Fireproof // H.S.

14. Peace

"It's--it's your aunt."

Every ounce of my body rejected the words coming from Harry's mouth. No, it can't be. She just called me earlier today. He must be mistaken.

"Are you sure it's her?" I asked carefully. I was surprised at how calm I was despite hearing such horrible news.

"Charlotte Louise Ackerman, co-owner of Lottie's Bakery, found dead in her own home during her lunch break," Harry said slowly. My blood went cold. I felt like I couldn't breathe. It was definitely her alright. I could feel my eyes brimming with tears. I tried so hard to keep them from falling.

"What about my uncle? Is he okay?" I managed to ask. My voice was shaky. I prayed that he was still alive.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "The news reporter said her husband was notified. I assume he's alive. I can't imagine the pain he's going through," he said softly.

"Who killed her?" I asked suddenly. I knew who it was but I needed confirmation. I needed someone to say it. There was a moment of silence before Harry responded.

"Zayn."

Zayn. I immediately stood up and ran towards the door in anger. Bridget and Niall quickly grabbed a hold of me making it difficult to move forward.

"Let go of me!" I shouted, struggling to free myself from their hold.

"No! Don't go! You can't fight Zayn on your own!" Bridget yelled, pleading with me. Her hold was so strong her nails dug into my skin. I was so overwhelmed by anger that I couldn't feel anything.

And that was when it happened. I finally gave in. I broke down and cried. I slowly fell to the ground and curled up against the wall. Bridget knelt down beside me and gently brushed my hair out of my face. I was a sobbing mess.

"Just let it all out. It's okay to cry," she said lovingly. Niall quickly grabbed a box of tissues and handed it to me. I closed my eyes and took a shaky breath, hugging my body. I couldn't stop the memories from coming back.

"You're very lucky to be alive, do you know that?" I remember the words that came from Nurse Holly's mouth when she went to check up on me after the fire. I tightly shut my eyes at the horrible memory and I could feel more tears roll down my cheek.

I'm anything but lucky. I don't have a family for f*ck's sake! I'm alone. If it wasn't for me, they'd still be alive. I was a murderer and I hated myself for it. And to make things worse, I'm the reason why my aunt died too. If I was never involved in this mess, this wouldn't have happened. This is all my fault. Everything is my fault.

What did I do to deserve this? Why was I born so unlucky? Why me? Nothing but anger and hatred engulfed my body. I was angry at everything. I was angry at Zayn and I was angry at myself. I need revenge. A life for a life. I need to avenge my aunt's death. I'm coming for you, Zayn, and I won't stop until I do.

I then felt guilty for the vile thoughts in my head. I covered my ears with my hands and kept shaking my head, trying to free myself from the disgusting thoughts. I would never wish death upon someone but my anger drove me to do so. I was in a constant battle with myself. I pulled my hair in exasperation.

"What is she doing?" I heard Harry timidly ask.

"I think she's possessed by the devil," I heard Niall reply. As soon as he said that, Bridget shoved him away.

"Get out. You're not helping," she said sternly. Niall sheepishly retreated towards Harry. Moments later, I heard her panic. "Violet! What are you doing?!" I heard her shout. I saw her quickly back away towards the bed. Confused as to why she was scrambling away, I looked around and saw that I had started a fire. The carpet around me was quickly engulfed and the smell of burning carpet filled my nose. Harry quickly grabbed the bucket of melting ice on the table and dumped it on the flames. He then ran to the bathroom to get more water.

The flame was quickly extinguished in a matter of minutes. Luckily there wasn't too much damage to the room. With Niall's quick thinking, he froze the fire alarm so it wouldn't go off and Bridget opened the window and used her ability to create wind to get rid of the smell of smoke. I just sat there in disbelief at the trouble I had just caused. I let my emotions get the better of me again.

"I'm sorry," I pathetically apologized. It was hard for me to meet their eyes. They were frightened and worried. I was a ticking bomb that could go off at any time. I don't blame them for being uncomfortable around me.

"You should get some fresh air," Bridget suggested. "It'll be good for you." I simply nodded. "Harry, can you escort her out? Niall and I in the meantime will talk to the hotel about the carpet." Harry quickly stood up and helped me get to my feet. I apologized about the carpet again before stepping out in embarrassment.

I followed Harry down the stairs and out of the hotel.  Once we were outside, the fresh, cool air instantly calmed me down. For a moment, I forgot about the mess that was going on inside my head. Harry found an empty bench and we sat down. After 15 minutes of silence, Harry finally spoke up.

"How are you doing?" I let out a shaky laugh at his question. Of all the questions he could've asked, he asked me this? He already knows the answer to this.

"Horrible. Absolutely horrible. Everything hurts," I said, frowning. I could feel the tears coming again. Harry carefully watched me in silence.

"I'm not good at this kind of stuff but I want you to know that if you want to talk, I'm here for you. I care about you, I really do. If there's anything I can do for you, let me know and I'll do it." He gave me a smile and I returned it. What he said was really sweet.

"Thank you," I replied. He squeezed my hand reassuringly. I didn't know he was still holding it. A question suddenly popped in my head and I started blushing at how embarrassing my question was but I needed it. I took a deep breath before speaking.

"Can I--can we hug?" I wasn't sure how he'd respond. Would he laugh at me? I had to admit his hugs were very comforting and I could use one right now.

"Of course," he responded. I could tell that he was shocked but he didn't question my strange request. He scooted closer and wrapped his arms around me. I laid my head on his chest and I could hear his heart beating. It was a comforting sound. I closed my eyes from exhaustion. They were tired from lack of sleep and the constant crying.

After laying for what seemed like an hour, Harry did something that surprised me. He gently kissed my head. I wonder if he knew I was still awake. I smiled at the kind gesture and was glad that he couldn't see my face.

For once, I felt at peace. Amidst the chaos that is called my life, I finally found a moment of peace.

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I'm sorry, I thought this was published but it wasn't. This update is kind of short and slow but it will pick up. Thanks for reading! :)