Fireproof (Book 4 in the No Control Series)

Liz gets up, walking across the room to stand at the window. “I feel so incredibly guilty sometimes.” She says.
Harry walks towards her slowly. “Why on earth would you feel guilty, Lizzie?”
Looking out at the forest, she replies, “I can’t give you what you need from me, Harry. I just can’t make you happy...and you deserve to be happy.”
He stands beside her at the window. “My sweet Lizzie, you shouldn’t feel guilty because you don’t love me.”
She turns to face him. “I do love you, Harry. You must know that.”
He turns to look out the window. “As a friend.”
Liz puts her hand on his. “It’s more than that.” The hopeful look on his face causes her to pull her hand back. “I mean...it’s hard...um. How I feel about you is different from how I feel about my other friends.” Liz blows out a frustrated breath. “That still doesn’t make sense.”
As she starts to walk away, Harry puts his hands on her waist, pausing her. “Look in my eyes, Lizzie. Just answer me honestly, I won’t hold you to anything.”
She nods.
“Just take Liam out of the equation for a moment. Would you have went out with me?”
“Yes.” Liz replies quietly.
“Do you think you would have fallen in love with me? That we would have been together? That you would have wanted to marry me and have children with me?”
Liz hesitates, she can feel the tears sliding down her cheeks.
Harry keeps one hand on her waist, wiping her tears away with the other. “It’s alright, Lizzie. Be honest, don’t worry about my feelings...please.”
She swallows hard. “Yes, I would have fallen in love with you. I would have married you and had your children.” She watches cautiously for Harry’s reaction.
He looks into her eyes, a large smile coming across his face. He kisses her forehead. “That makes me very happy, Lizzie.”
“It does?” She asks.
“I can’t explain why, but it does.” He walks to the kitchen, Liz follows.
Harry takes two waters from the fridge, handing one to Liz. “Perhaps some people are meant to fall in love with each other, but not meant to be together.” He briefly plays with the curl lying across her shoulder, before returning to the sofa.
Liz sits beside him, probably closer than she should. She faces him, one leg tucked under her.
Harry looks at the water bottle in his hand as he says, “They say the most romantic kind of love...is the unfinished kind. The kind that will forever burn and mark your soul.”
Liz touches his knee. “H, you will forever have a piece of my heart and my soul. You are a part of me.”
Harry fights back the tears sparkling in his eyes. “And yet, you choose him.”
Liz sighs, knowing what she must say. “Yes, I choose Liam. He is my husband, the father of my children, my love. He owns my heart and my soul.”
Harry stands, walking to the other side of the room. Liz starts to stand but he puts up his hand to pause her. “I need a moment, please.”
“Of course.”
Harry walks outside. After a moment Liz moves to the window to watch him. He picks up a rock, chucking it across the yard, then kicks everything in a six foot radius of him.
Liz turns away for a moment, but she can still hear the horrible painful scream that escapes him. It breaks her heart to see him in so much pain. She continues to watch as he runs his fingers through his hair. His hand continuing long past where his hair ends, perhaps still not used to his new short haircut.

Liz makes her way to him. Keeping a bit of a distance, she says, “I’m sorry if I hurt you, Harry.”
Surprising her yet again, he turns to face her with a gentle smile. “Don’t apologize, Love. I need to hear the truth, no matter how much it may hurt.”
She looks down. “I don’t like to see you in pain.”
He moves to stand in front of her. “And I don’t like to see you sad, so give me a smile, please.”
She looks into his kind, green eyes and smiles. “I will always have a smile for you, Harry.”
He grins. “That’s my girl. Let’s go back inside.”

Notes