Lawless [h.s.] AU

Chapter Nine

November 2313
Harry Styles

It's been a month since I attacked Charlie.

After one month of acting like nothing happened, like there's nothing between us, she refuses to talk to me.

She allows me to collect and escort her to and from Zayne's apartment, but there's only utter silence in the minutes between each doorway. There are days when Niall or Madison accompany us, their voices the only thing that breaks the painful silence.

It's been a month of this, the silent torture that reminds me of what I did. How I do deserve this. You can call it a pathetic self-deprecation or something, but I deserve this. To feel this way.

I've asked her every night before she slams the door in my face to explain. Not that the words would follow. No one outside of Niall and Madison knows about my nightmares, so finding the words to explain them would certainly evade me. But I want to explain it, that is.

I've made a grave error since she arrived, brought here, by allowing myself to soften around her. It's my fault.

But I need the nightmares to stop, to go back to the way things were.

So it's time then, to show her the other side of me.

To be, lawless.

Charlotte Reign

I'm going to die.

His hand grips tighter around my throat, pressing further into the spot that cuts off my air, causing my head to spin.

I am going to die.

He's killing me.

I try, but fail, to wake from this nightmare - his hands only grow tighter every time my body works to realize this isn't real. Finally, when I can feel my last breath approaching, everything goes dark.

I wake with a start, remembering that I'm alive; I'm fine. The death, the darkness that crept around me... it was all a dream. Harry didn't kill me at all.

He tried - no, that was no dream. Not even a nightmare.

I wake with a start, shooting up from the twin-sized bed in Niall's apartment. As I take in the simple surroundings, I remind myself that I'm okay and alive. I am alive, and I'm here. This was just another dream.

As I throw the blankets back, searching for slippers to toss on before getting water, I hear Harry's voice, muffled by my shut door, the wood thick.

"Please, just let me see her." He says sternly.

"You know that I can't do that."

"Please, Madison, don't make me use my position here." His voice grows louder and more agitated. Really, Harry can do whatever he wants; his listening to Madison is all show. He could force her aside, and no one would say anything about it.

"I would love to see you try," she retorts, her attitude enough to match his bravado. There is a pause and silence. "She's with me today, anyway. As you should know, Zayn is out on a mission, so Charlie will come with me to the Education Compound. I thought she might enjoy meeting the kids and see if she can help Louis and me with the library development."

"But-."

"Just let me try this, Harry," Madison said, quieter now. Give her something else to think over while she's stuck here. Have you forgotten that she isn't one of us? She isn't here by her own accord."

Not one of them. No, I'm not. Even I have somehow forgotten my sister at home. God.

"One day, I'll give you one day." He says before I hear the slamming of the door and Madison's lighter footsteps descend the hallway.