My song inspiration for this chapter.
Major O.C vibes when I was writing this so I thought it would only be perfect.

Sunday, June 7th, 2020

"Aubrey."

My hands are outstretched, my fingers shaking. I want to reach out for the gun, but I know that it's too risky. Aubrey was unpredictable.

"Do you really think I was just going to let myself get suspended and be done with you? Did you really think I'd be like oh, that's okay. I'll let London continue to roam freely around like she didn't help kill my brother."

"You don't want to do this," I plead. "Revenge isn't the answer. Trust me."

She raises the gun higher and I flinch. "What is it people always say? An eye for an eye?"

"Aubrey—"

"People might not see it, but I know you're just putting on some act. You know you've got to be careful now. You have to make sure that no one realises you helped your brother."

"How can I prove it to you?" I ask. "How can I show you that I never helped my brother. I never knew."

"Shut up!" she screams, the gun waving around in the air as she speaks.

"He— he left me a letter. I— I found it yesterday. I could give it to you," I nod frantically, hoping she'll agree. "You could read it."

"Why would I want to read something that a piece of shit wrote? I know the truth. I've known it since the day my brother died."

"I swear, Aubrey. I swear on my life that I never—"

"You swear on your life, huh? Too bad you aren't worth much."

I take a step towards her but she moves the gun again, pointing it directly between my eyes. I was so close to her now that if she fired at me I'd never be able to dodge the bullet.

"I know you're hurting," I whisper. "And I'm sorry. I'm sorry that my brother—"

"No," she sobs, her shoulders violently shaking. Her movements send the gun haphazardly around the room as she moves it with her hands. "You don't know what it feels like. He was my best friend. He was the sweetest person on this planet. My parents— my parents don't care about me. But my brother did."

"I'm sorry," I cry. "I'm so sorry."

I understood what it was like to lose a brother. But I couldn't deny that it was different for Aubrey. She had lost someone who was innocent. Someone who shouldn't have been caught up in my brother's crimes.

"It's too late," she whispers, tears running down her face. "Nothing you can say will ever bring my brother back. Nothing you do will ever make up for what happened."

"So you're going to kill me?" I whisper, wiping my eyes. "You think killing me will bring you peace? Aubrey, it'll ruin your life."

"My life is already ruined," she says, monotone.

"It isn't," I disagree. "I know it hurts right now, but the pain will become bearable one day. It might not go away but you'll learn to get up in the morning and live your life."

She raises the gun towards the ceiling and fires. I flinch, fumbling with my feet and falling backwards.

"Why should I have to live with this pain?" she screams. "Why should my brother have to be dead? He had his whole life ahead of him and you helped take it away! I will never be able to live knowing that!"

I look up at the ceiling, a small round hole now present. Dust and plaster particles are landing on the floor, creating a small pile.

Nothing I had to say would change her mind about me. I couldn't blame her for hating me but I didn't want her to ruin her life by killing me.

"You'll go to prison," I whisper.

"Do you not understand, London?" she sneers. "I have nothing left to live for."

I rise to my feet slowly, my hands outstretched. I go to speak again but the doorbell rings.

Both our heads whip to the door. Aubrey becomes frantic, grabbing my arm and pulling me against the wall.

"Lonnie?" a voice calls, muffled by the door.

I'd recognise that voice anywhere. It was a voice I never thought I'd hear again.

"Harry," I whisper.

"Shit. Shit!" Aubrey says, hitting the gun against the side of her head. "Get rid of him. Tell him to leave. Now."

"But—"

She cocks the gun at me again and I nod, walking slowly towards the door. Aubrey slips behind it, the gun trained on my back. I open it slightly, just enough that I can peer out into the night.

The only light is coming from the moon. It brightens up Harry's worried expression. He frowns at me, concerned.

"Lonnie," he says, breathy. "I just came to..."

He trails off and I glance behind me nervously. Aubrey grips my arm as I hold the door tightly. She digs her nails in, warning me.

"Look, Harry, I— um. Now isn't a very good time. I need to— to go," I go to close the door by his hand juts out, stopping me just in time.

"When I was walking here, I heard something weird. Like, I don't know. But, are you alright?"

I laugh nervously. "What? That's— I mean, I'm fine."

I go to shut the door again but he blocks it with his body.

"You think I don't know you, Lonnie?" he whispers. "What's going on? You don't sound—you sound scared."

"I'm fine, Harry. I just can't talk right now."

He watches me warily. His eyes search my face like he's trying to find something hidden in my expression. I grip his hand as he leans against the doorframe. I move my hand to his face, cupping his cheek.

"Call the police," I mouth.

He frowns at me, confusion etched into his expression. His gaze pins me to the spot, taking my breath away.

"Aubrey," I mouth and everything seems to click into place for him.

His eyes grow in alarm, searching behind me to find whatever might be lurking in the shadows, trying to hurt me.

"I really can't talk right now, Harry," I repeat, my voice stern.

"I— okay. I'll— I'll call you tomorrow," he steps back and my hands begin to shake as I close the door slowly. I watch him briefly as he stands there, his phone already in hand.

Aubrey instantly turns the lock when I step away from the door. She pins me back against the wall, the gun hanging loosely in her other hand.

"Life shouldn't be this perfect for you, London."

She's cutting off my oxygen supply so I don't bother replying. The words would be wasted anyway. There was no getting through to her.

"It isn't fair that your friends still want you after everything. I didn't stick up all those posters and alert the newspapers just for you to get off so easily."

My words are completely inaudible. I can hardly manage a coherent sound.

"I get suspended, and what? You get to live your life without worrying about anything?"

Black spots begin to fill my vision and I claw at Aubrey's arm, trying to loosen her grip. She drops her arm and I steady myself against the wall, coughing violently. She slaps me across the face with the gun and I'm momentarily stunned. I lose my balance and throw out my arms, bracing for impact.

I cough, my mouth filling with blood instantly. I spit it out, wiping my mouth. I turn back towards Aubrey as she looms over me, gun pointed at my head.

"This is what I imagined my brother saw before he died. The gun pointed at his head would have been his last memory. His pleads dying on his tongue as Nix shot him."

A stray tear lands against my cheek as I stare up at her, past the gun. Her hand is shaking violently. She didn't want to do this as much as I didn't want to die.

"You don't have to do this, Aubrey," I whisper.

"For my brother," she says, turning off the safety.

Her hand moves on the trigger, pulling back. Before she gets a clean shot, I jump forward, wrapping my arms around her legs. She falls backwards, firing mindlessly into the walls of my house.

I reach up for the gun, but she kicks at my face. Her knee goes straight into my nose, sending me sprawling backwards. Pain explodes through my face.

She leaps on me, pinning my arms down. My head slams my head back into the floor and I see stars. I'm losing my vision. I kick wildly, trying to free myself. Her grip loosens slightly but that's all I need. I bring up my arm, landing a blow to the side of her head.

She falls to her side, dazed. The gun drops from her hand. I crawl forward, clenching my teeth. My skull felt like it was on fire.

I cough violently, spitting out more blood. I look back, noticing that Aubrey still hasn't moved. I begin to stand, shuffling towards the door.

"Lonnie, answer me!" Harry panics. "I've called the police. They're on their way. You've gotta let me in! Now!"

"Harry," I rasp, coughing again. I'm at the door, unlocking the handle. "I'm—"

Suddenly, I'm back on the ground. Aubrey is standing over me, gun in her hand. She hit me on the back of the head again. I blink up at her, my breathing shallow.

The gun rattles in her hand and she closes her eyes, looking away from me. Her hand clenches the trigger, ready to fire.

With all the power I have left in me, I launch forward. I'm able to tackle her, but I'm not strong enough to grab the gun.

"Aubrey—"

She thrusts the gun into the side of my head and I can feel myself slipping, letting the darkness overtake me.

Come on, Lonnie. Don't give up yet.

I launch myself forward, grunting in pain. I'm able to pin her beneath me, using all my body weight to keep her down. The gun is pressed tightly against my stomach.

"Lon!'

My head swivels towards the door. Harry enters, wracking a hand through his hair. His face relaxes when he sees me.

"Har—"

Bang.

Bang.

An eerie silence fills the air as my ear rings from the gunshots.

My body slides off Aubrey's, landing next to her. When I turn to face her, she's watching me, unblinking. Pale, cold. My eyes travel down to the bloodstain growing over her heart.

"Aubrey?" I whisper.

A fog is beginning to cloud my thoughts and I turn my head towards the ceiling. Everything is...everything is spinning.

I see him suddenly, kneeling over me. He stares at me, smiling. He clasps my hand and I reach out for him. Harry but not Harry.

"Hold tight, Lon."

"Liam?" I whisper. He begins to fade, his smile the last to leave.

Harry appears in front of me. He lifts my head, diligently placing it in his lap. "Lonnie."

I cough violently, blood trickling out of my mouth. "Harry," I whisper.

"You're okay. You're okay," he whispers, wiping my hair from my forehead. He places his hand against my stomach, pressing down firmly. With a shaky hand, I entwine our fingers together against my stomach.

"Help...Aubrey," I whisper.

"She's dead," he whispers, pained. "She's— she's already gone."

My brain can't comprehend what he's saying. Everything is cloudy. Everything blurring at the edges. I cough again, my eyes blindingly searching his face. A single tear escapes his eye and I want to reach out to him but my hands won't cooperate.

"I won't lose you too," he says, urgently. "I'm not going to lose— I can't, Lonnie. Please. Please."

"Harry," I croak, smiling up at him. Tears fill my vision, blurring my image of him.

A memory suddenly flashes in my mind. The first time I saw him. The sun had blinded my sight, but he stepped in front of it. His eyes, his small smile. The way I knew he'd been suffering. His beauty was so evident that it took my breath away.

"Did you know," I cough, clenching my teeth to fight the pain. "I fell in love...with you at the...carnival...fundraiser. I didn't know it until...until I was writing...your letter. When you looked out towards the distance... on the Ferris...wheel...your face lit up so...much. Then you looked at me...and you changed...my life."

"Lonnie," his voice is filled with anguish.

My head lulls to the side and I stare off into space, my eyes closing.

Harry places his hands against my face. They're soaked in blood. "Hold on."

"I'm sorry, Harry," I say softly.

"It wasn't your fault," he says sternly, gripping my face. "I know that. Everyone knows that."

"I'm so..."

I'm sinking. It's like a wave, crashing towards the sand. It wipes me out and carries me back in.

"Lonnie? Lonnie?" his voice breaks, the fragility of it is more painful than my wound.

A vision. My first kiss with Harry. The way his hand held mine at the Bon Iver concert. The way he smiled at me like I was the only one in the room.

"Hey, hey! Don't do this, Lon. I love you."

A voice, muffled. My eyes won't open. I'm sinking. He pulls me closer to him, cradling me against his chest. His salty tears land in my hair. I'm tucked up under his chin. I feel as his hands move softly through my hair.

"Don't leave me, Lon. Don't leave me, don't leave me."

He rocks me back and forth, his body shaking violently. "Talk to me," he whispers. "Talk to me."

"I...saw...saw him."

"Who?" he rasps, wiping away the hair plastered to my sweaty forehead.

The light is blinding when I open my eyes halfway. But I see Harry. I see him.

"Liam," I smile.

His head is resting against my hair. He cries softly, holding me tighter as if he's scared that I'm going to disappear.

"Did you...read my...letter?" I gasp.

"Yes. Yes, Lon. Hold on, okay? Help is..."

Hold tight, Lon.

"Hey. Breathe, Lonnie. Lon?"

I tried, Liam. I tried for Harry.

I tried.

The end.

Jokes. Hehe.