Illusion

Chapter 22

Harry's POV

The hazy sun sinks around us as we propel down the highway. The smashed in window causing an obnoxious rustling sound to echo through the car. I keep my eyes fixed on the long barren stretch of road ahead, my heart still beating ferociously in my chest.

Her silence is causing the air to cloud with thick tension, her mouth not having made a sound since I pulled her back into the car, terrified she was about to fall.

Did she really just do that? My body is still in too much shock to comprehend her actions. I expected her to be a weak shot at best. I thought we'd escape by losing them, not causing them to crash into a building.

I haven't even looked at her face from how paralized my body feels. Watching as she leant out of the car caused my blood to alight in fear, what the hell was she thinking putting herself in danger like that? She could easily have been killed.

Seeing her begin to freefall from the shock of the gun firing for the first time made me instinctively grab her jeans, trying with all my strength to hold her steady, while steering skillfully with one hand.

When I swung the car around the tight corner, my foot pressing down aggressively on the accelerator, I saw Avery lean dangerously close to the ground in my peripherals, causing everything to move in slow motion.

My eyes flashed as her body slipped, her hand reaching out desperately for support. The second I saw the car smash into the brick building, I wrenched her inside the car, no longer caring if she had any bullets left, or if she was prepared to get back inside, just needing her safe.

I shake my head to clear my thoughts, my eyes involuntarily flicking over to hers, needing to gauge how she was feeling after everything that had happened.

My stomach churns in sickness and my face pales as I take in her destroyed features.

Cuts litter her skin, small shards of glass protruding from the open wounds. Blood is running from her forehead and cheek, dripping down her soaked neck onto her dirty blue jumper. The fuzzy material is almost completely destroyed, that many slices having been taken out of the sleeves that it looked like they were about to fall off. Her soft skin, smeared with red is visible through the gaps. My eyes flick down to her stomach, seeing it has been nicked and cut just like her sleeves, not as badly though. Her wounded shoulder is leaking blood, soaking one of her sleeves.

Her messy hair is strewn around her face, the sweaty strands stuck to her neck and forehead, dried blood crusting around the ends. Her bandaged head is still wrapped tightly, but it appears as if blood is beginning to leak from the white gauze.

My breath is frozen in my lungs, my throat insanely dry. My eyes flick between the road and her scarred features. Her eyes are glossy, subtle tear tracks mixing with the blood over her cheeks.

I suddenly see a sign for a gas station and before I know what I'm doing, I'm pulling off the highway and parking the car in the small lot.

Her eyes blink at the sudden transition, not quite understanding what I'm doing. Before she can question me, I turn the car off, grabbing my keys and opening the door. 'I'll be right back.' My voice comes out thick, a raw, raspy tone that highlights just how much her torn up appearance is affecting me.

I don't know why though, maybe because she didn't have to do what she did. But she did it anyway. Just to help us. To help me. She allowed herself to be injured, on top of already having severe wounds, just to save us.

I slam the door belligerently, taking my heightened aggression out of the damaged piece of metal.

My thick boots hastily stomp over to the crappy glass door, jerking it open forcefully. I don't even look in the direction of the worker behind the counter as I stalk through the isles, searching for anything medical.