Noah POV
I reluctantly press send on my message to Adam. He's not going to like this.
- We need to talk to you
- We're on our way to your apartment
I stare at the screen for a few minutes, but he doesn't respond. Sighing, I look out the window beside me. We're doing this is to help him. I need to remember that.
- Not Long After -
We finally make it to the front door of the apartment. We had to ask the front desk which room was his, which only made this more prolonged and awkward.
I knock on the door. I think I hear some talking inside. I knock again. Finally, someone answers the door.
"Hello?" The gruff man asks, who I assume to be his boyfriend. I am a bit thrown off, expecting petite Adam, but quickly remember why we're here.
"We're friends of Adam's. Can we talk to him?" Daniel says from beside me, and I notice that the man's voice seems oddly familiar.
However, the man's frown turns into a scowl as he hears Adam's name. I try to look past him, but he has the door opened just enough so his large frame covers the entire opening.
"Goodbye." He scowls, slamming the door shut. James, however, decides that we aren't done with this conversation.
James stops the door right before it closes, pushing it open again. The man glares at us.
He starts saying something when I realize that he is no longer blocking our view of the apartment. I look past him, only to find possibly the most disturbing sights I've ever seen. For context, I watched my puppy get run over by a lawn mower when I was six.
"Adam!" I shout desperately, shoving the man out of my way and running towards him.
He is on the far side of the room, near the kitchen. His legs shake as he leans against the wall behind him, hunched over as tears stream down his face. One arm is desperately clutching his gut, and he looks as though he's just taken a terrible blow. His shaky hand covers his mouth as he stifles sobs. His eyes are squeezed shut, and he doesn't bother looking up at me.
I reach the shaking figure and reach out to help him, but he throws himself into the corner the second my fingers brush his arm.
He tumbles to the floor, shaking violently. He slowly scoots into the corner, the horrified look on his face mirroring mine.
I slowly kneel down, trying my best not to scare him.
"Calm down, dove. I'm not going to hurt you." I say in a calm tone, reaching out to pick him up. He lets me, and I lift him into my arms. I feel him shove his face into my chest, shaking more with each sob.
I turn around to see James fighting the man as Daniel talks on the phone, likely to the police.
"GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF HIM!" The man screams as James pins him to the wall.
Adam grabs my shirt and shoves his face deeper into my chest.
"Shhh, it's okay, you're safe." I coo, holding him closer while paying very close attention to the man's every move.
Daniel appears beside me, gently petting Adam's head as he cries.
"The police will be here soon. Is he okay?" He whispers to me.
"I think so, at least physically." I respond, gazing down at the small figure. I feel his breathing slowly settle as he falls asleep, exhausted.
- The Next Morning -
Adam POV
I slowly open my eyes, groaning from my sore side. I notice that I'm in bed. Well, a bed. Did Martin feel bad and put me in his bed after last night's beating?
I notice that I don't recognize the fluffy blanket on top of me. I feel something warm wrapped around my stomach and behind me, and force my eyes back open to find out what it is. I slowly turn my head, only to see a face mere inches away from mine.
I immediately yelp and tumble out of the bed and onto the messy floor. My breaths are shaky as my mind races, trying to figure out where I am.
The man slowly sits up with a yawn. I realize that it's James, which only makes me more confused.
"I- you- where-" The door opens, stopping my rambling.
"Everything okay- oh, Adam, you're up!"
I look over to see Daniel, looking down at me as I continue to panic.
I guess he can tell that I'm freaking out, because he walks over and sits down next to me, gently placing his hand on the small of my back. It makes me relax a little.
"Don't worry, you're safe. Do you remember what happened?"
I sit for a second, trying to remember the events of last night. I remember he was mad and hungover, and...
~Flashback~
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." I pleaded as I was dragged into the living room by my hair alone. It felt like my scalp was being ripped off.
He threw me onto the ground roughly, my shoulder hitting the leg of the couch. I held back tears, 'Don't cry now weakling, you're such a crybaby, he hasn't even done anything yet. Why can't you just get over it, this is what you deserve!' I thought to myself, and I knew it was true.
He continued yelling at me, and told me to "Get up, slut." I did as I was told. I knew better than to disobey.
I feel a fist slam into my gut, knocking me down and hitting my back on the wall. 'stupid stupid weak stupid weak stupid crybaby stupid' my thoughts screamed.
"I said, GET UP." He orders, and I quickly stand, using the wall for support.
I feel tears explode from my eyes as another punch digs into me, causing my knees to buckle under me as the air leaves my lungs. I think I'm gonna throw up. I prepare for another blow, but it never comes. Instead, I hear a knock at the door. Martin looks at me for a minute, then scowls.
"Don't make a sound."
"Yes si-" I bigin to say automatically, my voice weak.
I'm cut of by the loud 'smack' of his hand slapping my cheek. I feel a throbbing pain, hating how weak I am.
"One more word and you're dead. Understand?" He says as there is yet another knock on the door.
I nod quickly, covering my mouth as to silence my sobs and to stop myself from crying out in pain.
I hear him open the door, and immediately recognize the voices on the other side.
I let out a whimper, instantly regretting it.
'Oh God he's gonna kill me he's gonna kill me he's gonna kill me oh god please...'
Suddenly, I feel someone touch my arm, and I reflexively throw myself away from the perpetrator. I stare up in shock and terror, realizing that it is none other than Noah.
'Oh God he hates me now I knew it he's gonna hurt me I'm gonna die he's gonna kill me please no please let me go I'm sorry please..' I think, backing into the corner.
Instead of kicking me, though, he kneels down gently beside me. His words are blurry but comforting. I feel him wrap his arms around me, and I let him. It's warm and safe in his arms, and I allow myself to cry, showing him what a weakling I really am. 'Weak baby, you couldn't even take a few hits. What a disappointment.'
I hear Martin yelling, and tuck my face into Noah's chest. He continues speaking to me, and I can feel a hand on my head. Slowly, I melt into a deep, dreamless sleep.
~End of Flashback~
I sit on the floor, memories of last night flooding back to me.
"Oh, oh no, oh no no no no no NO!" I shout in a panic, any semblance of comfort I once had now gone.
James, now on the floor as well, pulls me close.
"Shh, don't worry, you're safe. You just need to calm down, please calm down." He gently spoke, but I just continued mumbling.
"No no no no no no no no no no..."
Tears welled up in my eyes. 'I'm in so much trouble... He's going to kill me... Oh no...' I think, feeling sick to my stomach.
I feel another set of arms wrap around me as I continue rambling.
"I need you to breathe, honey, please just focus on breathing." Daniel begs as my thoughts begin to spiral.
'He's gonna kill me and I'm gonna be dead and where am I oh no they're touching me I'm not listening to them I'm gonna be punished oh please no..."
'I need to do as I'm told, oh god what did he say oh no no no he said breathe breathe breathe am I breathing he's gonna kill me and I'm gonna stop breathing breathe breathe breathe..."
I force out painful breath after painful breath. I'm not gonna die here today.
The room slowly comes back into focus, and I can hear their voices again. There are three now, three warm bodies surrounding me.
"Good job, just focus on breathing now. You're doing amazing dove, just keep breathing..."
My breathing slowly returns to normal, and I feel exhausted. I allow myself to drift off, my head resting on someone's shoulder.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Thank you guys so much for the support, I really appreciate it! Have a lovely day! <3
P.S. I'm not gonna cover any of the legal stuff or anything so just assume Martin is in jail, or better yet, dead in an alley somewhere :)
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