Give Me Love (Harry Styles AU)

Chapter 19

A/N: This chapter is long, but it is also very important! 

I sighed heavily in frustration when I realized I forgot to ask him about him taking me home. I almost turned back towards the door, but stopped when I saw Hazel arguing with the guy from earlier. I crept closer making sure to stay out of their sight.

"Tell Xavier he can kiss my ass! Tonight was my last fight, and I mean it." She growled, and I flinched at the anger that poured out. I've never seen her look so angry before in the time I've known her. Although the guy was clearly a good foot taller than her, she glared at him staring him directly in the eye.

"You're making a big mistake, Mitchell. You know what happens to fighters who try to quit." He spoke calmly, unaffected by her threatening gaze. Hazel slouched a little, and her head hung a little low before she shook it.

"I don't care. I'm sick of this shit. I deserve a better life." He stared at her like she just said a joke before letting out a humorless laugh.

 "And the rest of us don't? It's better if you come to terms with things. This-," he waved his arms around, "is your life now. Get used to it kid." He walked away from her, and she swayed a little before collapsing to her knees.

I quickly ran over to her, and wrapped my arms around her tightly. "I can't do this anymore, Rae. I-I- can't." I stiffened when I realized she was crying. I rubbed her back, as her sobs broke my heart. "I w-want a-a be-better life. I want to be someon-someone. I want to have a s-safe future." Tears started forming in my eyes, as her voice cracked as she continued crying her heart out.

I hugged her tighter as her sobs only got louder. A tear trailed down my cheek, as the reality of what she was going through sunk in. "Come on, Hazel. I'll take you home." She nodded as her body began to shake, and hiccups left her lips.

I pulled up to her house, and looked over to see her staring out the window. "I was 12 when I first met Xavier." My lips formed in a tight line, as she began speaking. 

"I was in the alley, and these men were trying to touch me. I was screaming for help, but it was useless. No one could hear me. I was down to just my underwear, when he came." 

She sniffled before continuing, "He saved me. They were so scared of him. I even called him my hero." She let out a laugh that quickly turned into another sob as tears streamed down her face.

"He was 17. He had took me home, and I didn't see him again until I was 14. I was walking home from school, when he approached me. I remembered who he was, and I was so happy to see my h-hero again." I rubbed her shoulder to encourage her to keep talking.

"His smile was so welcoming. He had took me out to eat, and we would go to the movies, and he was so nice to me. He made me feel safe. It all changed when I turned 15. He didn't talk to me anymore. He stopped coming to see me, and I was worried. I didn't know what I did wrong. I tried to look for him one night, and I-," she hiccupped, "I went down this stupid stupid alley. All of a sudden these men rushed out and started beating me. I kept screaming for him, for him to come and help me like he did before. They were kicking me in my face, and punching me everywhere. Shortly after one of them stabbed me in my stomach, I blacked out."

I looked at her worriedly and she wasn't crying anymore. Her face was contorted with anger and betrayal. "I woke up in a hospital, and he was sitting at the edge of my bed. He was so angry, but I was so happy to see him. He had looked at me like I was a disappointment. He asked me why I didn't fight back, and I told him I didn't know how, and then he smacked me. The man I looked up to more than my own father had smacked me. I started crying and he told me to stop. He told me crying was for the weak." 

I felt uncomfortable listening to her speak with so much pain, but I couldn't find myself to tell her to stop. She was telling me this, because she wanted to, because she felt she needed to.

"When I got out of the hospital he started taking me to see fights. The first fight I watched was Harry. He fought with so much anger, like he was proving something to someone. Xavier had told me that could be me, but I- I didn't want to fight. After I told him this, he looked at me with the same face at the hospital. He told me if I didn't fight- if I didn't learn to fight- those men would beat me ag-again. He said I owed him for saving me that night I was almost raped." Hazel began to sob again, and I felt wetness on my cheeks. How could he put a 15 year old through something like this? How could he hold that night against her? My anger towards Xavier only grew with every word she spoke.

"He would sneak me out my house, and take me to the Underground Boxing Rink to train me. I constantly came home with bruises, and eventually my parents got tired of me leaving home and coming home battered. They sent me to a foster home, and I was there until I turned 17. Bet you couldn't guess who adopted me?" she said and shook her head in defeat.

 "My name was changed to Hazel Mitchell. I couldn't get away from him. Every time I tried to tell him I was done fighting, he'd send someone to beat me to a pulp." My throat was dry as I tried to form the question.

"How many times did you try?"

 She looked at me her eyes filled with pain, "17 times." I flinched, "Eventually I got tired of the pain. I was filled with so much anger. One night when I was 18 he sent 3 men to try to fight me while I was walking home. I fought with the same anger Harry had. I was bashing this dude's head with a rock when Xavier walked up to me clapping. He told me I was ready. He signed me up as a fighter at the rink, and I've been fighting for him ever since."

"I am so sorry, Hazel. No one deserves to go through what you did. I wish there was a way I could help you get out of this." 

She sighed heavily, "He found me at 12, so he said I owe him 12 years. But I'm done. I'm just.. I'm done. I can't do this anymore." She looked at me teary eyed, before reaching over and hugging me sobbing loudly in my ear. I hugged her back just as tightly. Xavier was a monster.