Breaking The Ice

Demons

Harry's POV

I sat on the couch in the living room while I tried to read one of my textbooks, the Red Wings game playing lowly in the background as I attempted to stay on top of my homework during the first week of classes. We were officially back from break, and I had told myself that I was going to make a real effort to focus on my degree and start the new year off fresh. It felt like I had a new sense of motivation, not only wanting complete it for Abby to make up for the ways I felt like I let her down, but to do it the way she would have with that determination and strength that I'd always admired about her. I wanted to finish it for myself, to prove to myself that I could, and honor both of us the way she would have wanted me to.

Although it still hurt like hell to think about her being gone, I seemed to have found a way to think more positively about it, to focus on the good instead of the bad. I tried to talk to her more, to use her as motivation when I found myself frustrated or struggling, asking her to help me the way I would have if I could have actually talked to her. My heart still ached at the thought of her, the images of that night often flashing through my mind, but I would just close my eyes and imagine her voice and somehow I always seemed to settle. I did my best to remember the happy times, to carry her with me in a way that I knew she would appreciate, and to try to bring some of that warmth into the world that I'd been fortunate enough to feel while she was alive.

I'd been doing my best to be a bit more open about things, telling Teej when I was having an off day or if a painful memory surfaced, trying to talk about it more in casual conversation when I would think of her. In a strange way it did make me feel closer to her, like it was okay to think carry her with me, and every once in a while Teej would ask me about her and I'd be able to recall a happy memory. I felt like talking about it not only made me feel closer to my sister, but also to Teej and my family. They no longer seemed to be as careful with what they said, and I could tell that the more I opened up, the more at ease they felt.

The boys had all arrived home from Christmas break for New Years, and we'd all spent it together with my family at my Aunt and Uncle's before my parents and my sister headed back to England the next day. It had been hard to say goodbye to them, knowing I wouldn't be seeing them for a few months, but I had to admit that we seemed to be in a much better place than we were the last time we said our goodbyes. My parents didn't seem as worried about me, and I no longer felt the pressure of trying to keep it all together.

It had only been two days since school started back up, but I could already see the change in TJ. She also seemed so much more settled, a lot less worried about certain things, and it warmed my heart to see how much she was trying to grow. She seemed to be recognizing the sources of her negative feelings about herself and trying to shift them, and I think knowing that her mother wouldn't be around to remind her all the time was freeing for her. I was continuously surprised at her strength, her motivation to always be the best version of herself, and I couldn't help but fall more in love with her each passing day. I suppose we both were battling our own demons in a way, doing our best to be supportive of each other as we navigated our way through it all.

My uncle had been doing his best to build the case against Tanner, but I couldn't exactly say that I was being patient about it, and I knew he'd been avoiding talking to me about it because I'd just get frustrated with how long it was taking. I'd wanted Tanner fired and behind bars the second he arrived, but I knew that if we were going to get rid of him for good we had to take our time. Still, every minute that he was just out there walking the streets after what he'd done to Teej made my blood boil, fighting myself every minute not to strangle him with my bare hands.

Uncle Mike had said that he'd spoken to security to see if he could find any camera footage to support our case, but there were no cameras in Tanner's office and that left him with little to go on. We'd been working on a plan to set him up, trying to come up with the best way to do it without tipping him off, and both Teej and I were ready to go as soon as we got word that everything else we needed was in place. I think we all knew we only had one shot at it, and I was willing to wait until the school had enough evidence to make sure he never set foot anywhere near any of us ever again.