Harry
I dive across the room in the dark, almost falling down onto my knees. My heart thumps painfully against my ribcage as my shaky hands direct the flashlight over to the corner of the room, an unbearable amount of anticipation flooding through my veins as I just hope, as I pray, that's it's really her in front of me.
Slowly, the small, familiar, figure is revealed to me, the pure sight of her stealing the breath from my lungs and the heat from my skin. It feels like my heart is caving in on itself with relief, although only seconds later, when the light encompasses all of her, my heart feels like a heavy weight inside my chest instead.
Had I only seen a quick glimpse in that direction, I would have denied it was her. What was once a perfect and unscathed face, not a hint of a flaw, is now tainted with bruises and dried up bloody cuts. In the split second that she is illuminated by the flashlight on my phone, my face falls from elation to horror and then to a visage of sickening concern.
If she wasn't visibly hurt, I'd be running towards her and wrapping my arms around her so tight she could never leave, but I can't, which just about kills me. After so long without her, I'm not quite sure what I expected when I found her again, I suppose I just hoped nothing like this would've happened, but now I see that it has. What was once my biggest nightmare came true, and I couldn't do anything to stop it.
When I try to speak my voice falters into unintelligible croaks, my heart feeling as if it's stuck in my throat and preventing me from saying a word. After finally snapping out of my daze, I begin to walk forwards, every step that I have to take towards her feeling like a marathon.
When I'm close enough to touch, I'm relieved to find her eyes are the same, still those beautiful, enchanting eyes I adore. As my own eyes travel further down her face, I can just make out the piece of tape that's been stuck across her mouth, making my stomach churn. I immediately drop to my knees, my hands shaking as I reach up to her face, ready to tear the tape off.
"This is going to hurt, I'm sorry," I murmur softly, not wanting to be too loud in case it scares her. She doesn't make a sound but her eyes squeeze shut, clearly anticipating the pain that's going to come.
I press my lips tightly together before I reach out and swiftly rip the tape off, wanting to get it over with as soon as possible. She winces in pain, keeping her eyes shut for a while and letting out strangled, desperate gasps for air once her mouth is uncovered. When she finally opens her eyes again, my heart sinks when I notice them fill with tears.
Her lips tremble slightly as she tries to say something, but no words seem to come out. "H-h-" she struggles to speak, a tear slipping from her eye and rolling down her cheek when she can't finish what she wants to say. She can't even say my name.
I bring both my hands up to cup her freezing cheeks, taken aback by how cold her skin is underneath my warm touch. She tries to speak again although nothing comes out, visibly frustrating her. "Hey, hey," I soothe her, cradling her face in my warm hands, my eyes burning into hers. "Don't worry about trying to speak right now, ok? We just need to get you out of here."
Her eyes search mine for a while, the pain in her eyes so obvious that it makes me want to look away, not sure how I can cope with seeing her like this, but I don't. She makes a small movement which I think is a nod, and I relax slightly, thankful that she's actually conscious and able to respond. I have no idea what I'd do if she wasn't.
"Zayn! Liam!" I suddenly call out in a desperate voice, the sound echoing down the warehouse. The loud noise makes Alicia wince slightly and guilt floods through me.
I quickly apologise and then grab my phone, using the torch to take a proper look at her for the first time, although I wish I didn't. Her legs are tied to the wooden chair, but instead of her hands being tied up too, they're handcuffed to one of the pipes hanging above her, her arms having to stretch so far she's close to being lifted up off the seat. The handcuffs are so tight that dried and fresh blood is trickling down her arms from where the metal has cut into her skin, a puddle of blood staining the floor where it has dripped down from her wrists. I realise now that she must've used all her remaining strength to rattle the handcuffs against the metal pipe to make a noise in order to get my attention.
"Oh my fucking god," a voice says from behind me, and I whip my head around to find both Zayn and Liam stood wide eyed and open mouthed, staring at Alicia in complete and utter horror.
"Do any of you have a pocketknife?" I ask, and one is thrown into my hands soon after. Wasting no time, I reach up to where Alicia's hands are cuffed to the pipe and I slam the knife into the keyhole, causing the cuffs to snap open and then fall to the floor with a clang. A quiet whimper escapes from Alicia's lips as she lowers her arms, her eyes squeezing shut due to the pain.
Zayn and Liam are already working on untying the knots from the back of the chair, so I kneel down in front of Alicia who's head his facing the floor, her face hidden by her hair as we attempt to set her free. "Alicia, look at me," I say in a pleading voice and she finally, slowly lifts her head.
I press my lips tightly together as my hands reach out to cup her cheeks again, my eyes widening in shock as I properly take a look at her. Her face is deathly pale, all of the colour seeming to have been completely drained out and her lips are tainted a worryingly blue colour. There's a gash on her cheek which has begun to scab and multiple bruises littered across her face, especially around her jaw and the top of her head.
I glance down to the rest of her barely covered figure, noticing how she's still wearing the same dress from the party, which used to be beautiful but is now torn and covered in blood. My stomach churns at the possible explanations for why the dress is ripped, but I try my best to push away the sickening thoughts and concentrate on getting her out of here. For a moment, my eyes flicker down to the rest of her body, finding that it's just as sickly pale and it's hard to tell if enough blood is running through her veins anymore.
Once the ropes are untied and her legs are released, I tear off my jacket and cover as much of her shivering, frail body as I can, rubbing my hands up and down her arms in an attempt to warm her up. After a nod from Liam, I slowly and carefully slide my arms under her body and lift her up, holding her close to my chest like she's some fragile toy I'm afraid to drop and break.
Liam and Zayn help to lead me back down through the warehouse, dodging all the cracks and holes in the framework, shining their phones as a light for me to follow. Alicia winces at every jolt, every rough movement, the weakness of her frail body taking a huge toll on her.
"It's ok," I try my best to reassure her softly, speaking in a whisper, although even my voice is trembling slightly. "It's going to be ok. I've got you now."
Only minutes later, we're all running back out to the car parked out on the gravel, all the doors still open from how we left it. While Zayn dives into the front seat, Liam helps me slowly lift Alicia's body into the backseats and I climb in after her, Zayn already speeding off before we've barely got the chance to close the door. I reach out for Alicia and carefully lift her onto my lap, cradling her like a baby and rubbing my hands up and down her arms to keep her warm.
"Liam, give me your jacket," I demand, but he's already pulling it off after seeing the state she's in. In the harsh reality of the daylight, she looks even worse. Her eyes are beginning to open and close much slower than usual, showing that she's probably going to slip into unconsciousness very soon. Purple and yellow bruises are littered across her jaw as well as all down her legs, the bright colours looking too vibrant compared to the sickly paleness of her skin.
I wrap Liam's jacket around parts of her body that aren't covered, desperately trying to keep her warm enough. Zayn turns on the heat, practically turning the car into a sauna and I begin to feel myself sweat, although I'm far more concerned for Alicia than I am for anyone else in the car. Despite the heat, her body is still shivering in my arms, even though her forehead is burning hot to the touch and sweat is trickling down her face, as well as a trail of blood from a cut somewhere on her head.
Her breathing is loud, shallow gasps for air leaving her lips which sound as if she's being choked. I press my lips tightly together as I look down at her, barely even alive and fading rapidly, and the sight just about breaks my heart.
Pulling her even closer to me, I wrap my arms tighter around her body like I'm trying to protect her from the world, shielding her from all the evil and anyone who could possibly hurt her ever again. I gently place my chin on top of her head as I hold her tight, never wanting to let her go.
"I'm sorry, baby," I whisper, so quietly that she's the only one in the car able to hear it. "I'm so, so sorry."
Her face screws up in agony as she tries to reply, probably trying to reassure me that she's ok, but she's so cold and in too much pain to even get a word out. Another tear rolls down her cheek, so I just squeeze her tighter and stroke her hair in attempt to soothe her, just wishing she didn't have to hurt anymore.
After what feels like a million years later, the car finally pulls up outside the house and we all rush inside, the main goal clear to each of us. As I follow Liam and Zayn into the house, I notice Alicia is becoming more unresponsive by the minute, her eyes closed now and her head floppy as it hangs over my arm, and I'm sure we all know that if she falls unconscious, there's a huge chance she won't wake up again.
I practically shove Liam and Zayn out of the way as I burst through the door, holding her tight in my arms as I head towards the stairs. My movements are halted when I feel a hand land on my arm, one of them obviously trying to stop me and I turn my head, ready to snap at whoever it is.
"Zayn, leave him," Liam warns from behind us. His eyes find mine, giving me a small, reassuring nod. "He's got this."
Zayn looks like he wants to protest, but then he slowly moves his hand away. Without saying another word, I turn on my heel and race up the stairs, about a million thoughts rushing through my head all at once. I go into the bathroom first, gently placing Alicia onto the closed toilet lid.
I bite my lip as I anxiously glance around the bathroom, wondering what to do. I know I can't just dump her into a hot bath because that's incredibly dangerous and I don't want to put her anymore at risk. She's been stuck in a cold, damp warehouse for days and now she's freezing, so she needs to warm up gradually. I opt for the shower instead, deciding that I can slowly warm it up.
I turn back to kneel in front of her, placing my hand against her arm, beginning to pull off my jacket from her limp body. "I need to get you warm, ok?" I tell her gently but I get no reply, only more deafening silence.
I continue taking off her clothes as it would probably be agony if she had to do it herself. I pull off the ruined dress which she looked so gorgeous in before, managing to get it off without having to lift her arms, the material just as cold as her bare body beneath. She shivers at the feeling of my warm hands in contrast to her skin, her lips trembling and her teeth chattering together.
I decide to leave her underwear on, knowing she probably wouldn't be comfortable if I just stripped her naked, even if it would be better to warm her up. Her body is lifeless and unresponsive as I gently place my hands under her armpits and slowly lift her up. I keep one arm wrapped around her waist as I reach into the shower, wiggling my fingers under the water to check the temperature. I turn it down a little and then carefully pull her into the shower box, making sure to keep my arms around her in case she falls.
I watch as she shivers slightly, the water trickling across her skin and washing away some of the blood still on her skin. As I lean against the shower door, I spot goosebumps on her skin but there are beads of sweat still running down her face, her body not sure how to react. I bite my lip anxiously as I watch her, not knowing what else I can do to help, but knowing that I have to do something. This weak, vulnerable girl standing in the shower seems so far away from the beautiful, funny girl who's always had a spring in her step and a smile on her face. I know that I will do anything to get that girl back.
I step away from the shower door and tear my shirt off over my head, unbuckling my belt and pulling off my jeans. Keeping my boxers on, I pull open the door and step into the shower with her, pulling her further under the water so she's not shivering in the corner. She flinches again at more water hitting her skin but I notice her eyes flutter at the new warmth.
"It's ok," I soothe her in a soft voice, reaching over to turn up the temperature a little more. "You're ok. It's just water."
She doesn't reply but she visibly relaxes, letting her eyes flicker shut and enjoy the feeling of the warm water running over her cold and bruised skin. I press my lips together tightly as my eyes scan over her body, not in a lust-filled way, but in an incredibly concerned and horrified way. The other bruises that her dress was concealing are now bright and clear, just as ugly and horrible as the other marks on her skin.
I watch carefully as she begins to move her hands, wincing as the water trickles into the cuts across her fingers and her wrists. Pain flashes in her eyes as she watches the blood wash away, burgundy ribbons falling from her skin and disappearing down the drain. I can't help but wonder if she's thinking back to what happened to her, thinking about the exact moment the injuries were inflicted.
I turn the temperature up little by little, basically holding my breath as I notice how she begins to respond. Her body finally stops shivering and she moves around a little under the water, regaining some of the colour in her cheeks, her fingers and toes wiggling from the feeling appearing back in them, the blood circulation in her body starting up again.
Despite all of this, she still hasn't said anything, or even looked up. Her eyes are focused on the floor of the shower, her wet hair which is stuck to her head also covering her face as she watches the water swirl around her feet. I want to reach out and wrap my arms around her, I want to pull her close, I want her to know that I'm here for her. But what I don't want is to scare her, I don't want to rush her into anything. I don't want her to be hurt any more.
Instead, I grab a flannel and run it under the water, letting it get soaked. I wring out some of the water, and then slowly, carefully, I begin to trail it along Alicia's arms, cleaning her body as she's clearly in no state to do it herself. Relief rushes through me when she doesn't flinch away, just standing there while I continue to wash her, my movements as gentle as possible.
Once I'm done washing her arms and along her chest, I take a deep breath before I reach down to place my fingers under her chin, slowly angling her face up so she's looking at me. She flinches a little at this, her eyes flashing with fear before she realises who it is, but this just makes me hate whoever did this to her a million times more. I don't want her to be scared of me. I never want her to be scared of me.
"It's me," I whisper, my heart twisting at the terrified expression that was just on her face. I brush my thumb under her chin, something that has always comforted her. "It's just me."
She holds my gaze, both of us staring intently into each other's eyes, a plethora of different emotions flooding through the both of us. I raise my other hand to begin to clean her face, gently dabbing at the cut along her cheek, making sure all of the blood is washed off.
"We just need to get you cleaned up, ok?" I tell her softly, but once again, she doesn't say anything.
She keeps her eyes on me as I clean different parts of her face, slowly dragging the flannel across her forehead to wipe away both the sweat and the blood trickling from a cut buried somewhere in her hairline. Images of men hurting her flash through my mind as I do this, but I try my best to push them away. I've spent the whole time she's been missing torturing myself with those horrible thoughts, but now that she's back, I need to focus on her, because she needs me. She needs me now more than ever. She needs me as much as I need her.
She suddenly tilts her head back, blinking furiously as if she's trying to stop herself from crying, but it clearly doesn't work because only seconds later I spot a tear rolling down her cheek. It's not seeing her tied up, almost unconscious or left in that warehouse to bleed or freeze to death, that completely breaks me, it's seeing the vulnerable, crying girl stood in the middle of the shower, full of so much pain it makes me want to cry with her.
My heart sinks in my chest and I immediately drop the flannel from my hand, letting it fall down onto the floor of the shower. Her gaze slides over to meet mine, her eyes looking glassy as more tears brim and then slip out of the corners, running down her cheeks.
"Come here, baby," I murmur, reaching out to gently pull her frail body into my chest, wrapping my arms around her to encompass her with the warmth she needs.
She rests her forehead against my shoulder, only crying softly at first while my hand strokes through her wet hair, tangling the strands through my fingers. But as I continue to hold her, whispering soothing words in her ear, the walls she's had to build up over the past few days slowly begin to crumble, unfortunately bringing her crashing down to the ground with them.
"Shh, it's ok, you're ok," I continue to soothe her, still stroking her hair as she cries into my chest. "You're safe now. You're with me. You're home."
Her sobs become louder, more desperate. She begins to cry as if her heart is trying to claw its way out her body, pain flowing out of her every single pore. I can feel her lips and chin trembling as they press against my chest, not sure if it's the water from the shower or her tears soaking my skin anymore.
She doesn't break quietly, it's like every atom of her being is screaming in agony, every nerve shaking in despair. Her hands begin to grab at my body, needing something to hold onto as the wracking sobs leave her lips along with desperate gasps for air, barely able to take a breath. I just squeeze her tighter as she continues to cry in such a desolate way, a way that no one could possibly bear to hear for very long. Every sob that leaves her lips is so raw and full of such pain that my own eyes become wet with tears.
I sniff them back furiously, not wanting myself to cry, but I know it's too late when I feel a tear of my own rolling down my cheek, disguising itself amidst the shower water as it drops down onto the floor. I never knew that seeing Alicia like this would hurt me so much, but it does. It absolutely kills me inside.
I don't know how much longer we both stay there stood in silence, but I begin to notice Alicia's sobs are ceasing now, leaving her actually able to breathe. She inhales and exhales heavily, keeping her head buried in my chest as she calms down. I run my hands along her shoulders and down her arms, wanting to make sure she's still warm enough.
She surprises me when she's the first one to pull back, her lashes wet with tears as she blinks up at me. I watch her curiously as she slowly raises her hand, brushing her thumb along my cheek, her eyes staring deep into mine.
"Thank you, Harry," she says, her voice still hoarse and very quiet, but she still says it nonetheless.
A small smile pulls at my lips, her touch sending a wave of warmth through my whole body, that feeling of warmth I've missed so much since she's been gone. I reach out to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear, my eyes flickering down to her lips. I suddenly feel the urge to kiss her, wanting that level of intimacy again, knowing she needs it, however I don't want to scare her or do anything she's not comfortable with yet. Instead, I opt for a gentle, soft kiss on her forehead, making her let out a content sigh.
Once I've decided that she's cleaned up and warm enough, I leave her in the shower while I head into the bathroom and rummage through my clothes. I pick out some of her own underwear, a baggy shirt of mine which she's worn before and a pair of jogging bottoms, wanting to choose the thickest clothes so she'll be warm enough.
I head back into the bathroom with the clothes in my hand, leaving them on the counter while I turn off the shower and carefully help Alicia out of the shower. I wrap her body in a towel, helping her to dry off. I give her some privacy to let her change her underwater while I change my now wet boxers, pulling on a new pair along with some sweatpants.
When I return back to the bathroom, I help Alicia pull my shirt over her head, noticing how she winces slightly whenever she has to raise her arms. I help her to sit on the edge of the bath, kneeling in front of her to pull on a pair of socks onto her feet, my movements still slow and careful.
"Are you warm enough? It's important that you're warm," I tell her as I stand up straight again and she gives me a slow nod. "Ok, we need to get you into bed."
I reach forward to help her off the side of the bath as she seems adamant on walking herself, however we both realise she can't do that when she can barely take a step before wincing and hissing in pain. Even though I know she'll be annoyed, I reach down and pick her up again, carrying her back into the bedroom and placing her into the bed.
Knowing that she still has to stay as warm as possible, I slide into the bed too, wrapping her body in my arms and pulling the covers back over us. I rest my back against the headboard as I cradle her like I did in the car, her head resting on my chest while one of my arms wrap around her upper half, my hand rapidly rubbing up and down her arm to keep her warm. My other hand rests on her head, my fingers soothingly trailing through her hair, pulling her tighter to me, trying to encompass her body in as much as my body heat as possible.
We both stay like that for a while, our bodies so wrapped up in each other's that it's difficult to tell where mine ends and hers begins. My hands cautiously run up and down her arms, making sure she's still warm. She lets out a content sigh against my chest, snuggling into me, finally warm and relaxed, the same as my heart upon seeing that she's ok.
My hands stroke through her hair a few more times and I lean down to place a kiss on the top of her head, which she reciprocates by finding my hand and tangling her fingers with my own. I give her hand a gentle squeeze, being careful not to hurt her. She looks more like herself now, however I know she is still in a lot of pain and she won't be able to bounce back as quickly as any of us would hope. As I'm thinking this, I hear Zayn and Liam making their way upstairs, so I pull away slightly to put some distance between us, just as they appear in the doorway with soup and a hot cup of tea.
"How are you feeling?" Liam asks Alicia as he sits down on the very edge of the bed.
She nods in reply, managing a small, grateful smile. Zayn helps me to prop her up against the pillows so she can sit up while she eats, but we soon find we better do it for her when her shaky hands almost spill the mug of tea all over the bed. I feed her spoonfuls of warm soup to which she hums in appreciation, while Liam gives her sips of tea in between. Zayn fiddles with the radiator over in the corner, making sure enough heat is getting into the room.
The boys go back downstairs after a while and I help Alicia to drink the last drop of tea, placing the mug down onto the bedside table afterwards. Her eyes are a little brighter now, as is the rest of her face, but she still looks dreadfully exhausted.
"You should sleep," I tell her softly, helping her to lie down again and pulling the covers back over her. Almost immediately after that, her breathing slows and I find that's she's already fast asleep.
I lie beside her for a while in the silence, my fingers playing with some of her hair, watching, thinking. I think about how close she was to death, how frail and vulnerable they made her, how anyone could possibly keep her tied up like that or hurt her in the way they did. My stomach churns at the endless possibilities of things they could've done, the bruises on her body enough evidence to show the violence she endured, although I suppose I'm just going to have to wait until she's better to get answers about those, even if I don't particularly want to know.
Whatever they may or may not have done, after seeing the state she was in that seemed to tear me apart like nothing else ever could, I vow to get revenge on whoever did this.
With a small sigh, I take the empty mug and bowl back down to the kitchen, placing them into the dishwasher. I stand alone in the kitchen for a moment, inhaling and exhaling sharply, raking a hand through my hair and then rubbing my hands down my face as I yawn. I quickly down a glass of water and then head to the living room to see what the boys are doing. When I get there, I find that Zayn is eating while Liam types away on his laptop, both of them raising their gazes when they see me stood in the doorway.
"How is she?" Liam asks with a look of concern.
"She's ok now," I tell them and they both look relieved. "I think we should wait until she's better before we ask her loads of questions about what happened."
"Yeah, I agree," Liam nods. "We know who was keeping her there now, so we can figure a few things out without information from her anyway."
"She's not in the best state of mind," Zayn pipes in and I nod as I take a seat on the couch, leaning my head against it.
"Has she spoken yet?" Liam asks me.
"No, she's sleeping. I'll try to get a few words out of her later."
"The tea should've warmed up her throat," Liam says. "Her voice will probably be quite hoarse though."
"Yeah..." I trail off, fiddling with the rings on my fingers. After a few minutes of silence between the three of us, I finally speak again. "You know we need to get revenge, right? For what they did."
"Harry...." Liam warns in a disapproving tone, raising his eyebrows. "You know that's a dangerous game."
"I don't care," I reply honestly. "You saw how she was, what they did to her. We can't just let them get away with it."
"I know, but-"
"They almost fucking killed her, Liam," I remind him angrily, rage beginning to rise in my body. "So I'm going to kill them. I don't care who they are, who they work for. I don't give a shit. They have a death sentence. All of them."
A.N.
Hope you guys enjoyed this, I know it was a fucking long chapter but I couldn't find a place to finish it so I was like why not give you all this 5000+ word one lmao
remember to vote/comment, thanks for reading x