Stay the Night - Harry Lewis & Chris Dixon

Chapter 15: the truth

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-Erica's POV-

"What the fuck just happened?" Harry asks walking into the room as I close my eyes. This isn't real. I didn't fall asleep...I don't even remember closing my eyes.

"We just lost all of our medical supplies and the gun," Chris announces making him stare at every one of us. His eyes land on me and I want to sink into the floor.

"Why would you let them get away?" He asks in disbelief as I stand there waiting for whatever's to get yelled at.

Kyleigh is the first one to say anything, "Everything happened so fast. We didn't have the gun. We had no other options," she explains making him stop his movements and look at her.

"They have everything of importance that we spent weeks collecting. Letting them get away shouldn't have been an option," he states. What an asshole. He's spent the past week ignoring everyone and now he thinks he has the right to berate us. I didn't sign up for army boot camp and I'm sure as hell not letting him speak to Kyleigh that way.

I scoff getting his attention and he just raises an eyebrow for me to speak, "What did you want me to do tackle the two guys with guns? Maybe if you actually stuck with us instead of running off the first second you got, we wouldn't be in this mess," I counter making his features harden.

"How would this be Harry's fault? You opted to be on watch, where were you?" Chris asks making my eyes widen a little at him jumping in.

I go to speak but Harry cuts me off, "It was your job to protect us and you failed," he says as I see everyone's bodies turn in my direction. I have no idea what to say but thankfully Kyleigh steps in.

"We were on our feet all day we should have planned out shifts before we went to bed, we shouldn't have put it all on Erica. How could we expect her to stay up all night after yesterday?" She says getting some of their eyes off of me.

"Don't make excuses for her. Why didn't you wake anybody up?" Chris asks as if he didn't lay down next to me. I know he's trying to keep our thing a secret but he doesn't have to lay in on me like this.

"I didn't mean to...it just happened," I say trying to defend myself as I trip on my own words. I didn't expect him to open his mouth let alone knock me down. How am I supposed to argue with the guy I'm seeing in secret without letting anyone know?

"Didn't you say yesterday you thought people were watching us? Why wouldn't you be more on edge?" He asks getting more intense. Is he trying to make Harry hate me for the rest of my life? Why did he bring that up?

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kyleigh says making my head spin with all the questions.

"You brushed me off. Chris, what the hell?" I ask as I try to figure out why he's mad at me for that.

"You keep fucking everything up," Harry says as he looks at all the bags we have left. There's not much and by the look on Harry's face...it's not enough to get us through tomorrow, "We have nothing to tend to your wounds," he adds looking at Kyleigh, "You should have woken someone up when you got tired," Harry practically yells as the reality of the situation sets in.

"We should all just take a step back and take a chill pill before we say things we regret," George says as he takes a step in the middle of the small circle we have formed. Everyone turns to him and yells for him to shut up as he takes a step back with his hands up, "Alright," he whispers leaning against the window. He's always trying to lighten the mood and it normally works but I've never seen Chris and Harry so worked up before.

"We are so fucked right now," Chris says looking at Kyleigh's arm, "How much longer can she go on those bandages?" He asks Arthur. He can't even answer before Chris starts openly worrying about his sister again. The panic in his eyes makes my stomach turn as he thinks about what we have lost. I want to say something but I know anything I say won't stop what's happening right now.

I close my eyes again as Harry starts going in on me, "You didn't warn us that someone could be following us, you left the medical supplies and gun unattended, and you fell asleep during your shift," He says waiting for me to say something, "I knew I should have stopped trusting you when Ethan and Chip died," Harry says with venom dripping from his tone.

My face resembles almost everyone else's in this room. He doesn't trust me. How can you win back the trust of someone for something you didn't do? How could he say something like that? I stumble over everything I'm trying to say as Kyleigh whispers Harry's name in shock, "You don't know what you're talking about. You weren't there," Arthur says being the only one to stick up for me.

"Yeah and if you didn't decide to play house that day with Kyleigh, maybe they would be alive," I argue trying to get under his skin.

"What does that mean?" Chris asks looking at Harry and Kyleigh.

"Fuck you," Harry spits.

"Yeah, fuck you," Kyleigh states.

"Whose plan was it to go out that day? Who's idea was it to stay here for the night? And who's the one who fell asleep causing us to lose everything? She's caused all of this," Harry says acting like he's trying to turn everyone against me. He's seething as he yells about me, his eyes trying not to look my way.

Arthur fully turns to Harry, "There's no point in blaming people for what's already happened," he tells him.

"We have to hold people accountable," he states, looking at the way Arthur moved his body between Harry and me.

"It wasn't just Erica's idea to go out that day. I wanted to go too. That's why we got the group together to scavenge," he says.

"So, you're saying it's your fault that they are dead?" Harry asks making me widen my eyes at how ridiculous he's being.

"We didn't know what was going to happen. We tried everything we could but they told us to run," Arthur says as Harry gives him a bitter laugh.

"That's easy for you to say. Your best friend is still alive, maybe if it was George you would have tried harder," Harry yells making me flinch at hearing how aggressive he is.

"You know that's not true. Ethan and Chip were our closest friends too," I yell making Harry look back at me.

"GUYS," George yells when Harry goes to open his mouth again. I look at Harry for a split second before the two of us walk off in separate directions. My heart is aching as I think of everything he's said to me. Does he really think I'm to blame? Maybe he's right.