Through the Dark (Sequel to Taking Chances)

Chapter Sixteen: "Numb"

Brielle
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It's been a week since I was told about Judie. A week since I had my whole world crash down on me, since everything that Niall forced me to stop thinking about started to make sense.

All those police reports, they made sense now. Her always being away made sense now. Life just seemed to make all kinds of sense.

Yet, nothing eased. I should have felt relief that I knew what she was up to now, that I could fight against it preparedly, but I wasn't. It was like a car slamming into my body - I was in physical pain thinking about this.

I'd like to think I just barely survived last years events, so what would that mean for me?

Would I survive this year?

I didn't know, and quite frankly, neither did Niall.

He'd been held up in the bedroom, pacing and yelling angrily into the phone. He thought the connections he could make would make everything go away. He thought maybe if he had help this time, besides Harry and Claire, he could save us.

But it was so different, and there was nothing similar enough that would make me feel even a small sense of hope. It was Judie who was after me now, and the rest of my family was at stake. She had information I couldn't possibly begin to understand. Her mind worked in sick ways.

How could I defeat her?

How could anyone?

We are your family.

Let us fight for you.

Let them fight for me...

I hadn't let anyone fight for me. It was their choice to push it away and do it anyway. And look where that got them.

I was so afraid of last years events coming back to repeat themselves. And even more afraid that different events were going to arise.

"Babe, Harry's here."

I turned, eyes catching Niall's, and then Harry's behind him. They were both watching me, Niall worried and Harry bewildered.

I'd been standing in the middle of the living room, and Niall was in the bedroom, yet Niall had answered the door.

Had there been a knock? Did he just come in?

I blinked, now watching as Niall glanced at Harry.

"For the dog?" he asked, brows raised.

He didn't look the least bit worried about what could happen. There were no worn expressions, or tired eyes. No frowns or glares. He was blank, pretending to be curious at why Harry had stopped by.

"Uh, yeah," Harry chuckled, raking his hand through his hair quickly. "I leave tomorrow for the first day of practices and all that, so now is the time to give him to Claire."

I felt a slight push of happiness swirl inside my chest, but it vanished within seconds. Thoughts of Judie and the threat she posed to Harry and Claire overwhelmed me, ultimately crushing me inside.

How could I do this? I was crumbling before anything had even truly happened. What good would I do when something terrible actually did happen?

"I'll go find him," Niall replied, offering a slight smile as he wandered off down the hallway. He'd left me with one of the few people who could read me like the back of their hand, and I had no way to hide anything that plagued me.

I felt a bit angry that he'd left me alone. Why couldn't he have sent me instead? Niall was better at lying about emotions. He hid them whenever he got as angry as before. So what made it a great idea to leave me behind?