Breaking The Ice

Turn Around

TJ's POV

I could feel the tension in the room hovering around us, Harry and Zayn both doing their best to contain their anger toward each other while we waited for Brielle to gather up enough of her things to hide out for a few days, both of them taking turns glaring at each other and huffing in two-minute intervals.

Harry was pacing, grabbing at his hair and obviously lost in his own head while he tried to figure out who could possibly hate him so much that they'd go out of their way to try to purposely ruin his life, while Zayn sat on the edge of the couch with his arms firmly crossed against his chest staring him. I, meanwhile, leaned against the wall outside Brielle's bedroom door watching them act like a couple of toddlers who just got told the other one ate their Halloween candy.

Aside from that, I didn't like seeing Harry look so distressed and I knew that the idea that what happened to Brielle might be his fault was eating at him. I wanted to pull him aside and talk to him, offer him some kind of reassurance, but I was eager to get Brielle the hell out of there and I knew we didn't have time to get into it. The stress was visible on his face, his brows pulled together and his jaw tight, as he seemingly ran through every person he'd ever come into contact with, wondering what he could have done to warrant someone trying to hurt him in such a permanent and aggressive way.

My mind wandered to Will Chapman, since it seemed to be the most obvious black mark in Harry's past, but for some reason Harry didn't seem to think it would have been related to that. It wasn't like I could offer much input, since I had no idea what even happened or who he was, but I didn't have too much time to think into it before Zayn huffed and got off the couch.

"B, hurry up. Let's go." He said as he got up and angrily pounded on her bedroom door. "I want you out of here as soon as possible."

"I'm hurrying, just give me a minute." She called back, sounding frazzled.

I sighed as I pushed myself off the wall, figuring I might as well help her instead of watching the boys glare at each other like a couple of children.

"I'm gonna help her." I said as I approached her door, looking between them. "Can I trust you two not to kill each other for the next five minutes?"

Neither of them responded, just looking at each other, before I rolled my eyes and let myself into Brielle's bedroom. She looked frantic as she raced around her bedroom, trying to make sure she didn't forget anything, obviously scared and anxious to get out of there.

"You need help?" I offered, her head whipping around to look at me, obviously unaware that I'd entered the room.

"Oh, uh, I'm-I don't really know, I'm sorry I don't mean to be taking so long, I just-" She started, and I could practically see her heart beating in her chest before I reached out and placed my hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright, just breathe." I said softly. "All you need is some warm comfy clothes and some toiletries. Just some stuff to lounge in."

She swallowed hard and closed her eyes before taking a deep breath and nodding.

"I'm not even sure what I've packed, I've just been throwing things in there." She said, walking over to take a look at what she'd put in her bag.

I helped her grab some sweats and hoodies, a few changes of clothes and her toothbrush, before the two of us were satisfied and made our way back out to the living room to find the boys so we could leave.

"Got everything you need?" Harry asked softly as we exited her room, the sympathetic look on his face quite the contrast to the daggers he'd been shooting Zayn.