Poison

Chapter 23

"Harry.." I whispered as I stumbled to the door. I unlocked it and swung it open. I threw myself into Harry's arms and cried Ono his shoulder. He didn't hesitate to embrace me.

"What happened? Why is there smoke? Why are you crying?" Harry asked as he rubbed my back in small circles. He gentle grabbed my shoulders and held me out to arms length to look at my face. I let me head fall so he wouldn't see my bruises and let my hair fall over my face. He put his finger under my chin and brought my face up. He gasped. A mixture of concerned, sadness, worry, and fury look crossed his emerald eyes and stained his features.

"What the fuck happened to you?" He asked with genuine worry in his voice. I opened my mouth to speak but only a whimper escaped my lips. Harry looked from over my head into the house.

"Is she still here?" He questioned.

I shook my head no. He looked from side to side and then put his arm around me and lead me out of the door way. I only made it two steps before my legs started to give out. I was so exhausted and still shaken from the attack that I was weak. Harry placed one arm under my legs and the other on my back allowing him to pick me up bridal style.

"I'm getting you to my house. We'll sort it out from there but right now you need a place to stay, okay?"

I nodded and rested my head on his chest. I felt him place me in the back seat as he took off his shirt, balled it up an placed it under my head as a pillow. He placed a jacket he had in the trunk, over me to use as a blanket. I passed out after that. I didn't dream. I just relived the attack from the house. Except in every scenario I didn't make it and Chapin didn't either. We both died in that fire...

I felt two strong arms snake around my midsection and pick me up. I heard harry heavy breathing as he seemed to be jogging. I heard old wooden steps as harry fiddled with what sounded like keys and opened the door. He speed walked into the house and laid me down gently on the couch. Then I opened my eyes. The house was very old. It looked like it may have been painted grey with paintings on the walls and beautiful furniture but now the grey paint had chipped and faded, the paintings were gone only leaving the dust patterns of where they once hung, and the furniture was old and dusty. I couldn't help but love it. It seemed so vintage. Like a house you would see in a music video. I could imagine poetry being written about this house. There was beauty in the simplicity of this house.

"Thank God you're awake!" He said with a log sigh of relief. He had no shirt on and had a cup of water in his hands."I thought I was going to have to take you to the hospital."

I gave him a small smile and looked down at my hands. "This is a beautiful house." I said in a quiet voice.

"Really? I think it's crap." He said with a chuckle as he set the water on a table next to the couch and say down beside me.

"Oh no. It's really simple. I love it." I said. Harry smiled at me for a moment but he smiled quickly faded.

"Alex... You need to tell me what happened." He said as he brushed a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"Well I'll just start from the very beginning..." I said. I told him everything. Everything that had happened in that house, all the things I'd put together from Karen's past, And all the things I had to do to keep Chapin safe. He was horrified. He stood up and put his hands behind his head as he began to pace.

"A-And.. You have to deal with getting beat.. Every day?" He asked, flabbergasted.

"Well.. erm.. Not all the time. It depends on.. On what mood Karen's in or if she's been drinking." I responded.

"Oh my fucking god.." He said as he continued to pace. He stopped and placed both his hands on a wall near the door and leaned on it for a minute. He took one of his hands off and punched the wall leaving a hole. I jumped and yelped.. He was scaring me.

"I'm sorry. I just had to get that out.." He said. He walked over to me and sat down resting his elbows on his knees and his head in his heads.

"I shouldn't have left.. If I hadn't have left you with her, this wouldn't have happened.." He said to himself more than me.

"This isn't your fault." I said rubbing his back.

"What am I doing I should be helping you." He said as he sniffles and tried to wipe a few tears away without me noticing.

He looked at my face for a moment. Assessing the damage.

"You have slight bruising by your left eye. That should go away in a week or so. But the fucking bitch hit you pretty hard in the nose. Does it hurt right now?" He asked. I shook my head no. "Does it hurt when you touch it?"

"A little." I said.

"Well I have to touch it to see if its broken, okay? This probably going to hurt." He said as he took the bridge of my nose between his thumb and forefinger. He squeezed slightly as his fingers moved down my nose. It only hurt a little.

"Your nose isn't broken. What happened to your chin?" He asked noticing the dried blood.

"When she was chasing me, I ran up the stairs and she grabbed my leg. My chin hit the step." I said trying to look away from him so he couldn't see my tears. But like I had before I showed no emotion. I just let the tears fall.

"C'mere." He said as he took me in his arms and rubbed my back like he had when he got me from the house.

"You're safe here." He whispered into my hair. I took a deep breath and he let go of me. "I'll get you some ice. And uh... Something else for the pain." He said with a small smile before he left.

I closed my eyes for a moment. And remember our day at the beach. That calmed me down.

Then harry came back with some ice, some water and...