Here We Stand [H.S]

129.

The morning light of the sun's bright beams shone through my window, softly blinding me as my eyes began to blink open.

I stared blankly at the glaring red numbers before me at the side of my bed, seeing them screaming at me that it was almost 6am in the morning.

I huffed, annoyed that it was so bloody early.

My body was exhausted, yet my mind was wide awake, buzzing with everything that I had learned in the last 24 hours.

I had questions that needed answering immediately, and yet I couldn't move.

I didn't want to move.

I felt safe in my confinement of Harry's arms and my duvet, and the thought of having to leave my little safe haven that Harry had built for me was hard enough as it was- but I knew I had to face the music and leave this bedroom one way or another.

Peeling myself away from Harry's comfortable, yet highly tight limbs after he had held me all night long, I managed to quietly get myself ready by pulling on some fresh underwear and my jogging bottoms that had been left on the floor from the night before previously.

Making a quick escape to the bathroom, I did my business on the toilet and washed my hands, before splashing my tired face with freezing cold water (that would hopefully ease the painful bags under my eyes).

Next, I brushed my teeth in a manner that made me look like I was barely breathing let alone alive, before scraping my hair back with a head band.

I wanted my hair completely off my face, because I wanted Gran to know how much damage had been inflicted on me because of the lies and deceit that had been bestowed onto me.

Re-entering my bedroom, I made sure Harry was still fast asleep and blew him a kiss goodbye, not wanting to wake him from his slumber.

He was gone to the world, his arms now wrapped around my pillow (I guess that was my substitute) as he laid in a foetal position, his legs curled and his back arched inwards.

I smiled at him, my eyes flicking to his face before I grabbed my phone and shut the door to the bedroom quietly, careful not to disturb him.

Harry was exhausted too, and after being with me all night and comforting me as I pretty much spent the whole of last night crying, he needed as much rest and sleep as possible before our drive back home to London.

I tried to contain the sounds within my throat, focusing on my breathing and emotions, whilst I stared down at my feet while walking downstairs.

The floorboards were creaking beneath me as I heard the television blaring lowly from the kitchen.

It dawned on me suddenly that I wasn't the only one awake in the household, and knowing that Harry was asleep in my room there was only one other person it could have been.

I contemplated turning back and running to my bedroom because I wasn't ready for the face off with my Gran just yet.

I was still so raw and traumatised by what I had found out, and I didn't want to hurt her with my anger.

In retrospect, even though she had lied to me, she had been hurt too and I knew that deep down.

She had lost her daughter and her grandson in the space of a month, and the only thing she had left of my mother was me.

So I wanted to take it easy on her, but I was so conflicted- and still so angry.

I just didn't know what to do with myself.

"Isabelle?"

I froze at the top of the stairs, hearing my name fall from her shaky, yet nervous voice.