Unexpected [H.S.]

Chapter Fifteen - Breathe

(Anna's POV)

Once I broke out of my cuffs I rushed over to Ezra, to unlock his. It only took me a couple of seconds but I was still shaking the entire time. Why? Because Harry could have came through that front door at any moment. My insides felt like they were going to crawl out of my body, chills ran up my spine, and I could hear my heart beat in my ears... I couldn't breathe. Trying to escape the man that beats the shit of of you is terrifying, and doing it for a second time is enough to drive someone mentally insane. When Harry finds out I left him again everything is going to implode around me, even more than it is now. I'll have to hide- we'll have to hide, I won't be able to go outside, I won't be able to do anything. I'll be too scared to.

I have to leave though, I know I do. Harry lost his mind he's not capable of changing, not for the better anyway. Every time I look at him I see darkness and anger. And hatred towards me... That I caused. I slept with Ezra when I knew Harry was already furious with me, I fought with him because I wanted to feel something from him, I'm the one that burnt my neck with the damn curling iron, I'm the one who cheated on him with Ben... and got engaged. But Zayn found a way for me to get out and I took it, and now I'm taking it again. Running away from everything that he does to me because I can't lie in that bed anymore and take my 'punishments'.

I just can't take it anymore. Physically or mentally. I can take the pain anymore, the beatings... when Louis got to me the other night I thought I was going to die. The sad thing is, I didn't care. I was happy because he couldn't hurt me anymore. If I die all of this would go away, Ezra would be safe and Zayn- would be alive. None of this would be happening now if I would have just died that night if Louis would have hit me one more time, broke another rib, smashed my head into the wall just a little harder... but he didn't and I'm still breathing. Barely.

(Ezra's POV)

"YEAH BABY! Let's go" I grab Anna's hand and we run out of the front door. Zayn was still alive when I bent down to pick him up and he handed me a piece of paper before he died. I kept it from Anna because that's what Zayn wanted - don't tell Anna, don't do anything stupid, and don't get caught - those were his last wishes, written down on a shitty little piece of paper. I had to make sure they got done, I wasn't going to let him down. Most importantly I'm not going to let Anna down... Not again. He also wrote down the address to a safe house and the location to fifty thousand pounds.

We've been running for about an hour now and I can tell Anna is having trouble. I slow down and grab her arm, making her stop "hey let's stop for a second-" "No! no we need to keep going" she moves her arm out of mine and starts to walk "Anna! You need a break" "no I don't I'm ok, I want to keep going" I shake my head at her and start to follow her pace. "Anna-" she cuts me off before I can say anything else "please... I want to be as far away from that flat as I can, he's going to find us if we stop here. He's going to find us and he's going to kill you, we have to keep going" her words came out so fast I only understood some of them, she was shaking and fidgeting and I just couldn't do anything but say "ok let's keep going"

The entire time we've been running I've been leading us to where Zayn hid the pounds. Once we get that things will start to get a lot easier. Two more streets and we will be there - a phone booth, to be exact - a big red piece of crap that I met Zayn at years ago because I started having feelings for Anna and I didn't know what to do, I needed to talk to someone and I knew he wouldn't go all psycho on me. You know what he said "don't be stupid" I laugh to myself, he told me that a lot. He continued with "Anna is Harry's she will always be his, even when she isn't... you need to let it go" I didn't understand what he meant back then, but now now I get it.

"I need to go in that phone booth for a minute just wait here" I tell Anna, she's looking at me like I'm crazy "Ezra you can't-" "make a phone call" I smile "I know I'm not" I make her stand outside the booth until I grab the bag that's inside "Ez what's that?" I step outside and pull her close "Zayn left us a little cash" I unzip the bag and her eyes go wide "oh my god" I zip it back up, after I grab some and say "let's get a car yeah?" "Please" I laugh and shake my head. I knew she was exhausted and in pain "c'mon" I go to pick her up but she stops me "no it'll draw to much attention" I nod in agreement I didn't think about it but she's right, someone would think something was up "your too smart, you know that" she giggles "not smart enough"

We hail a cab and climb inside "where to guys?" I pull out Zayn's note "east London please" Anna tugs on my shirt "why are we going to east London?" She whispers "it's a surprise" she looks down and says "the last time I was in a car with someone and they said 'where we are going is a surprise' the night didn't end to well for me" I gently lift up her face and kiss her forehead "I would never hurt you" a tear drop lands on my wrist and I make her open her eyes "I swear to you I will never hurt you and I will protect you with my life" she nods her head and moves to cuddle into my shoulder.

The cabbie drops us off in east London and we walk for a while until I hail another car. Anna was quiet the rest of the drive and she is still "babe c'mon" I tell her, when I notice she wasn't getting into the taxi "are you alright?" "I'm just tired" I pull her onto my lap "go to sleep I'll wake you up when we get there" she nuzzles her face into my chest and minutes later I feel her body relax. I know she is scared, she's probably petrified and her mind is probably rambling on about things that could happen. It's heartbreaking to look into her eyes, their not filled with that sparkle anymore just... sadness and anxiety. I know it's going to take a long time before she gets that back. Before she becomes herself again. But I'm going to help her anyway I can and I already have some ideas on how to accomplish that.

"Thank you so much sir" "no problem you two have a nice night" I pay the cabbie and carry Anna out of the taxi. Stratford that's where the safe house is, Stratford. I know the house won't be much but I am grateful for everything Zayn did... it would have been nice for him to come with us, finally get away from Direction. I think he hated it more than I did, it wasn't the same anymore. Too much illegal bullshit, Harry just took things too far. "Anna wake up we're here" she slowly opens her eyes and I put her down "sleep good?" "mhm" she rubs her eyes and when she opens them I turn her around to look at the house "I know it's not much but-" she cuts me off with a hug "it's perfect, thank you" I chuckle "don't thank me, it was all Zayn" she nods and a tear falls from her eyes. "Don't cry boo boo" she laughs and wipes her tears "boo boo?" "I'm trying new things, like it?" She giggles and says "what else ya got?" "How bout shnookums, bunny, cuddles, kitten, pooh bear-" "I GET IT, I GET IT!" She laughs so hard she almost falls "in all seriousness though did you like any?" I ask her, She scrunches up her face and says "cuddles was cute" I pull her into a hug and kiss her nose "cuddles it is then" "are you going to keep kissing my nose and head or are you going to-" I don't need another hint, I pick her up and kiss her.