Fallen Angel

I didn’t have much time to think about Harry’s strange behaviour once we got back to New York. With school starting again the following week, I just wanted to forget about the whole trip to Tennessee and pretend that the last couple of days hadn’t completely messed with my head.

I spent the week making sure that I was enrolled in all my classes and had done all the required summer reading – basically just doing anything I could to keep myself busy and avoid spending time with Harry – a task made difficult when he practically insisted on spending every day at our flat. It wouldn’t have bothered me usually but these days I felt like his jade eyes were constantly on me, so I was relieved when they said that they were going out on the Friday evening.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come? We’re going to that Japanese place you like on Montford?” Harry asked as we sat waiting for Eva in the living room. He had been doing this all week, inviting me to come on their little lunch dates or for coffee, but this time it seemed a little different. There was a hint of desperation in his voice that hadn’t been there before.

“Nah, I’m good, I’m going to just order Thai and catch up on Netflix, but you guys have fun!” I said as I sat back into the sofa with a blanket wrapped around me. A flash of discomfort passed over his face for less than a second before he composed himself with a small smile and crossed his leg over the other. I pulled my laptop off the coffee table and onto my knees, wanting to distract myself from Harry’s piercing eyes as we sat in silence.

“You’re just going to stay home then?” He asked in a casual tone. I looked up from the Netflix homepage and frowned at him.

“Yeah, I wasn’t planning on going anywhere, why?” I replied slowly, watching for his expression. Over the last few weeks that was something that I had learnt about Harry: you could tell more about what he was thinking by his face than his words and even when he was trying to hide his thoughts, his eyes would betray him. His features were stony and seemingly calm as he watched me now, but I could see that there was desperation and fear screaming out at me. He didn’t want me to leave the apartment unless it was with them, that much was clear. But why?

He opened his mouth to reply, when he was saved by Eva’s bedroom door opening. She stepped out into the living room and I instantly felt a pang of jealousy at how beautiful she looked. Her red hair was curled into soft waves that fell gracefully round her shoulders and her makeup had a soft natural look that made her seem aglow. For the first time since Harry had come over he wasn’t watching me out of the corner of his eye. Now they were glued to her slender body wrapped in the soft blue bodycon dress she had chosen, and I couldn’t blame him.

“You ready to go?” She asked as she closed the door and took a step toward Harry. He grinned excitedly and stood in front of her.

“I am. You look beautiful.” He said confidently as he planted a small kiss on her forehead. She blushed and then looked over at me with a quick smile.

“You sure you don’t want me to bring anything back for you?”

“No, I’m good. See you guys later, have fun!” I replied as they moved toward the door. At the sound of my voice, Harry seemed to remember that Eva wasn’t the only girl in the world and his attention turned back to me.

“Have a nice evening Cass, call if you need anything, see you later.” He said with a forced smile. I just nodded as Eva took his hand and pulled him gently from the room and out the front door. A few seconds later there was the faint click of her key turning in the lock before their muffled steps fading down the corridor. Then I was alone. I smiled to myself at the thought as I grabbed my phone from the cushion next to me and scrolled through my contacts for the Thai restaurant.

An hour later I was sitting surrounded by empty take out boxes while binge watching Gossip Girl. I was feeling happy and full when suddenly the hairs on the back of my neck began to tingle. I tried to shake off the feeling that something was wrong but instead it spread through my body and I found myself unable to concentrate on Blaire and Chuck having a romantic exchange. I was too busy listening out for a sound that would tell me I was right to be nervous, that something was actually wrong. I turned the laptop off and the room fell silent, lit only by the moonlight flooding through the windows. I sat quietly, waiting.

Then I heard it.

It was faint. It was the most muffled of clicks. But it was there. I could hear my heart beat in my ears as the adrenaline kicked in and my senses were heightened. I stood up slowly, being careful to be as quiet as I could as I made my way over to the kitchen and grabbed a knife from the block before stepped cautiously over to my bedroom.

I paused, holding my breath as I heard the unmistakable sliding of my window opening and two feet landing on the carpet. My heartbeat sped up as I grasped the door knob and turned it slowly, the knife held tight in my other hand, ready to face whatever was on the other side of the door. Taking one final deep breath, I pushed the door open wide with a yelp as I held the weapon out in front of me. I flicked the switch on and light flooded the room as my eyes darted around, looking for the intruder. Instead though, I found my room exactly as I had left it with my window closed. I walked over quickly and tried to lift it, only to find that it was still locked. How was that possible? I knew what I had heard…

Despite the window being closed and locked, I had a quick look around my room in all the spaces that an intruder could hide. Under the bed, in the closet, behind the door… but everything was just as I had left it.

I sighed as I flicked the light off and exited the room. I mentally cursed Harry, knowing that it was probably his reluctance to leave me alone that had left me feeling jumpy and agitated. I put the knife back in the block and went back to the sofa, taking my previous position and pulling the laptop back onto my lap. I couldn’t relax though as I continued with my TV show and I kept glancing at my room out of the corner of my eye.

I watched as Blaire sauntered into Chuck’s bedroom wearing a sheer dressing gown and sexy lingerie.

I glanced over at the door. Nothing there.

Chuck wraps his arms around Blaire softly and seductively kisses her neck.

I glanced. Still nothing.

They lay back on Chucks silk sheets as they kiss, their hands roaming each other’s bodies desperately.

I glanced. A figure stands in front of the window.

I froze as I went back to watch the show again and my brain processed what I had just seen. Did I see someone standing in my room? I didn’t want to look again. I wanted to remain blissfully ignorant if someone was in the apartment. I took a quick breath and slid my eyes slowly to the side and there it was. The figure that had been there the last time I looked. Just standing, not moving. I panicked as I looked back at the screen, no longer caring what Chuck and Blaire were doing, my brain too busy deciding between fight and flight.

Would I be able to get to the kitchen quick enough to be able to fight? My eyes darted over to the archway that led into the kitchen. Yes. I could get there before the intruder. I would be able to grab a weapon and try and defend myself, provided the person standing less than ten feet away from me didn’t have something on their person and I could get a good enough first hit to actually incapacitate them. It seemed unlikely that someone would break in at ten without a contingency plan though, and therefore it was unlikely that they wouldn’t be armed. That took fighting out of the equation, leaving me with only one other option. Flight.

I glanced at the figure in my room, they were standing still again but this time they had moved closer. The panic rose up a little higher in me as I felt another burst of adrenaline flow through me. I tried to keep my breathing even, I didn’t want them to know that I knew they were there as I slid my hand across the sofa, taking my phone in my hand and gripping it tightly. I counted down from three in my head as I kept the front door in the corner of my eye.

Three. I would have to move quickly. My best bet would probably be over the back of the sofa and straight to the door.

Two. The door was locked so I would have to be quick turning the latch. Every second counts Cass.

One. Just get downstairs where there are other people. Call the police. You got this.

Go.

I sprang up from my seat and over the back of the sofa with a yelp and raced toward the door. I reached out to unlock the latch as I approached and I could hear footsteps behind me. I flung the door open and ran as fast as I could down the hallway and to the stairs, not daring to look back as my eyes filled with tears of fear. I ran into the stairwell and took them two at a time as I went down, just wanting to get to the first floor and out onto the street. I didn’t even care that I was in my pyjamas as I ran through the communal space and out of the front doors onto the busy sidewalk, I just needed to get away. The cold air hit my tear stained face like ice before I crashed into a man in my panic.

“I’m so sorry!” I sobbed as I grabbed his forearms tightly to support myself. On contact with his skin, I felt a prickle, like an electric shock pass through my entire body. I let go instantly and looked up to see his face and let out a quiet gasp.

He was tall. He stood at around six foot four with messy blonde hair that framed his serious face. He was attractive, with a straight nose and plump pink lips, but I barely noticed any of that because of his eyes. They were the same blue eyes that I had been seeing since my dream in Tennessee. He tilted his head to the side as they bore into my soul and his face remained emotionless.

“I’m sorry…” I repeated again in a whisper as I took a step back nervously.

“You should watch where you’re going, you never know who you might run into on a dark night.” He said coldly. My heart sped up as I heard the same voice echoing in my head screaming at Harry. How? How was this possible? How could it be possible for someone that I had dreamt about to be standing here in front of me?

“How can…?” I whispered absent-mindedly as I looked him up and down. I saw the edge of his lips curl up into a sinister smile as his icy eyes glistened at me excitedly.

“You best had get back inside, angels aren’t safe on the street.” He said simply before continuing down the street into the dark night. I watched after him until I could no longer pick him out in the crowd. Suddenly, I remembered how cold I was and stepped back into the lobby of the building, unsure of what to do next.

“Cass?” Harry’s alarmed voice rang out from behind me, “What’s wrong?”

I turned to see both he and Eva walking through the building doors, arm in arm after their date. At the sight of them, the tears that I had finally stopped crying returned with a vengeance. Harry pulled me into his chest while Eva stroked my hair and tried to understand my spluttering sobs.

“Someone was in the apartment?” Eva asked with wide eyes before looking up at Harry as I reached the end of my story. I had left out my run in with the boy outside since it seemed unimportant right now. I nodded as I wiped a snotty nose on my pyjama sleeve. Harry guided me over to the bench at the side of the room and sat me down slowly, before running to the stairwell and disappearing up to the apartment.

“I feel so bad Cass, why didn’t you call us?” Eva said as she threw her arm around me. I shrugged and leant my head into her shoulder, not wanting to admit my run in with the second angel from my dream. She sat there with me, rocking me softly, until Harry returned looking frustrated.

“Well, whoever it was, they’re gone now… I want to stay tonight though, just to make sure you guys are okay…” He said quietly as he stood in front of us. I looked at Eva and nodded gently. I wasn’t going to argue with him after the night I had just had, in fact I was kind of grateful that we would have a guy around if the intruder did come back.

We went back up to the apartment and had a quick look around to make sure that nothing was out of place before saying our goodnights and going off to our separate rooms. Much to my relief Harry said that he would sleep in the living room so that he could listen out for any weird noises coming from either room. At least I knew if I needed him he would be there in a second.

I sighed as I flicked off the overhead, leaving the small bedside table lamp as my only source of light in the room. I was reluctant to turn it off as I slid under the soft clean bedsheets, afraid that my mind would play tricks on me while I was awake, or that I would have strange dreams about the blue eyed man from the street while I was asleep. I lay back with the light still on and just stared up at the ceiling above my head wondering how I had gotten here. Everything had gotten so weird since the eclipse. I was nervous that my best friend’s boyfriend was a liar, convinced that he was watching me and now I was afraid of falling asleep.

“You’re being ridiculous…” I muttered to myself as I looked over at the light, “Just turn it off and go to sleep.” I breathed as I reached out and flipped the switch. I lay back and tried to tell myself that I was calm and that I wasn’t afraid of what might be waiting for me in the dark. I spent an hour becoming more nervous as I lay there, opening my eyes every few seconds expecting to see blue eyes just standing there, staring at me. After an hour or so I gave up and decided to get myself a glass of water. I crept into the living room, trying not to wake Harry as I made my way through to the kitchen.

“Cass? Are you okay?” Harry whispered as he sat up and looked over the back of the sofa. I sighed as he flicked on the table lamp next to him flooding the room with soft light. I hesitated before shaking my head and looking down at my feet. He smiled gently and then patted the cushion next to him, a gesture for me to come and sit. I obliged and sank down sadly.

“Can’t sleep?” He asked softly. I nodded, keeping my eyes trained on my hands as I fiddled with my fingers.

“It’s okay to be a little afraid of the dark now… why don’t you just keep a night light on for tonight?” He added. I looked at him, debating whether to tell him about the man or not. I felt like if I said it out loud to someone else then they would be able to tell me how crazy it was and I might be able to get some sleep.

“It’s not that that’s keeping me up…” I said slowly as I looked up at him. His eyes were sparkling curiously in the dim light. I hesitated, unsure of whether I should trust him.

“It’s not?” He asked, prompting me to carry on opening up to him.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I was going to have to tell him. He was going to think I was crazy.

“No… After I ran out of the apartment, I ran downstairs and onto the street…” I started. I opened my eyes but was unable to meet his, so instead I looked out of the window and up at the full moon shining back at me. Harry just remained wordless as he waited patiently for me to continue.

“I crashed into a guy on the street… and I know how crazy this is going to sound… but I knew him from my dream back in Tennessee…” I braved a look at Harry, expecting him to be wide eyed and clearly thinking I needed to be committed.

“That’s not possible…” He muttered as he shook his head with a frown. His eyes were darting around as though he were trying to figure out the answer to a maths problem with multiple components and the hint of fear on his features was unmistakable.

“I know, it’s crazy but-“ I started to try and explain myself, but he cut me off.

“You saw him? The blue eyed man? On the street outside?” Harry asked abruptly. All of the comforting, calming tones were gone from his voice and had been replaced by a sharp urgency. I knew it. I knew he’d think I was crazy, and now here he was, trying to decide how far gone into cuckoo land I was.

“Yes… but maybe I’ve just seen him-“ He cut me off again.

“Did he say anything to you?” He stood and ran his fingers through his hair as he looked at me with desperation. I debated lying to him, making out that my hallucination hadn’t been as bad as it was, but if I was going crazy I suppose it was better to get the help I needed rather than just pretend I was fine.

“Yeah, he told me to watch where I was going because you never know who you might run into on a dark night, and then he told me to get back inside because angels aren’t safe on the street…” I said nervously. The colour seemed to drain from Harry’s face as he slumped next to me, his head in his hands and began muttering to himself.

I must have been worse than he’d thought because he seemed to be horrified by what he’d heard. I hesitated before leaning closer to Harry to touch his shoulder, but paused when I caught a few lines of what he was saying.

“…thinks I still have them… he’s here… he got out… not possible… how to keep them safe… he knows I’m here…” I froze as I realised what was actually going on here. Harry didn’t think I was crazy. He believed me. Not only did he believe me, but he now seemed to believe that he was in danger from blue eyes. He was the one who was crazy.

“Harry?” I finally managed to force out a whisper. He stopped and looked up at me, his face composed but his eyes were dancing with panic.

“Goodnight Cass.” He said quietly, dismissing me from the sofa by turning off the light. I sat there for a moment in shock before getting up and going back to my bedroom more confused than ever. I closed the door and got back into bed, where I lay silently, not sleeping, all night long.

Notes

OKAY I KNOW I AM BAD AT UPDATING, BUT THIS STORY IS ACTUALLY MY PRIDE AND JOY AND I NEED EACH CHAPTER TO BE PERFECT BEFORE IT GETS POSTED, SO FORGIVE ME OKAY.

Thanks for reading if you are, it means a lot to me.

Please let me know in the comments what you think, afterall your comments make my writing better <3

I love you all!

Lola xo