, holding the back of his head, "Niall, please wake up. Get up."
It was hard to tell if Niall was still breathing, when I placed my fingers under his nose, I felt nothing but the wind and rain. Out of the corner of my eyes, Rina was rushing out of the car, seeing the scene in front of the back porch. Her breath nearly left her as I held Niall close to me, sobbing into his hair.
"Oh my fucking god." Rina croaked, slapping a hand over her mouth.
"Rina," Harry shook out, wiping his forehead, "Help me grab Niall, we need to get him to the hospital now." There was a shakiness to his voice, he was trying desperately not to break in front of us.
"Wake up, please," I cried harder, "Niall, please. I love you, you're my...my best friend..." I croaked out, rocking him back and forth in my chest.
Harry placed a hand on my shoulder, jolting me. I hadn't noticed the blood on his hands, nor the stained blood on his face and clothes.
"Baby, get up. We have to get him to the hospital." Harry said, voice hoarse.
I sniffled hard, shaking, "P-Please tell me he's not..."
"He's not," Harry shook, "Niall is a fighter, but the longer we sit here..."
I turned my gaze back to Niall, giving him a once over. His face was unbearable to look at. I pushed the wet strands of hair out of his face, carefully laying him back down on the ground. Harry and Rina were quick to pick Niall up and set him in the front seat of the car.
When we all piled back into Niall's car, Gracie was shaking like a leaf. Staring at the three of us that were coated in blood.
"Oh my god," Gracie whispered, grabbing my hands, "You're bleeding, you're..."
"I'm okay," I shook out, holding my nose with the sleeve of my sweater, "I'm..."
I bursted into tears before I could finish the sentence. Gracie pulled me into her embrace, holding me as impossibly close as she could. I couldn't bear the thought of Niall being dead in the front seat, I was so scared. I was fucking terrified.
They found us. They found where we lived, they broke into our house. The realization hit me that we were no longer safe here, we were no longer safe in our own house. We had tried so hard to hide, for so long, and it was all crumbling.
Harry's voice brought me out of my trance. On the phone with Pete, he ordered him to the house to clean up the bodies. I overheard him, him mentioning there were four bodies. I wondered for a split moment if Harry was dead in the house, if he was the body that I heard drop. Instead, it was one of the men.
Four of them.
Four of them were here to get me.
What would've happened if we had decided to stay home? To think that things could've turned out differently. It would've been four to one. I was useless. My whole body shook, turning cold from the wet clothes that clung to my body, yet I clung to Gracie for any kind of warmth.
The drive felt like the longest drive I'd ever been on. When we finally arrived at the hospital, nurses were outside ready to take Niall in. Harry had called the hospital just before pulling up, telling them that Niall was in critical condition. We didn't have time to get out of the car before the nurses were pulling Niall out and placing him on a stretcher.
I was in the least critical condition. Maybe a broken nose that hurts like hell. Watching Niall getting taken away made the air pull from my lungs. Harry parked the car close to the front of the hospital, coming to the side of my door as he opened it for me.
"Come on, Angel," Harry said softly, his eyes glazed in pain, "Let's get you a room."
I sniffled as he helped me out of the car, "Is...is Niall okay?"
"I'm sure he is," Harry pulled me to him, hugging me tightly as if it was the last hug he'd ever give me, "Pete and Ajax will be here soon. They are taking care of the mess at the house," When he pulled away, seeing the tears in my eyes, he brushed them away with his thumb and reassured me, "Niall is going to be okay, I promise. He is a fighter."
I wasn't convinced, but I wasn't at a loss for hope either. The last hour had my mind numb, yet running wild at the same time. Thinking of Niall in his condition, it made me want to puke. I wanted him to know that I was here, that we were here for him.
Wrapping my arms around Harry's torso, I squeezed him. He seethed, wincing back away from me. I furrowed my brows. My eyes scraped down his torso, blood stained near his hip, what looked to be a bullet hole that ripped through the fabric of his white blouse.
"H-Harry..." I rasped out, hands hovering near the wound.
"Don't," Harry rasped, grabbing my hands, "Don't touch it, 'm fine."
"You got shot," I whimpered, "You're hurt."
"Good thing we are at a hospital, right?" Harry smirked lightly, trying to make light of the situation.
"We need to get you inside," I said, grabbing his hand as I pulled him away from the car.
Rina and Gracie got out of the car, following close behind. Before we went inside, Rina stopped at the entrance of the hospital and leaned against the brick wall with tears in her eyes.
"Rina, are you coming in?" Gracie stopped to ask.
Rina silently pulled a pack of cigarettes out of her jean jacket pocket, placing one between her lips and lighting it. She sucked in harshly, a single tear running down her cheek. This was the first time that I had ever seen Rina cry, sure I'd seen her get emotional, but never cry.
"I'll be in soon," She blew out the smoke, tilting her head back as her throat bobbed, "I need a second."
Gracie looked at me, "I'm gonna stay outside with her. Text me what room you're in."
I nodded, not wanting to waste another moment. The door slid open, me and Harry walking in bloodied. It took one glance for the receptionist to call in for nurses. Moments later, one female nurse and a male nurse rushed out the security door and pulled us back to get checked out.
As soon as Harry was being pulled away by the female nurse, I whimpered, stretching my hand out to grab his wrist.
"Don't go," I pleaded softly, tasting the blood in my mouth, "Please, let me stay with him."
The female nurse paused, looking at the male that led me. Tears burned my eyes as I shook, Harry took a step towards me, wrapping his arms around me tightly.
"Do we have a room with two beds?" The nurse asked the male.
"I believe so," He nodded, "Follow me, you two."
We locked hands with each other as he led us to the room. Inside it was large, a bed at each side of the room. The male nurse helped Harry lay down onto the bed, and I sat down on the other. It was more urgent for Harry to get checked out, the nurse taking his button up shirt and opening it up to examine the wound. Harry flinched, inhaling sharply.
"Careful," He muttered, hips nearly leaving the bed in pain.
Another nurse came into the room, the same woman that almost took Harry to a separate room. She stood in front of me, examining my face.
"We need to run some tests," She said, "Is that okay? We just need to make sure you don't have a concussion or a broken nose."
"That's fine," I whispered, tears mixing with the dried blood on my face.
The male nurse turned to the woman, "The wound isn't severe, but we need to get the bullet out immediately before there's an infection."
"Take him to the OR," The woman said, turning back towards me as she lifted my chin, "I need to look at your nose."
"Where are you taking him?" I whimpered, "Where is Niall? Is he okay?"
"They are just going to get the bullet out. We can't do it here," She reassured, "I have to look at your nose."
I didn't get to say goodbye to Harry as the male nurse wheeled him out of the room and I was alone. I wanted to cry. I didn't want to be away from Harry, not when I almost lost him again. Still, I sat quietly as the nurse examined my nose, flinching each time her fingers grazed my nose, and each time she checked my face for any more wounds.
She shone a light into my eyes, making sure that I didn't have a concussion. She wrote on her notepad, tongue in her cheek.
"Are you allergic to any medications?"
"Not that I know of."
"Pregnant?"
"No."
There was a beat of silence.
"Okay, I'm gonna have you pee in a cup. We need to make sure that there isn't anything in your system before we give you medicine."
"I'm sober," I frowned, "I can tell you that–,"
"I believe you, but it's protocol. We have to make sure," She said, walking to the cabinet behind her and grabbing a cup. She handed it to me, "I'll give you a few moments alone, I'll be back."
As I stared down at the cup, I chewed on the inside of my cheek. I pulled my phone out of my pocket, texting Gracie the room that we were in, hoping she would come sooner for moral support. I didn't want to be alone. I hoped they would hurry.
I put my phone back into my pocket, then went to the bathroom. After I was done, I put the cup on the counter and sat back on the bed. The room was cold and my clothes were drying weird on my body. Stiff. I was freezing. I held my body, laying back as the adrenaline started to wear off and the pain in my face started to show itself.
The door clicked open. I turned my head to see Gracie walking through the door, no signs of Rina. Almost as if she knew I was going to ask, she said;
"Rina went to check on Niall."
I nodded, not saying a word. Gracie sat next to my bed in a blue chair, grabbing my hands softly as she rubbed them.
"Where is Harry?" Gracie asked, looking around the room.
"He was shot..." I croaked quietly, "They needed to get the bullet out..." I barely finished the sentence.
"He's going to be okay," She reassured, kissing my bloodied fingers, not caring that the blood would transfer to her skin, "Just a few stitches. He will be fine."
A ball of emotion stuck in my throat as I barely breathed out.
"And Niall?" I cried softly, breathing unevenly, "Is he going to be okay?"
Gracie fell silent, a few moments later the nurse came back in and took the cup on the counter. She said nothing, only taking the cup and leaving. Gracie looked back at me, letting go of my hands. She stood to her feet, walking to the counter and taking a few paper towels, letting warm water run over them.
Moments later she was sitting in front of me, taking the wet paper towel to my face. Nothing was spoken between the two of us, but a glimmer of tears appeared in her eyes as her body shook. She tried desperately to hold back the cry she wanted to let out. Each wipe caused me to flinch, the pain only worsening and making my toes curl in agony.
"Ouch," I hissed, sniffling, "I-It...hurts."
"I-I know," A few tears ran down her cheeks, "I'm sorry, I'm trying to be gentle, Anna."
For a minute, she stopped and her shoulders finally slumped. A soft cry sounded, Gracie was letting go into her hands. Her body shook. I pushed myself towards the wall, moving the blanket to the side as I patted the side of my bed.
"Come here, Gracie." I whispered.
She laid in the bed next to me, and I wrapped my arm around her torso and brushed her hair back as she cried. I felt so bad, knowing that I had dragged Gracie into this mess. I never wanted her to be a part of this. I never wanted her to get hurt. Even if she wasn't physically hurt, these moments were going to burn in her mind forever. I tried to be a good friend, to keep her out of this, and yet...
Seeing Gracie breakdown reminded me of the first time that I broke down. Helpless. Confused. So many emotions that we didn't know what to do with. We've been sad, but never this kind of sadness. This kind of sadness was different and it brought a new definition to the word hopeless.
"I want my mom and dad," Gracie sniffled, turning to lay on her back as she wiped her tears, "I wanna go home."
I nodded, wiping a stray tear away from her cheek.
"I'm sorry, Gracie."
I didn't know how long we laid there, but it felt like a lifetime. Most of the time we were laying in silence, only exchanging a few words to each other. I wondered how Niall was, if he was alive, or if he was gone. The thought made my stomach sick and my throat swell up. I needed Harry to be here, I needed to know if my boys were okay.
I kept reliving the moment that I watched that man beat Niall. The way his body laid limp on the ground. He didn't try to fight, nor did he try to stand either. Bile rose in my throat, only to swallow it thickly and try to calm my nerves. My anxiety was so bad I thought I was going to throw up, my heart giving up after.
After some time, the door clicked open and the female nurse came into the room. I pushed myself up onto my elbows, pulling my knees to my chest.
"Is my nose broken?" I asked.
"No," she said, laying down a clipboard, "Thankfully not."
"C-Can I get some medicine?" I whimpered, "My face hurts so bad, I can't stand it anymore."
The nurse looked between the two of us, her fingers tapped on the clipboard.
"We can get you ibuprofen," She said, "But we can't give you anything stronger than that."
"Ibuprofen?!" I cried out, "I need more than that! I–I...my nose, my face hurts so bad, you don't understand, the pain level is near a ten–,"
"Anna, we cannot give you anything stronger because of your condition."
"Condition?" Gracie asked, propping herself up, "What're you talking about?" She gazed towards me, confused.
"I'm sober!" I almost yelled, but tried to keep my voice relatively calm, "I haven't drank, I'm not on pills, I–!"
"That isn't what I'm talking about," She softened her face, "You're pregnant."