Breaking The Ice

Not Now, Not Ever

TJ's POV

The range of emotions that crossed my brother's face in the twenty minutes it took Harry to explain the situation to him was vast.

I watched as he became confused, then angry, which turned to worry and sympathy, and by the time it was all finished he seemed settled into overwhelming shock. Harry had been thorough and straight to the point, explaining that Brielle had been attacked, been threatened into accusing him of doing it, eventually told the truth, and now needed a safe place to stay as a result. He'd kept to the details of Brielle's experience, leaving out the part where I was also attacked, and just given Louis all the facts he needed to understand the situation.

Considering I'd always told Louis everything my entire life, it was bizarre to me that I would have so many things to tell him, things I'd purposely kept from him and needed to now explain. I'd wanted him to focus on recovering, to not have anything to stress about, but as I listened to Harry tell him I felt like I'd let him drift away from me somehow and I didn't like it.

He didn't even know what was going on with the team, how fucked up things had gotten, and I just wished things weren't so messed up so I could have had more time to spend with him and fill him in. I knew we would always be connected, but I hated the idea that our lives had become so separate to the point that neither of us really knew what was happening with the other, and it made me sad.

"What the fuck?" Louis said breathlessly as Harry finally finished telling him why we'd shown up there with Brielle.

Harry just looked up at me and sighed, knowing we needed to give Lou a minute to let it all sink in, Zayn sitting on the end of the couch quietly as he shook his head at the entire scenario.

"So...you think whoever did this...did it on purpose to get back at you for something?" Lou gawped.

"Apparently." Harry sighed, pushing his fingers through his hair. "They specifically asked her to say I did it, so obviously this entire thing is aimed at me somehow."

"Who the fuck would do that? I mean, if you hate someone that much why would you go after someone completely innocent like that? That's fucking insane."

"I know." I said, sitting down between Harry and Zayn on the couch. "It just doesn't make any sense."

"Well, I guess I got my answer on why you didn't play last week." Lou sighed, reaching over and putting his hand on Harry's shoulder. "I'm sorry bro, I can't even imagine how this must feel for you. I mean being accused is bad enough, not being able to play with all this shit going on...brutal."

"I'm just glad she's alright for now. Anything else...I'll sort it out." Harry said, obviously frustrated but trying to keep his priorities straight.

"The cops know now though? She told them, right?" Lou asked, looking around at the three of us for confirmation.

"Yeah, on the way here." I confirmed.

"Okay, well that's good. They'll find them, and you can get back on the ice soon." Louis said, trying to be positive.

"Yeah...I guess." Harry said, leaning back into the couch like he was exhausted, running his hands over his face.

"She can stay here, I'll take care of her. The security around here is crazy, too. Nobody will know she's here." Louis promised, trying to ease some of Harry's worry. "At least you won't have to worry about that."

"Speaking of which, I guess we shouldn't stay too long." I sighed. "If someone knows we came up here they might piece together that we brought Brielle."

"Yeah, you should be at home by now anyway resting for your game tomorrow. They're gonna need you if Harry can't play." Louis said simply, still oblivious to how much things had changed back home.