✓ Meanwhile [h.styles]

.seventeen. // .epilogue.

THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT ON THIS STORY. THANK YOU FOR STICKING AROUND FOR SO LONG. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!

There's blood pushing her hair on her face and the water is everywhere. Liam is dead and his body is lying limply in the middle of the corridor. Astraya is bleeding out under Harry's hands. He didn't think Liam would move his gun to where she was lying. Didn't think he'd pull the trigger on her and not him and he's so stupid for not considering it. Now her eyes are wide and trying to take in her surroundings. He can see her pupils dilating repeatedly as the water from the ceiling sprinklers poor over them.

His mother's lips are parted. There's blood now falling into her open mouth and he's just shaking.

He tries to shake the nerves from his hands. Pulling her hair back and scrubbing the blood from above her eyes. His phone is ringing and he knows it's Joshua because he's the only person that ever really calls him. He should really pick up the call because he's his last hope in saving her, but he can't bring himself to let her go. Hopefully Josh will just look at his location from the tracker.

Please move. He just wants to know she's okay. There's so much blood and now there's gasoline dripping from the bottom of the car. He knows what happens when that happens. And he knows his mother won't be moving but he's still hoping she will.

He's rocking her back and forth against his chest. Trying to wake her up because he needs her around longer than this. Her hair is soaked and clinging to his shaking fingers.

He's being pulled back into a car. Safety lock sounds. The engine revs up. His mother disappears with the distance.

Astraya meets his eyes but he doesn't know she's really conscious until she opens her mouth to say something.

"What happened?" Her face is pale as the slurred words make it to his ears and heart.

Harry decides not to answer her. He can already see the horror in her expression. He tucks his face between her shoulder and neck, breath hot and heavy against her skin. "I've never loved anyone before," he whispers.

She still hasn't moved. He's afraid of looking at her. Afraid of finding her eyes facing the ceiling but not really looking at anything at all.

"You're close to it, I think. You're the closest to love I'll ever get." His hand snakes up the back of her head, fingers brushing through her hair and working out the knots.

"Harry." She sounds so scared. He remembers her telling him how scared she is of dying like this. And now it's happening.  Her voice is so hushed and defeated and frightened, and her worst fear is happening right before her.

He moves away from her body and she tries to sit up. His hands push her back down when she begins to shake. "I'm sorry. Please don't move away from me. I'm sorry."

She's gathered up closer to his body. His lips hover over her ear and he hopes she's listening.

"You lost everything because of me and I'm sorry. So sorry, Astraya."

The door up ahead opens and Harry doesn't even reach for his gun. He already lost the fight. Now he just wants to sit here holding her. In a half-here-half-not moment, he looks up at the person standing over them and shudders.

"Joshua," he breathes. "Hey."

Josh doesn't even say anything, and that's when Harry knows nothing can be done.