Fire (A Harry Styles Fan Fiction)

Chapter 52

“She’s waking up!” A chirpy voice enthused from beside me. I rolled my head over, my eyes still closed, not yet ready to accept the fact that I had to wake up. I squinted as I attempted to open my eyes, the light flooding in and scorching my brain.

“Am I in hospital again?” I asked solemnly, not quite knowing who was sitting beside me. I sensed two people, two sets of breathing. A light chuckle could be heard, this time from the other side of me. I turned my head to face the new person, and attempted to open my eyes a little wider. A pair of winter blue eyes met my own, framed with dark black eyelashes. The eyes were piercing…and familiar. I attempted to move my arm, adjusting it so that it rested upon my stomach; I slowly scuttled up the bed, the sharp throbbing pain in my back flaring up. I winced and bared my teeth as the realisation hit me. This was the hospital, I had been stabbed, and the woman beside me, was my mother.

“Mum?” I asked, regaining my focus on the woman. Her hair fell just below her shoulders in dark brown waves, a little like mine - except hers was considerably shorter. Her fringe was pulled back in a simple black Alice band that rested upon her head. Her teeth were shown as she smiled broadly, her nose crinkling up just a little bit as she stared at me, a tear forming in her eyes. I lurched forward out of the bed, throwing my arms around my mother’s neck, tears spilling down my cheeks, both from the pain of the wound, and the complete sense of joy that encompassed me.

“I can’t believe you’re here!” I mused, gentle sobs escaping my lips as I attempted to hold my position and composure, the searing pain of the wound making it difficult. My mother noticed my struggling, and gently lowered me back onto the bed, her arms under my shoulders.

“H-how did you know? Where were you?” I asked, my questions over taking one another, I could see she was in no fit state to answer, her tears also beginning to become evident, although hers were sadder than mine. I turned around, noticing my father and Dana sitting together on the far side of the room. I gave them a small smile, before turning back to my mother who was wiping away the tears from under her magnificent eyes. There were a few seconds of silence while my mother searched for her words, time taken for Dana and my father to leave the room. I turned to them quickly, giving another loving smile, a stark contrast from the tears in my eyes. They soon exited, leaving just my mother and me alone, for the first time in almost two years. I couldn’t control my smile, the one on my face not even beginning to display the ridiculous amount of joy I felt in my heart.

“I ran away…” She announced, her eyes transforming from the loving stare I had received moments before, to guilt ridden, sorrowful. She covered her mouth with her hand, her eyebrows creasing and her eyes welling over, not being able to contain the tears. I rested my palm on my shoulder, reassuring her that it was okay, but she knew otherwise, there was something she wasn’t telling me.

“That night…the night Caleb cut you…” A sudden pain came over the point of my scar, a sort of burning at the mention of it. It was an automatic reaction, whenever Caleb came close to me, whenever I laid my eyes upon him, the sharp throb began to initiate. It was a warning to me.

“I… I left you.” She announced, turning her head away, lowering her entirety down not being able to hold my gaze. My mouth hung open a little, my eyes searching for something to focus on other than the distraught woman crying by my bedside. I removed my hand from her shoulder, the smile from my face disappearing as she revealed this to me.

“I thought… I thought Caleb took you.” I questioned, my eyes still flickering from object to object. My mother brought her gaze back up, fixating herself on me. She closed her eyes, bringing her sleeve up to wipe away some of the tears that brimmed over her eyes. Her cheeks had reddened and her whole posture had become more submissive.