Into The Fire [H.S.]

31

TRIGGER WARNING: mention of assault, and infant loss.

Harry's POV

I'd fucked up. I knew I'd fucked up. I knew as soon as she told me she was going to invite me to Vegas I'd fucked up.

I knew I'd fucked up again last night after I saw her face when she got out of Liam's car.

I hadn't realized how badly until she told me to leave.

For the first time in three months I went to bed without her.

For the first time in over six months I didn't talk to her at all for hours.

She hadn't answered my calls all day. Hadn't answered my texts.

When I pulled up to her parents house and saw the many familiar cars lining the street I took a breath.

She had invited me yesterday.

The front door was open, just the screen closed, when I knocked I heard her Abuelo inside.

"Who the hell is knocking?" He trailed off. "Ah El Hippie. Don't you know... Only the policia knock in this neighborhood."

I nodded my head at him as he pushed open the screen door.

"Aye. He's just being polite." His wife smacked him in the back of the head.

"All the men are in the back yard." She smiles at me.

"Echo?"

"In the kitchen."

"We aren't allowed in there." Her abuelo frowns.

"You're not. Because you try and eat everything before everyone else. Go ahead mijo."

I push through the kitchen doors. Dozens of eyes look up at me. Echo is standing with her back to me. She has her hands in a bowl of something and is laughing. She's standing next to her other grandmother.

I see Bae, Cho, and Jai narrow their eyes at me. I nod at them. Bae opens her mouth to say something but Cho elbows her. Then shakes her head.

The kitchen window is open and I can hear Niall outside laughing. My jaw ticks on instinct. I cross the kitchen after leaning in to kiss her mother on the cheek.

When I step next to her grandmother and kiss her cheek I see Echo tense. When I step next to her and wrap my arm around her waist her doesn't react. Just stands stifly as my lips connect with her forehead.

"Hello." I say softly.

"What are you doing here?"

"Aht." I hear Echo's mother start speaking in rapid Korean.

Echo sighs. "Hello Harry."

"May I help with something?"

Echo opens her mouth, I'm sure she's going to tell me to fuck off. But her grandmother tells me to wash my hands, and then steps aside. She says something to Echo in Korean.

After washing my hands I slip my rings off of my fingers and stand next to Echo.

"You can start cutting those vegetables." She nods towards the big bowl full of vegetables in front of me.

I take an onion and start to chop it.

"Not like that." She shakes her head.

I look over at her. With an eyebrow raised.

"Girl, you better show him." Her aunt starts laughing.

Sighing and rolling her eyes she steps behind me and puts her hands over my hands.