Through the Lens

Project

Hailey's POV

I took a deep breath as I stood in the grocery store, searching the shelf for which cookies I wanted, fully prepared to go home and eat the entire thing to myself as Cash skipped around beside me. Things were still weird between Harry and I, we still hadn't talked and it was eating me alive. I planned to talk to him, but he didn't seem to be home much and I still had no idea what to say to him. I knew he'd tried to talk to me and I was the one who snapped at him, but I was just so tired of his mixed signals that I figured it out be better if we just drew a line in the sand.

I'd be lying if I said that's what I wanted, but he had made it clear many times that he wasn't sure where he stood. He had no idea what he wanted, or how he wanted it, and I couldn't just let us keep torturing ourselves with the idea that maybe things could always be how they were between us. Our reality check was coming sooner rather than later, and it was time we both just accepted it.

I paid for the groceries and loaded Cash into the car before we headed home, making the familiar drive down Main St. towards my house. I hummed along to the radio and did my best to clear my mind, as I decided it was time to face something I hadn't been able to. I'd been avoiding Main St. since the fire at my dad's shop, not having the strength to pass it, knowing every time I saw it my heart would just break all over again. It had been over a month, and I knew I couldn't take the back roads and avoid it forever. I knew I would have to face it sooner or later, and I'd decided today was that day.

I felt my heart begin to pound as it came into view, the boarded up windows covering the old brick that was now covered in black soot from where the flames had burst through them. The knot in the pit of my stomach got tighter as the realization hit me that the fire had really happened, and everything my father built was gone. I'd known that as long as I didn't actually see it I could pretend that it never happened, that Ryan still worked there and I just hadn't been there in a while, but there it was, right in front of me and I could no longer lie to myself. It was gone, and my insides felt like they were slowly being pulled from my body.

I furrowed my brow as we approached, noticing the door was slightly open, before I saw a man come out and head down the street. My heart dropped at the idea that anyone would be in there, and I felt anger start to rush through my body. The shop was so sacred to me, and on top of the emotions I already felt about it being gone, the sight of strangers just rummaging around in there was enough to send me over the edge.

I pulled my car over, parking on the opposite side of the street as I watched the man walk down the street until he got into a car and left. I knew Ryan had said he didn't know what was happening with it, that it had all been caught up in red tape and he hadn't been able to get any answers as to what he still needed to do.

"Auntie why we stop?" Cash asked me from the back seat.

I saw movement inside the shop from the small opening in the door, and realized there were more people inside. I knew Ryan hadn't been anywhere near the shop, and his truck was nowhere to be found. The thought of anyone setting foot in there that wasn't me or my brother enraged me, as if they were walking all over the memory of my father and everything he'd worked his whole life for. As far as I knew, the shop still belonged to us and I hadn't given a soul permission to be in there.

"We just need to go look at something for a minute buddy, can you undo your seat for me?" I asked him as I got out of the car and Cash undid his belt, hopping out of his seat and opening his door as I took his little hand in mine and we crossed the street.

I took a deep breath as I approached the door, knowing that I couldn't completely lose my mind on whoever was in there in front of my nephew, but preparing to give them a piece of my mind. I tried to mentally prepare myself to see the inside, covered in rubble with nothing left but charcoal. I knew as soon as I opened the door my heart would break, but I knew I had to be strong for Cash because I didn't want to upset him over something I knew he wouldn't understand.