My Sister's Boyfriend

Chapter 6; The Fire

Every night we spent in our hideout. Every night after spending time with his dad, I listened to him. I discovered more about Will in those past 7 days than I ever did before. He was impatient yet determined. He was stubborn yet open minded. I adored him for everything he was and yet to become. Something I wasn't able to say about many. 

There were nights where no words were exchanged, just the sound of our hearts beating and the slow breaths. I became so infatuated with Will that even the slightest change in his breath worried me. I didn't want to rob him of his independence but I needed him to know that he wasn't alone through this. I was here whenever he needed me. 

"My dad really likes you, Vanessa," he smiled, turning his head to me as we lay looking at the ceiling covered in fairy lights. 

They were to represent stars. Our stars. 

"What did he say?" I rolled over to lay my head on his chest. 

"How happy he is knowing that you have changed me from a boy into a young man." 

I couldn't help but recognise how much Will and I had grown as people over the course of the summer.  Although I advised him to spend as much time with his dad as possible, he told me that meeting up with me every night was keeping him sane. I was maintaining his sanity. 

                                                                                               *

The hideout was our place of serenity.  All of our memories lay in that place in either photographs or in the comforting atmosphere itself. But it all changed. 

As always, I made my way into the woods, expecting to find Will inside of the hideout. Something didn't feel right that time. The smell of smoke filled my lungs and behind the black smoke, I could see the hideout looking brighter than usual. My heart sunk to my stomach. 

" Will!" I screamed, my voice barely heard amongst the trees. 

 I came closer, I seen Will lying on the ground. My heart sunk to my stomach, the hairs raised on the back of my neck.  

I sat holding his hands so tightly

"I don't understand," I finally spoke, lifting my head. 

"Don't understand what?" 

"It couldn't have been you that started it, Will. What actually happened?" 

"Vanessa, it was me. I tripped whilst holding the candle," I had never heard Will sound so agitated. 

I could see him studying my face intensely. 

"Why didn't you just use the torch?" I tried my best not to moan at him. 

"That's the thing. My torch was missing, I only had matches and a candle." 

Something just didn't seem right. 

The whole fire had destroyed the hideout. The pictures of me and Will were no longer and even the pictures of Will with his dad had been burned. That is what was really upsetting Will. The only visuals that he'll ever have of his dad after he passes away have been destroyed...by him. 

"You can't keep blaming yourself, I'm sure there is other copies of the picture we can get. You can also take loads more with him and..." 

"You don't get it," he snapped, his eyes filling up with held back tears. 

It was then that both of his parents walked into the ward, their expressions painful to watch.

I knew he didn't want to be in hospital. I knew he didn't want to be worrying anyone but I had to call his parents. 

"You told them?" he asked me. "I can't let my dad see me like this." 

"It's alright," I replied, stoking his hair back. 

Will's parents approached, hid dad looking withered as ever. Neither could say a thing but you could see their relief when they knew that Will was doing okay. 

"Will!" his mum leaned down to him. 

"It's fine. I'll be home tomorrow. It was just an accident," his smile was so insincere. 

It was incredibly hard to watch his dad seeing his son in hospital, knowing that it was going to be himself  in the not so distant future.  It was even harder knowing that Will wouldn't forgive himself for letting his pictures be destroyed. 

                                                                                               * 

Will was doing great physically but he had changed. He hardly engaged in conversation and I could tell that he was ashamed of himself. No matter how much I tried to convince Will that accidents happen, he just kept blaming himself. I was just glad that I could still hold Will in my arms. 

I felt as though a massive piece of me was lost when the hideout was destroyed. It was sentimental to both Will and I. It was our safe place. The place where we made and held most of our greatest memories. 

"You need to forgive yourself, Will. I love you and your parents love you. " 

"My dad probably won't be here in 6 months time. His cancer has spread. He'll be dead. I'll have no one to look up to. I'll have none of the photographs he gave to me. It was a stupid idea. The whole hideout was a stupid idea. What if someone had found it? They would have trashed it and taken stuff. I know it was quite deep in the woods that hardly anyone goes near but it's still possible. It was a stupid idea," he said, storming into his kitchen. 

"Will!" I stumbled after him, " how can you say that? Think of everything we did there. I don't know about you but that place was so important to me and I am so appreciative of what you did for me. You finished what I couldn't. You created something that I wouldn't rather share with anyone other than you.  You didn't only make me proud, you probably made my own mother proud. So no. That hideout wasn't stupid. It was the best thing you could have ever done. " 

"Yes and I ruined it!" he screamed.  

For the first time in knowing Will, I seen him cry. Like properly cry. He broke down, knees crumbling to the floor, curled up in the fetus position. It was in that moment that I wished I could have done more for Will. I needed to be his rock through everything. Of course I was upset about the hideout, but some things can't be prevented and I had to let it go. 

I fell down next to him on the floor and let him cry it all out. It's what he needed. 

For over an hour, Will poured out everything that he had been bottling up. And what a difference in a guy. He needed that, I thought. He still looked incredibly adorable whilst crying but besides, I hated it. 

"Thanks for letting me get that out. I'll just need to let it go, won't I?" he said, pulling me into a hug.  

It was just then that there was a heavy knock on the door. Will and I quickly looked at each other in confusion. 

Opening the door, Will was taken aback by a tall, built policeman who was stood in front of a rather anxious looking one.  

"Will, we need to talk to you," the tall policeman said, inviting himself into Will's home. 

The policemen were the exact ones who previously interviewed Will. 

"We found something not too far from the scene of the fire. We found a plank of wood with blood on it. Beside it was a ring. A girl's ring..." 

I watched as the police officer pulled out a small plastic bag from beside him. 


"We don't believe you are the catalyst of this, William" he started, " do you recognise this ring?" 

"Yes."