He Makes Me Strong

Ch. 7

Zayn's P.O.V.

It's been a few days since the incident with Louis and Niall at the hotel. I brought Louis home the next day since our mum was back from her work trip; we talked everything out and came to promises and understanding, now to just get Louis and Niall talking again, I was about to text the younger lad when I heard a knock at the door, I figured it was Liam since we were supposed to hang out later that evening but to my surprise it was Niall. He looked disheveled, his eyes and his cheeks were red and stained with tears. "Niall.. whats wrong?" I asked pulling him inside, "is your mum home.." He asked in a broken tone; "not at the moment but she'll be here soon" I said, "can you please call her..?" he asked with tears in his voice, "what happened?" I asked rubbing his back softly, the boy flinched under my touch and I got concerned, thats when I noticed a couple bruises of different colors on the back of his neck hiding under his shirt, I licked my lips nervously and with permission slowly lifted his shirt seeing more cuts and bruises on his back. I gasped backing away and he broke down in tears, I caught him before he fell to the ground and slowly knelt with him cradling his head as he cried into my shoulder, "Louis!" I yelled sitting on the floor holding Niall close, I could feel my own tears getting caught in my throat, "LOUIS!" I yelled again, "what!?" He yelled back in annoyance, I rolled my eyes telling him to come downstairs; I pulled Niall's shirt back down gently rubbing around his back trying to be cautious of the injuries. "What?" Louis asked again at the top of the staircase, when he seen Niall he was skipping steps to come down to see what was going on, "call mum" I said my voice cracking in my throat as I tried to console the younger lad in my lap; "whats going on?" He asked nervously; "just call her dammit!" I softly yelled making Niall flinch, "I'm sorry" I whispered; I listened to Louis talking to our mum on the phone telling her to come home now it was urgent; she said she was on her way and I asked Louis to get me a warm cloth; "whats wrong with Niall?" He asked giving me the cloth, I tried to quiet the young lad down wiping his face of the tears as I tried to keep mine from falling. My mum came home rushing in seeing us in the position we were in, and fell to her knees next to me, "Niall, honey whats wrong?" She asked, "c-can I stay here tonight..?" He asked "honey whats wrong?" She tried again looking at me, I couldn't keep the tears in any longer as I bit my lip; "Louis go get me a cold 7-Up" I said, "get it yourself! You've got two feet" he said still kneeling by Niall. "Louis! Now!" I muttered, he sighed and got up going into the kitchen I gently stroked Niall's hair lifting his shirt to show my mum the bruises, she broke down crying holding the younger lad closer. "Ohh Niall! When did this happen darling?" She asked, "it was my fault.. I pissed him off.." He choked, "no honey.. it wasn't your fault.. who did this to you?" She asked, he bit his lip as more tears fell, I gave her the cloth I used to wipe his face and Louis came over giving me the soda, I opened it handing it to my mum; she made Niall take a drink to calm him down a little, "is anyone gonna tell me what happened?" He whined, "shut up" I quietly muttered at him, "my dad.." Niall finally whispered, I clenched my fists as more tears filled my eyes. "What about your dad?" Louis asked, my mum sighed motioning for me to take Louis into the kitchen, I did as I was told and sighed shaking my head, "Zayn.. tell me whats going on?" He sighed frustratedly, "Niall's dad hit him.." I said, "he beat him up badly,. His back is all bruised and cut up" I said drying my eyes, "oh.." Louis breathed out biting his lip, "is he gonna.. is he gonna be ok?" He whispered, "I don't know.. but I know his dad won't be" I said walking back into the living room grabbing my mums keys, "Zayn where are you going!?" My mum asked, she knew exactly what I was planning, but she was hoping she would be wrong.

Niall's P.O.V.

I sat with Louis on the couch slowly sipping the 7-Up he gave me, as Jay talked to the cops on the phone. "I'm sorry for coming here.. I just didn't know where else to go.." I whispered, "don't be stupid, I would've been mad at you if you went anywhere else" he said, "does that mean you're not mad with me anymore?" I asked softly, "no of course not; I was being stupid.. I know you were just trying to look out for me and I'm sorry for saying all the things I did.. of course I still want us to be friends, that'll never change" he said hugging me, I sighed in relief; knowing I still had my best friend especially in a time like this meant more to me than anything in the world. "Alright honey the cops are on their way to talk to you, is that ok?" Jay asked hanging up the phone, "can you and Louis stay with me?" I asked softly my voice cracking; she nodded and I nodded too biting my lip. Zayn came in a few minutes later with blood all over his hands and face. "What did you do!?" Jay scolded, "what I had to!" He said sighing and came by to sit next to me, "your alright kid" he whispered, a few minutes after Zayn came home there was a knock at the door, it was the cops; I talked to them and told them everything of my dad coming home drunk and getting pissed at me for something that happened years ago; "he came home drunk as usual and slapped me across the face calling me an ungrateful little twat" I said softly, "why would he call you that?" The cops asked as detectives took pictures of the bruises on my back and neck."he was at the bar with his buddies from work and somehow I came up in conversation and one of his friends that I.." I stopped and looked at Jay, Louis, and Zayn and sighed. "Do you want us to go sweetheart?" Jay asked, I shook my head biting my lip, "one of his friends that I had slept with before he and my dad worked together remembered me when he saw my picture on my dads phone.. he didn't know I was his son.. he thought I was sleeping with him too.. he um.." I sighed licking my bottom lip trying to contain the tears that wanted to fall; "its ok honey you're doing great" the officer reassured me, Louis stood next to me holding my hand squeezing it gently comforting me, I gulped and continued, "he asked my dad how long he's been sleeping with me and if its anything serious, if it wasn't he'd like to catch up.. my dad asked him what he meant and he told him that we used to fuck around; he was the one to take my virginity.." I said softly, "oooh Niall.." Louis whispered softly with tears, my lip quivered as my eyes filled with tears, "are you saying he raped you?" The officer asked, I nodded, "I was 13.. It was my dads birthday and I wanted to buy him something nice, I knew he was looking at these really nice expensive golf clubs but I didn't have the money for them.. the guy was the sales clerk at the time, he said he could give it to me at a discount but I had to do something for him.." I didn't know what he meant but I really wanted those clubs for my dad so I agreed.. he told me if I told anyone I would be in trouble along with him so I had to keep quiet about it" I whispered, the cops nodded writing everything down. "The guy told my dad everything and started drinking more, he came home drunk and took his anger out on me, asking me why I never told him, he called me a dirty whore and told me I was a disgrace to him and our name and that I was damaged goods.. he started beating me with his belt, when I screamed and cried for him to stop he just hit me harder telling me thats what I should've told all those men I slept with.." I bit my lip looking down at the floor, they nodded and said they had all they needed and told the other cops to go ahead and arrest my dad; when the other cops came through the two way radio saying he was bloodied and beat up and that he needed an ambulance I looked to Zayn; the voice came back on they said my neighbor had confessed to doing it, he heard everything and saw when I took off running from home and went to go see my dad passed out and began beating on him for what he did to me, they said he reassured them saying he knew he would get arrest but he didn't care as long as I was safe. Bless that angel. I hope they wen't easy on him. I told them I wasn't gonna press charges on my neighbor cause he did what he thought was the only way to possibly save me, but I wanted to press charges against my dad; they nodded and wrote everything down asking me if I had somewhere I can stay while all this is figured out. "He's gonna stay here" Zayn piped in then looked to Jay for permission she nodded and I sighed in relief, "do you feel comfortable here?" The cop asked looking at my face for any discomfort, I nodded "these people are my safe haven" I said smiling and hugging Louis, they nodded and said they would keep in touch and as soon as they took my dad in they would escort me back to the house so I could get my things. I nodded taking a deep breath in finally feeling like I could breathe again.