You Are Everything I See ~One Direction FanFic

Part Nine

“I don’t,” I chuckled lightly.

“Oh, you’re right, you have four.”

“Lia, just keep talking to me.”

“Stop being so demanding.”

“Sorry Lia, just please, for me,” I smiled slightly at her comment; I would have laughed, if it wasn’t such a bad situation. Even in times like this she was still making me smile.

“You have really nice eyes; I don’t know why I never told you before… I guess it was because I was scared you’d hate me…”

“I could never hate you Lia, you’re my Bradford Bad Girl,” I said honestly, my heart aching as I watched my best friend fade, knowing I couldn’t do anything to help her.

It was then, as I was examining her body and all of her wounds, that I noticed the dirty burns on her arms. I gently took her arm in my hands, and twisted it, examining them further. I don’t think she could even feel her arm anymore, and if she did, she certainly didn’t have enough energy to move it away from me.

Now I had a better look at her forearm, I could see small circular burns, about the size of a five pence piece, or a dime in America. There must have been at least ten of them. They were a deep red colour, a dark crimson, with black flakes in them. I couldn’t work it out at first, but then I realised that the odd smell in the air was smoke. You’d think I’d have recognised it sooner, what with me being a smoker myself, but I had my mind elsewhere. There was no doubt in my mind though, I knew what these were. Dylan had burnt Lia with a cigarette end, repeatedly.

I couldn’t even begin to imagine what she was going through, and feeling right now… what it felt like whilst it was happening. I should have noticed. I should have insisted she stay here. I knew something was wrong; she was so scared of him. I’m such an idiot. It’s all my fault.

“You’re my Bradford Bad Boy,” Lia’s voice pulled me from my thoughts; making a small smile appear on my face. I loved it when she called me that. Normally, I’d hate it, like when the guys take the mick out of me. When Lia calls it me, it just makes my heart sore… probably because she calls me her Bradford Bad Boy.

“Yes, yes I am,” I whispered, not sure if she heard me.

Sometimes, I get the feeling that Lia likes me more than a friend, but then my mind wanders back to Dylan, and why she was with him, if she didn’t love him. But now, now it all makes sense… well sort of. The only reason she stayed with Dylan was because she was scared of him.

“Zayn… if I don’t make it-" Lia started, but I cut her off.

“Don’t talk like that; you’re going to be fine,” I said, slightly angry. Lia was going to be fine. She’s a fighter.

“Zayn, listen to me,… if I don’t make it… I need to tell you something… for a long time now, I’ve liked you Zayn, even whilst I’ve been with Dylan, it was never the same. I tried to pretend I didn’t Zayn, but I can’t anymore, this might be the end for me, and you have to know,” her voice was only a whisper, and I lost her speech sometimes. I could see she was finding it hard to stay awake.