You - H.S

TWENTY EIGHT.

"You're safe." Her voice almost instantly settles me, and I nod slightly.

"He isn't here?" My anxiety speaks for me, but she doesn't seem to mind. A sympathetic smile appears on her lips before she shakes her head.

"No darling, he's not here." I nod again, looking behind her to see the kitchen is empty.

"Did you want a coffee?" She changes the subject, "I hear you like caramel."

A small smile tugs at my lips, and I nod. "I do like caramel."

"Well, I happen to make a smashing iced caramel latte if you'd like to try it?" Her smile is radiant - infectious, even. You just can't help but smile back.

"I normally drink hot coffee.." I look down at my hands, frowning a little as I'm not sure how I could even lift a hot mug.

"Give it a try for me, you might like it." She shrugs a little, before waving me over to the kitchen. I follow suit, walking into the kitchen.

Sitting down at the dining table, I keep my hands on my lap underneath it, watching Anne prepare the coffee in a glass.

"I'm not a huge fan of coffee, you know? Too bitter for my liking." She looks over at me with a small smile, before she pours caramel into the glass before grabbing some ice cubes out of the freezer and adding them too. "That was until Gemma showed me caramel coffee, I didn't even know you could put different syrups in coffee." She laughs softly.

"I don't like normal coffee either." My voice is quiet, but she still manages to hear me.

"Right? Harry likes to have his black, just like his fa-.. Just like Des." She pours the milk in the glass before adding the shot of coffee.

"But then Gemma also showed me iced coffee. I didn't like the idea at first, I must admit. Cold coffee?" She exaggerates a disgusted face, causing me to laugh quietly. "But it was actually lovely. I still have hot coffee from time to time, but I definitely prefer it cold now."

Opening a small draw, she takes out a straw, swirling the coffee around in the glass to mix it before walking over to me. Sitting down in the opposing chair, she places the glass in front of me. "Here you go."

Thanking her quietly, I lean forward and take a sip out of the straw. It's the weirdest thing, purposefully having a hot beverage cold, but for some reason it works.

"That's actually really good." I chuckle softly, looking at her. She smiles at the compliment, nodding. "I'm glad."

"Now, at some point today, we will be going to collect your stuff from that house." She brings her hands together, resting them on the table with her fingers intertwined.

"N-no" I shake my head, "It's okay."

"It's not okay, sweetheart." She shakes her head, "What happened was not okay. We need to keep you safe, and the safest place for you is somewhere where he doesn't know." She keeps her tone kind, but I can sense the seriousness in her statement.

"I..." My nerves suddenly spike at the idea of going back into the house.

That house used to be my prison after Joseph visited. I would shut myself away from the world for days, but for some reason I don't want to do that anymore. He doesn't know where I am.

"I can't go back there." I whisper, and she nods understandably.

"I don't blame you. Harry, Niall and Jeremy will pack your things, if that's okay with you? Don't worry about rent for the rest of your tenancy either, that's been sorted." She smiles, but I frown heavily.