Solace ~ h.s.

⪻ 10 ⪼

This chapter is dedicated to the wonderful and magnificent: RaconteurSS!

I love all comments that you leave, they are so amazing and make my heart warm! Remember: if you want a shoutout/dedication all you have to do is leave some comments and vote on the chapter! It's that simple!

Also, I'm very sorry for the late update! Please forgive me xx

⪻⪻⪼⪼

Niall and I pull up outside my childhood home, where an unfamiliar Range Rover sits parked on the pavement out front. My heart races almost immediately upon seeing the old white house on London Road. The flowers in the flower boxes seem in full bloom, even with the rain sprinkling heavily down. I can't help the sickening feeling that overtakes my body upon seeing the old place.

"Alright?" Niall asks me, his eyes cast in my direction as soon as he's parked aside, what I can only assume is, Harry's vehicle.

In all honesty, I don't know how to answer his question. Am I alright? Of course I'm not. I feel the need to vomit up my entire breakfast and then take off running down the high street.

"I don't know if -"

Before I can finish my fearful concern of staying inside, or rather outside the house, the wooden front door swings open with a loud clatter. The small legs of my brother come bouncing out the front door, shouting excitedly. He comes running towards my side of the vehicle, shouting my name and trying to yank the car door open.

"Annie!" He exclaims once he's got the door open, giving me absolutely no time to prepare. "You're home!"

"I'm home." I shudder slightly as I swing one leg out of the vehicle and step down onto the gravel. For the first time since the accident, I scoop my brother fully into my arms and stand tall with him remaining there.

The familiar burn and deep pain of my healing ribs and shoulder ache wildly, but I push the pain away; focusing on what's right in front of me. Edward's small legs wrap around my waist as I hold him tight, savouring the moment between the two of us. "I missed you so much, baby."

As Edward hums to my confession, my eyes scan the neighbourhood around us. There's a woman walking her small Yorkie, holding an umbrella overhead. She gives me a solemn head nod before turning and pattering across the road. Then there's the neighbours chattering quietly in their garden two houses down, eyes scanning over Edward and I every so often.

Northwich isn't an incredibly large town, so everyone kind of knows about everyone's business. When there's a death in the town, people talk; when there are two deaths at the same time from the same family, people talk more.

"Let's go inside." I say in a hushed tone, seeing a few more people gather from their homes. When our dear neighbour, Mrs. Krumblems, makes a move to come towards Edward and I, that's when I draw the line. I clutch Edward in my arms and spin around, bumping directly into Harry.

Gasping heavily, hissing in pain slightly, and trying to hold in a yelp of shock and surprise, I clutch Edward tighter to me to keep him from slipping from my arms. He doesn't even get a word out before I'm hurtling myself and my brother into the house.

"Belle." Harry calls after me as I drop Edward onto his feet and scamper quickly into the lounge.

With heavy breaths I pull the curtains in the room closed, taking a small peak at our neighbours. Their eyes feel overwhelming on my body and I almost scream out for them to stop staring. Even in the confines of our home I still feel their beady little eyes all over us.

"Annabelle." Harry says again, his voice echoing from behind me as I grip the curtains.

"They need to mind their own business." I say aloud, completely ignoring Harry's presence. "Their own fücking business." I breathe out, shaking my head and releasing the curtains from my hands. From beyond me, I hear a small gasp at my words only making me curse in my head from my sudden outburst.