Bruised, Battered And Broken.

Chapter 4

One foot in front of the other, left, right, left, right, trying her hardest to stay upright. Wandering through London barefoot in the pouring down rain, wincing as she stood on loose tarmac chippings in the road, avoiding broken glass from the various party go-ers on a Friday night. She didn't even know where she was heading, she just found her feet carrying her back to the hotel she visited last night, she held on tightly to her wrist and looked down at it, it was swollen and she could see bruises in the shape of fingers where he just wouldn't let her go.

Earlier, she had been subjected to the worse attack yet. It was relentless; she just lay on the floor, willing it to stop, as he kicked her again and again, using his body weight to pin her petite frame to the floor. She heard the familiar sound of her ribs cracking, then he got off her, and walked into the bedroom, and she had run out of the house before he came back. It was a freezing December night, and she was wearing her PJ shorts and a white vest top, she wasn't even wearing any underwear, her chin was chattering against her top teeth and she was almost positive her lips were blue. She was getting wolf whistles as she stumbled into the hotel foyer, where she by-passed the desk, only to be met by an important looking man in a suit.

"Can I help you ma'am?" He asked.

"I..I...I" She stuttered, "Harry styles?"

"I'm afraid we don't have a Harry styles staying in this hotel ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"No, wait." She was panicking now, she knew if this man didn't let her in, she had nowhere to go "It's Larry something, wait he told me, I was here last night? I can't remember, please? I know he's on the top floor somewhere, please?"

"I'm sorry Miss."

He began to half lead, half drag Jess out causing her to cry out in pain and snatch away. "Jess?" she heard her name called out behind her and looked over her shoulder. Louis was half walking half running towards her, he took her in his arms to stop her falling to the floor. He nodded at the concierge who let her go. "What's wrong? He's done this hasn't he?"

"I'm sorry Louis, I just couldn't stay there, I'm really sorry, he doesn't know I'm here and I'll be gone by tomorrow, please."

Louis scooped Jess into his arms and carried her across the foyer into the elevator. "This isn't your fault Jess none of this is, of course I'll help you, your safe now," he began stroking her hair. "Why did he do this?"

"I think Harry wound him up earlier, he was trying to wind him up I think, and he just took it out on me when I dropped a glass in the kitchen," she showed him her hands, where Jack had pushed then into the broken glass, Louis clutched her to his chest even tighter.

"Harry thought he was helping love," Louis said, trying to soothe her. "He didn't know what to do, I spent half of last night trying to stop him combing the streets of London trying to find you."

"Why does he want to help me?"

"The same reason you keep coming back to him."

"I don't mean to be selfish, I don't want him involved, I just had nowhere to go Louis."

Louis exited the lift and placed Jess on the floor before knocking on the door "Liam!" He shouted "Liam! Open up!"

"Wow, ok Louis calm down," Liam shouted from behind the door. "What's going on? Oh my god, are you ok? What's happened?"

"Liam, stop asking questions and get out the way so I can clean her up for gods sake," Louis scooted Liam out the way and placed Jess on the couch.

"I'm going to get Harry," Liam said, making his way to the door.

"And let him get in the way?" Louis shouted. "He is the reason this has happened in the first place! If he hadn't have been winding Jack up, she would have left her alone! We are cleaning her up before he comes anywhere need her."

"Louis," Jess murmured. "This isn't his fault, this is mine, if I would have just ignored Harry. None of this would have happened and you wouldn't have been involved."

Louis took her hands and began to pick the shards of glass out of her hands, just as Harry had done the night before, wrapping various amounts of bandage around her wrists, tracing each bruise with a tender finger.

"I think you need to go to hospital..." Liam stated passing her a cup of tea, Jess wincing as she shifted on the sofa to accept it.

"There's nothing they can do for ribs anyway," Jess said.

"You sound like a seasoned pro," Liam lowered himself to the sofa, between Jess and Louis and placed a reassuring hand on her knee. "How long has this been going on?"

Jess shrugged her shoulder. "The physical abuse, about a year, but before that he used to control me, I just thought he meant that he cared and was a little over bearing, before I knew it, I was completely on my own."

"Why didn't you leave him?" Louis asked.

"And go where? He won't let me work I have no money, I don't talk to my family and I have no friends, this is the first time I've been able to escape from him when he has gone off on one."

"You shouldn't let anyone treat you like that Jess."

"I don't let him treat me like it Louis, I let him do it to me, so he doesn't do it to anyone else."

"That's pathetic, fight back or leave, I'm sure if you told your mom she would help."

Jess had fought enough for today, so she just let Louis win, although he was right, she could do all those things, but what would she be without being Jacks punching back? She would be empty.

"Louis that's enough," she heard Liam say breaking her out of her thoughts. "Go back to your room, don't tell Harry that's she's here for Gods' sake, he'll lose it and I can't be dealing with it today."

Louis nodded before turning to Jess. "You're safe here Jess, you can stay as long as you want, I am not letting you go back to him."

Jess couldn't remember the last time she had got such a good night's sleep, she fell in to her slumber as soon as her head hit the pillows, falling into a dreamless sleep. When she woke up she immediately saw Liam asleep in the arm chair next to the bed and automatically felt a twinge of guilt. The boys that she had thrown her problems on, we're nothing but sweet and innocent. They were living the dream and the last thing she wanted was for her problems to be thrust upon them, there was only one thing she could do. Go back to Jack and take what he was going to give her. She slid out of bed and picked up a discarded hoodie on the floor, promising Liam in her head she would give it back, not that he would miss it, she tiptoed out, flexing her sore hands underneath the bandages, she reached for the door handle only for it to swing open and bang her in the hand, causing her to cry out in pain and Liam to fall out of his chair in shock. Harry looked angrily in Liams direction and stomped through the door followed by A shifty looking Louis.

"You," Harry said pointing at Liam. "Why did you think this was a good idea to keep this from me?"

"Harry this isn't your fight calm down," Liam said defending himself.

"Calm down! What did you think I was going to do? Go and find him, am I that stupid? What were you going to let her do go back to him? Why haven't you phoned the police?"

"And say what?" Liam continued. "There's a girl here, she's turned up twice for help because her boyfriends a prick but she won't press charges?"

"Harry you need to calm down," Louis said, placing his hand on Harry's shoulder, who immediately shrugged it off and turned his accusing finger to him.

"You can get off me, did it not cross your mind to tell me about this yesterday? You know how worried I've been!"

"They were trying to protect you," Jess said timidly, but no one heard her, they were all too busy arguing between themselves. Jess looked at the door, which was still slightly ajar then back to the boys. She sidled out of the open door, and picked up her pace running down the corridor, not looking back.