Taken

Chapter 21: This Changes Everything

I slammed my door shut when I got to my room. Maybe I shouldn't have done that. I thought to myself. It's not them I'm mad at after all. I paused in the middle of the room, and turned back towards the door. I walked over to it, and gently turned the knob, pulling it open.

"Sorry, guys!" I called before shutting the door back, gently this time. I took my shoes off, and threw them down. They hit the floor with a dull thump. I sat down on the bed, and stared at the wall.

Anger swelled up inside of me, as my cheek continued to burn. I gritted my teeth so hard my jaw was beginning to hurt. I wanted to punch something. Her face. She wasn't here, though, was she? I flopped down, my face smacking directly into the cool pillowcase. I held the pillow around the corner of my face, and then opened my mouth. I took a deep breath, and I screamed.

I screamed. I screamed for all the frustration and anger she caused me by slapping me. I screamed for all the frustration and anger I caused myself by not hitting her back. I just screamed it all out.

When I was done, my body went limp, and my throat hurt. I lay there, listening to my breathing, and feeling the hot air from my breaths bouncing off the pillow case, and back against my face.

There was a soft knock on my door, and then it opened. I listened to the soft sounds of their footsteps on the carpet as whoever it was crossed the floor. The bed sank down with their weight.

"Amber?" Louis asked.

"What?" I replied, my voice muffled by the pillow that my face was still crammed in.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh, absolutely."

"So, why is your face in a pillow?"

"Oh, you know. Just felt like laying down face first into a pillow."

"You know, that pillow does not stifle your sarcasm.

"Well, darn. That's exactly what I was going for." I mumbled. I felt his hands on my side, and I was pulled away from the pillow. I stared at the wall, avoiding eye contact. He probably thought I was weak.

"Let me see." He said. I shook my head, causing my hair to fall in my face, covering my cheek. Louis quietly got up off the bed, and knelt down in front of me on the floor. I was looking down into my lap, still avoiding his eyes. He reached up, and titled my head up so that I was looking into his eyes.

I stared into their pale blue depths. They seemed to be begging me to trust him, and let him help. That's why when he turned my head to the right, my left cheek facing him, I didn't object. He pushed my hair back behind my ear so he had a clear view of my face.

"Oh. Amber." He said, his voice sympathetic. "I can't believe she did that to you. Why didn't you hit her back?" He asked. He was getting angry. I could tell by the tone of his voice, and the look on his face. I shrugged weakly. Why didn't i hit her back?

"I don't know." I said quietly. I sounded tired. Defeated. "She's dating Niall."

"So? What does that got to do with anything?" He asked. "She hit you! You need to learn how to stick up for yourself. How to defend yourself and fight back." I looked at him like he was insane.

"You don't think I know how to defend myself?" Was that time on the plane not evident enough that I do in fact know how to defend myself? I'm a black belt in karate, Lou. I obviously know how to defend myself."

"Then why didn't you do something to her? She deserves everything you would have done to her, if not more. If you don't stand up to her, she's just going to keep running over you." Louis said. "You have to get her back." I shook my head.