Chapter 20 – Harry’s P.O.V.

            “Sir, if you’d calm down, I’ll read you your current rights for this situation,” one guard said as I finally stopped struggling, refusing to believe Chloe was gone where she didn’t deserve to be.

            I swallowed, nodding my head as I pursed my lips together. This was bullshit, I knew it, but fighting got me nowhere. It didn’t bring Chloe back and he didn’t keep them away. The only thing I can do now is suck it up and try to get her out somehow. All I can do it listen to these fucking meatheads.

            “A court date has been scheduled for April 3rd, 2014 for the suspicion of your abuse against women. From here and until then, you have no visitation rights to Chloe Williams, nor will you be able to contact her in any sort of way. Elizabeth Williams has claimed you’ve hurt her in the same ways, along with your threat that if she ever leaves you, you’d kill her. You will not be allowed within fifty feet of either victim, or have any sort of contact whatsoever. If you fail to show on your court date, your sentence will be extended and more brutal. Here’s the packet of rules you must obey until further notice. Have a nice day.”

            With that said, leaving me baffled and utterly speechless, the two guards left with one final slam of the door.

            Did they not hear Mike when he said Elizabeth was coming over later? Or was that a plan of hers to get me imprisoned? I’ve done nothing wrong, especially not abuse. Hurting a woman has never once been in my mind, and Elizabeth knows that. She knows how I stuck up for her against her father. She knows how I’ve blocked his hits towards her for her. I’ve taken so many damn punches for that girl, is this is how she’s going to repay the favor?

            To think I once loved that girl. How can beauty be so evil?

            Heaving a frustrated hand through my hair, my eyes skim the packet titled “Suspect Laws to Follow.” Rolling my eyes, I threw it as hard as I could against the wall. I was pissed, beyond pissed. They just took the one thing that started mattering most to me away. They just yanked her out like she was nothing but a ragdoll. They were hurting her, and that pissed me off more.

            The Book Thief was lying cover-up on the coffee table. A pang of guilt for not being down here for Chloe hit me. She was only ten pages away from the end after striving so hard to finish. I had to get it to her somehow. She needs some sort of happy ending in this hell-life of hers.

            I picked up the book, seeing it was already doggy-eared on the page she left off. I wanted to smile, but the apartment was so eerily quiet now. Not that Chloe ever spoke much, but the certain tension I’m feeling now usually isn’t there with her presence.

            I’m not an emotional person anymore, but I really felt like I could burst into tears. How could someone so silent, so isolated brighten your life? How could someone so paranoid, so skittish make you smile? How could someone supposedly diagnosed with schizophrenia make me the happiest guy I’ve been in a while? It doesn’t make sense to me, but Chloe Williams is a beautiful mystery I’ll never quite solve.

            Knowing I’d get thrown in jail if I tried to go see her, I sadly shook my head and gently closed the book, keeping her page marked and setting it back on the table. I heaved a hand through my hair, taking this short—but uncomfortable—peace to my advantage. I had to learn more about Chloe’s diagnosis before Elizabeth showed.

            God, pray for me.

            That girl, I swear. I can’t stand her. If you would’ve told me that two years ago I was head over heels for her, I’d laugh in your face. I just don’t see how someone who used to be so genuine could turn so cruel right before your eyes. When you think you know someone, they always end up surprising you and proving you wrong.

            Shaking away my thoughts, I opened my laptop once more, the schizophrenic article still opened and taunting me.

“Negative symptoms are associated with disruptions to normal emotions and behaviors. These symptoms are harder to recognize as part of the disorder and can be mistaken for depression or other conditions. These symptoms include the following:

-“Flat affect" (a person's face does not move or he or she talks in a dull or monotonous voice)

-Lack of pleasure in everyday life

-Lack of ability to begin and sustain planned activities

-Speaking little, even when forced to interact.”

            That also describes Chloe by a fine line, except for the dull expressions. I’ve seen that beautiful smile of hers before. I’ve seen her eyes twinkle when she talks about literature or movies. Actually, when I come to think of it, none of those fit Chloe perfectly except for minimum speaking. But another thing that proves the so called “doctors” diagnosed her wrong was the next paragraph.

“People with schizophrenia are not usually violent. In fact, most violent crimes are not committed by people with schizophrenia. However, some symptoms are associated with violence, such as delusions of persecution. Substance abuse may also increase the chance a person will become violent. If a person with schizophrenia becomes violent, the violence is usually directed at family members and tends to take place at home.

The risk of violence among people with schizophrenia is small. But people with the illness attempt suicide much more often than others. About 10 percent (especially young adult males) die by suicide. It is hard to predict which people with schizophrenia are prone to suicide. If you know someone who talks about or attempts suicide, help him or her find professional help right away.

People with schizophrenia are not usually violent.”

            This doesn’t add up. Chloe has never hurt anyone but herself. Although the suicide attempts match quite indifferently, she’s never hurt me or Elizabeth or anything, really. The only thing she harms is her arms, her legs, and her face. The faded scratches down her eyes have nearly diminished by now, but the bright marks on her arms still baffle me. Why does she do it? And I still haven’t gotten that mysterious burn mark on her hand out of my mind. How did she do that?

            Pursing my lips in thought, my eyebrows furrowed as I leaned back in the chair and twirled a pencil between my fingers. Chloe isn’t crazy, nor is she schizophrenic, this article proves it. Although she has various similarities with the illness, both of them are complete opposites. Chloe does show emotion, just not often. She does speak, just not excessively. Chloe is confused, maybe even scared, but she isn’t deranged.

            But why am I the only one that sees that? How come no one else is putting two and two together? Why aren’t the actual doctors noticing the difference?

            If it weren’t for the door downstairs noisily clicking open, I would’ve never gotten away from my haunting thoughts. Closing my laptop immediately, I composed myself to face Elizabeth with all the calmness I could muster.

            “Harry?” she called in a fake and not-so-innocent voice.

            “Coming,” I grumbled under my breath, just loud enough for her to hear me.

            God, I hope you’re still praying for me.

            Stepping off the last step, I came face-to-face with Elizabeth who was grinning smugly at me. She knew what had happened, she had planned it. But her nonchalance made my hands curl into fists as I repeated my vow never to harm a woman. I wasn’t about to snoop to the level she wants me in.

            “Nice to see you again,” she said.

            “The feeling isn’t mutual.”

            Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Stop being such a grouch, Harry, and help me get my things in your room again.”

            Completely baffled with her forwardness, I put my foot down. “No way in hell, Elizabeth.”

            “Why not?” She groaned dramatically, placing her hands on her hips.

            “Are you fucking serious?” I yelled, losing my temper. “You nearly got me imprisoned, Elizabeth. And over what? Your sister? Because you’re so naïve and jealous that you took the time to create this implausible and downright ridiculous theory of me being abusive? How much fucking sense does that make? And then you come in and act like nothing happened. Clever, Elizabeth. Really clever.” Rolling my eyes, I ran my hands furiously down my face.

            “You can’t love an insane person, Harry,” she snapped.

            “I don’t love her,” I retorted, but a small pang in the pit of my stomach churned. I was lying. Somehow, someway, I knew that was a lie.

            “Bullshit! I can see it, Harry! I’m not blind,” Elizabeth said, water glossing over her eyes. “You look at her differently. Like she’s some angel that just fell from heaven. You don’t look at me like that anymore,” she whispered.

            “You don’t deserve for me to even glance at you,” I growled.

            Elizabeth’s jaw clenched. “She’s not who you think she is, Harry. There’s more to the story you aren’t getting.”

            “What? That she isn’t schizophrenic? That she isn’t crazy? Don’t worry, I’ve just found that out,” I said.

            Elizabeth shook her head. “You don’t know anything.”

            “I seem to know more than you.”

            “Stop it.”

            “You’re feeling guilt, aren’t you Elizabeth? Something no one cold-hearted has ever felt before, and you’re feeling it now.”

            “I said stop,” she murmured, shaking her head.

            “Why? Because you can’t take it? Try living with guilt for five fucking years, Elizabeth, then tell me how you like it,” I hissed.

            “She shot our mom!” Elizabeth then confessed, her voice strained as tears rolled down her pale cheeks.

            Completely baffled, my eyebrows scrunched together as I took a step back. “What?” I asked in disbelief.

            “She… she was four.” Elizabeth wiped at her eyes. “She knew better, toddler or not. She killed our mom, Harry. That’s why she’s insane.”

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A/N: Dun, dun, dun!! xD So, clearly there's two sides to the story, but leave your assumptions in the comments if you have one ;) I'd like to know how you all think this is going to play out. Love you all xx

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