A Moment in the Crowd

Chapter 31: Repercussions

My eyes are drooping as I sit in the cramped police station. The first thing they had me do after they found Brandon, Amy and I huddled behind a tree was contact my mom. She'll be flying through the doors of the police departement in only a few short hours. She sounded frantic on the phone, and despite me needing to be the one calmed, I ended up somehow trying to calm her.

Amy was taken in for questioning, but it seems to be dragging on for hours. I turn 18 in a couple months, so legally I can't be questioned without a 'parent or guardian present'. I rub my eyes for what feels like the thousandth time when I catch the familiar whiff of Harry's scent.

I figure I must have been imagining it because I look up to see the shuffling of police officers. Brandon went in with Amy, so I'm left alone. As if my senses warned me before my eyes could, I hear the creak of front doors open and close. I crane my neck to look around the corner, and see Harry running up to me.

"Lily!" He yells and rushes to my side. I don't know why but immediately the sight of him brings so much relief from my tensed body that I collapse into fresh sobs. He holds me as I cry and I'm so relieved to be held by someone who cares for me. As if jolted with the memory of Miles' fingers against my skin, I soon recoil from Harry's touch and wipe my tears.

He doesn't seem surprised and takes the seat next to me before wiping more of the tears off of my cheeks. I don't want to, but I'm not ready for the feeling of someone's fingers near me, so I move my face away from his touch.

"Lily, what happened?" His usually gleaming green eyes are dimmed with worry. His eyebrows are furrowed and deep wrinkles appear on his forehead as he looks at my broken features.

"How did you know I was here?" I ask in a soft voice. I don't have enough energy to speak very loudly.

"I saw the lights on the police cars and went out to see if everything was alright. I tried calling you but you didn't pick up and I got worried. When you wouldn't answer the door to the dorm I flipped and came here." He says in a rushed but gentle voice.

The mention of my old dorm causes me to flinch. Flashbacks of Miles and his sickly voice invade my mind and I desperately attempt to wipe them clean.

"What happened to you Lily? Your wrists are all bruised." He glances at my wrists that I hadn't realized I'd been clutching, and sure enough the rope burns have caused more than just irritation to my skin. I notice the dark blue and purple of a bruise beginning to form around them. 

I attempt to suck in a breath before telling him what happened but it comes in shaky and weak. Tears well in my eyes before I can even speak the words.

"Don't talk about it if you don't want to love. Please, I'm here for you." I nod, and this time allow him to hold me as I begin to cry softly into his shoulder. His head rests on my own and we stay there for a long time. Having him near me calms every part of my body and I can finally feel safe.

Too soon, the doors to the station are flying open and I hear the rushed footsteps of my mother.

"Lily!" She shrieks and immediately Harry lets go of me.

"Lily, sweetie, what happened to you? Oh god, what happened to my baby?" She's hugging me already and holding my face in her hands, searching my body for any signs of harm. I can see the tears well in her own eyes and they have the opposite reaction for me. I want to be strong around her, I've had my moment of weakness around Harry, and now I have to be strong.

"Mom, I'm okay." I tell her even though it's not completely true.

"What happened to you, tell me everything." Tears spill down her own cheeks as she sits on the chair to my right, all the while clutching at my face and rearranging my hair with her hands.