Charlotte's POV
I woke up feeling stiff and heavy. Memories of last night flooded my mind and my chest tightened. My anger was swallowed whole by the burning sadness and pain I felt. I wanted to be mad at Harry, furious even, but I desperately wanted more for him to be here to comfort me.
I sat up, rubbing my red and puffy eyes, and trudged out of the room without bothering to dress out of my fluffy blue pants and black tank top. I honestly didn't care what I looked like right now.
I entered the kitchen and saw McKenna sitting at the table eating a plate of eggs and reading a book.
"Hey," My voice was rough and croaky.
McKenna jumped, slamming the book down and dropping the spoon, and tuned to me, "Oh my god! Charlie, you gave me a heart attack!"
"Sorry," I said lifelessly. I slumped into the chair across from her and stared at a blemish in the wood of the caramel coloured table.
"What are you doing here?" She asked, closing her book.
"I live here, remember?"
"Well yes," She smiled a little, "But I didn't expect you till tomorrow?"
I shrugged, "I won't be staying at Harry's anymore"
McKenna looked at me confused, "Why not?"
"We needed some space"
"Space," She repeated, making a face as if the word tasted sour in her mouth, "I thought things were better?"
"They were"
"Okay, enough with the short answers," McKenna huffed, frustrated, "What happened?"
"Me and Harry fought and I left," I didn't feel like going back into what had happened. I myself didn't even fully understand it.
McKenna shook her head, "Wait, wait, left for good?"
"I don't know," I answered honestly. The thought of losing Harry seemed unbearable. The pain I felt now that our relationship with hanging on by a thread would be nothing compared to the pain of if that thread were to break, forever separating us.
I got up and went into the kitchen and made myself some eggs also. Not because I was hungry but because I couldn't sit still. I needed something to do to distract me from everything that was happening.
I sat back down with the eggs and a glass of orange juice and shoved a forkful in my mouth. It felt foreign in my mouth and I struggled to swallow it but I kept eating until I'd cleared the plate. Then I washed the dishes and put them away. In fact, I went back to my room and did a load of laundry and vacuumed the whole apartment, just for something to distract me. I moved quickly and quietly through the apartment under the worried stare of McKenna who failed to coax out of me what went on between me and Harry.
Once I couldn't think of anything else to do in the apartment, I sat down and watched some mind numbing television.
"Let's go out," McKenna suggested in an over cheery voice, sitting next to me.
"I don't want to go out," I murmured evenly, not looking away from the T.V.
"So you just want to mope around all day?"
"Yup," That's exactly what I wanted to do.
"No, that's not an option," McKenna told me, pulling me to my feet and leading me to my bedroom. She pulled out some clothes for me and ordered for me to get dressed. Obviously McKenna wasn't going to take no for an answer so I got into the clothes she picked without really looking at them. I somewhat tamed my hair and brushed my teeth then left the apartment, trailing after McKenna sluggishly.
We walked for about 20 minutes till we say a salon and went in.
"I've been dying for a pedicure," McKenna said as we entered the empty salon. We examined the racks of nail polish and each chose a colour. McKenna got a deep red colour called 'Ruby Red' and I got a dark shiny blue called 'The Sky is the Limit'. We sat in the chairs and the women in front of us got to work. I didn't pay attention to what they were doing.
"So I was watching this T.V show," Mckenna began carefully, "And there was this girl who had an abusive ex-boyfriend. She hadn't seem him in a while because he moved away. He tricked her into meeting him and he threatened her. What would you do if you were in her situation?"
I mulled over the problem carefully, "Is he still threatening her?"
"Not since they met but he seemed persistent," Mckenna replied, flinching a little as the lady tickled her feet.
"Are you sure this is just a T.V. show?" I asked, judging her reaction from the corner of my eye.
"Yes, of course," She replied but I didn't think she was being entirely truthful. I decided not to push it.
"How did he trick her?" I asked.
"Pretended to be friends with her boyfriend and they went out together"
"And does the boyfriend know what's happened?"
"No," McKenna kept her eyes on the woman at her feet, clipping her toe-nails.
"McKenna," I knew I decided not to push it just a few seconds ago but if this really is going on, I can't ignore it. My problems weren't the only problems. I can't be selfish, I need to there for my best-friend as she has been there for me, "This isn't a T.V. show you're talking about, is it?"
I could see her eyes swimming with tears but that's as far as she'd let them go, "No"
Sympathy, sadness, and anger washed through me, "You need to tell me everything! We need to go to the police or something!"
The women were done painting our toes and left for the polish to dry. I was glad they were done so they wouldn't listen to our conversation.
"No, I'm not calling the police. I don't want to make a big deal out of it"
"Make a big deal?" I repeated, astonished, "This is a big deal! You can't let someone abuse you and get away with it!"
"Charlie, it was years ago. I've made my peace with it. I just want to move on with my life. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have even told you," That stung a little.
"I can't just let this go! He hurt you and he still could!"
McKenna gnawed on her fingernails, "No, I haven't seen him since going out and I don't plan on it"
"But-" I started.
"I'm not going to press charges, end of story," McKenna snapped, visibly agitated.
"I'm sorry," I murmured quickly, not wanted her to be upset with me also.
"No, I'm sorry," She sighed, "I shouldn't have snapped at you. I just can't do what you want me to"
I knew she wouldn't budge on this and, although I didn't want to, I let the police option go. I could always bring it up later.
"Well, if you're not going to press charges, can you promise me one thing?"
"What?"
"Tell Niall. He can't be hanging around someone like that and Niall can protect you. He deserves the truth," I told her.
She nodded and looked down at her freshly painted toes, "I know he does"
**
"What are those for?" McKenna asked, eyeing the bottle of pills in my hand.
"Pain meds. For my head," I replied, taking out a pill and swallowing it. My head was pounding again, pulsing with pain like a second heartbeat. McKenna's phone rang, making me wince.
"Sorry," She apologized, getting up from her spot on the couch, "I'll take it in my room"
I could hear her talking into the phone as she made her way down the hall but I didn't pay any attention to what she was saying. I didn't move from my spot on the couch, cuddled up with my red blanket that still smelled vaguely like home and staring at the T.V.
A few minutes later, McKenna came back with a slight frown.
"What's wrong?"
"Niall wants to meet," She told me.
"What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing," McKenna shrugged, wiping her face clean of expression, "He just sounded a little off. I'm sure it's nothing"
"Okay, have fun," That sounded more depressed then I'd meant it to be.
"Do you...want to come?" McKenna offered.
"No, no. You go on, have fun with your boyfriend," I forced a smile which she seemed to buy. McKenna got her jacket on and got her purse.
"Have you seen my keys?" I could hear her walking around the kitchen.
"It's on the table, next to the mail I got this morning," I told her.
"Found it. Any mail for me?"
"I don't know, I didn't look at it," I responded. McKenna was silent.
"McKenna, you okay?"
"I'll see you later," McKenna left quickly without answering my question, gripping a piece of mail in her hands tightly, leaving me all alone. I didn't think about what she might have found. I didn't have the energy to.
I shut the television off and closed my eyes, praying for sleep to take me to a dream free, pain free haven.
**
"Come on," Lucy sneered, "Did you really think you could kill me and get away with it?"
"Please..," I sobbed, not being able to finish my plea through my tears. I didn't even know what I was asking for anymore. No matter what I said, they were still going to kill me.
Jack and Billy each secured my bonds, making sure I wouldn't be able to get off the chair I was strapped to.
"Harry's going to think you just up and left. Maybe we'll even leave more alcohol bottles for him to find? He's going to hate you. You'll be remembered as the girl who broke his heart and nothing more," Peter laughed at me. I couldn't breath with the panic and fear I felt. I couldn't stand the thought of Harry thinking I'd abandoned him. That I hated him. That was more painful then any physical thing they could and probably will do to me.
"I guess we'll leave you...to your thoughts then," Jack mocked me, backing up. The room was pitch black beside the light entering from the open door ahead of me. Everyone left the room except for Peter, who was still poking his head into the room from the doorway.
"I hope you enjoy this dark room because it will be the last thing you see, or not see, before you die," He slammed the door shut and walked away laughing, leaving me in the pitch black unknown.
I woke up screaming, drenched in sweat. I kicked the blanket off me and stood up, my racing heart and shaky hands not allowing me to relax again. I paced the living room, trying to take deep breaths and calm myself down.
My phone rang and I flinched at the loud sound before realizing what it was.
"Hello?" My voice was squeaky and breathless.
"Charlie?" The very sound of Harry's voice let lose a few of the knots in my stomach, "Are you okay?"
"I'm...I- um. Yeah I just..." I stuttered, running a hand through my fuzzy hair, "I'm fine"
What crap, I wasn't fine. Far from it.
"Are you sure?" Harry knew me too well.
"It was just a nightmare. Nothing new"
"Oh," There was an awkward silence, "Look, I think we need to talk about what happened last night"
"Yeah, I think so too," I want things to be okay between us. I couldn't lose one of the most important people in my life. I'd already lost too many of those.
"Could you come over?"
"Yeah, of course," I walked into my bathroom as I spoke.
"I'll see you later then," I could picture him scratching the back of his neck as he answered me.
"Yeah," I hung up and got ready to go. I dressed in some ripped skinny jeans and an unbuttoned flannel shirt with a black tank top underneath. I did some light makeup and some what tamed my hair. I slipped on my shoes and locked the apartment up.
The walk to Harry's house was quick and sooner then I wanted, I was on his front porch. Should I knock? Our unstable relationship made me second guess every action I made around Harry and I hated it.
The door opened as I raised my fist to knock, revealing a tired looking Harry. My hand dropped limply back to my side as we took in what the other looked like.
"Want to come in?" He asked, opening the door further and stepping aside.
"Sure," I stepped in, accidentally brushing my arm against his. The contact, no matter how minimal it was, comforted me. I took my shoes off and followed Harry into the living room where McKenna and the rest of the boys sat, all staring at me silently.
"What's going on?" I asked, confused as to why there were here. I thought me and Harry were going to patch things up?
"We need to talk to you. All of us," Harry told me, gesturing to the couch for me to sit down. I took a seat silently, watching them carefully. It looked like McKenna had been crying and all of them looked on edge.
"When were you going to tell us about this? Or were you going to at all?" McKenna asked in a hurt voice.
"What? Tell you what?" That came out harsher then I'd intended it to so I softened my voice a little, "About the alcohol bottles? Like I said, they aren't mine," Not this again.
"No, not that," Harry answered for her, "About what was in the mail this morning?"
I was beyond confused right now and I didn't like the fact that they were ambushing me, "For one I didn't look at the mail and for two I didn't think my phone bill was all that important to you," Maybe not the best time to be sarcastic but I couldn't help it. What could they have found in the mail to make them so upset?
"No, the fact that you were going to leave us!" McKenna cried and Niall took her hand gently.
"Leave?"
"Yes! I found the plane tickets that came in the mail. You were going to go to Seattle!" I froze, shock traveling through my body.
I found myself speechless for a second, "What are you talking about?"
Louis passed me the crumpled paper in his hands I hadn't noticed before. I looked at it and sure enough, it was a one way ticket to Seattle belonging to me. My name was clear as day on the slip of paper.
I could see my hand crumpling the paper angrily although I hadn't meant to, "I did not buy this. I was never going to go anywhere!" I thought back to my nightmare when Peter told me that Harry would hate me when he thought I'd left him. I'd be remembered as the girl who broke his heart and nothing more.
I felt suffocated, like the room was getting smaller and smaller as more emotions tried to cram their way in, eventually leaving no room for even air to breath. I could feel the tears dripping down my face and my hands shook.
"You don't believe me, do you?"
"We want to," Liam looked at me with soft eyes.
I put the paper aside, not wanting to look at it, and said, "So you've staged this intervention, now what? You aren't going to believe me and I'm not going to admit to something I didn't nor would not do," Seemed to me like we were at some sort of impasse.
I could see Harry's eyes darting everywhere but me as he tugged his hair back over his head impatiently. Harry seemed to feel guilty and I came to the conclusion that they had already made a plan without me on what to do with the delusional girl seated before them.
Then a woman stepped out from down the hall who had apparently been listening to our conversation.
"Who's that?" I asked before the woman had a chance to introduce herself. My heart felt like it was beating a mile a minute as I watched the woman. She had on a grey jacket with a pink satin shirt underneath and a grey skirt stopping just below the knees. She passed the clipboard she held to the other hand as she stepping further into the room.
"Hi Charlotte," She spoke to me carefully, as if I was a temperamental child who would blow up at any second, "I'm Stacy Owen. I work at Maudsley Hospital. Your friends asked me here to speak with you"
All the pieces came together about who she was and what Mrs. Owen was doing here, "You got me a damn shrink?" I watched as everyone's eyes dropped and I knew I'd guessed right. Betrayal hit me hard, creating more tears.
"Your friends are just concerned about you," I knew she was trying to comfort me but Mrs. Owen's words made me want to punch her in the face.
"Friends," I muttered under my breath. What kind of friend would do this to another.
I stared at Harry who still would not look at me and I could see the guilt eating him alive. I silently pleaded for him to look at me but he never did.
"Your friends have explained what's happened," She began.
"What they think happened," I cut in, clenching my jaw. Mrs. Owen nodded and wrote something down on her stupid clipboard.
"We will have plenty of time to discuss what happened," She smiled, looking back up at me.
"What?" Don't think I'm going to be seeing you regularly lady. For a moment, her carefully controlled facial expressions broke and she pressed her lips in a hard line, glancing at Harry.
He finally stood and looked at me, "Can I have a moment alone with her?"
"Of course," Mrs. Owen said and ushered everyone out. That woman was seriously getting on my nerves. But at least now it was just me and Harry.
He came closer, sitting right beside me, and took my hand gently. Part of me wanted to angrily yank my hand away and storm off. The other half wanted to leave my hand there and hear what he had to say. I decided to go the second rout.
"You organized this," I said softly. I wasn't accusing but merely stating a fact.
Harry looked down to our hands, "I couldn't watch you like that anymore"
"Harry..." I shook my head, preparing to defend myself again.
"I don't want to argue," He cut me off. His voice was thick with tears and emotion, "I just need to say something before it's too late"
"Too late?"
"I knew the moment I laid eyes on you that things would be different and, honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. You saved me in more then one way in that basement and I'll spend the rest of my life loving you for it. But in light of recent events, it seems that I'm going to have to return the favour. Just know that I did this to help you even if it means you'll hate me, although I hope that won't be the case," He leaned in closer and if I wasn't so distracted by his confusing words, I could lean in just a little and press my lips to his, "I love you too much to stand by and watch you self destruct," Harry brushed by hair back lightly, the tips of his fingers brushing my skin leaving goosebumps in their wake.
I was torn between connecting our lips and forgetting the outside world for a little while and demanding what exactly he was trying to say to me.
Harry made the choice for me, leaning in and pressing his lips to mine. I could feel the conflicting emotions as his tongue caressed mine. I slipped my hands up his chest and around his neck as Harry pressed me further into the couch. I lightly nipped at his bottom lip and enjoyed the shocked gasp I received in return.
Seemingly too soon, Harry pulled away. My thumb traced his slightly swollen lips as I watched him.
"Harry, what did you do?" I finally asked then kicked myself for not savouring the moment longer. He looked over to the doorway and nodded with a pained look. I half turned and saw two men approaching me in white uniforms. They were build undeniably big and were very intimidating.
One of them grabbed my arm and pulled me up from the couch, just rough enough to tell me they meant business. Harry stood and pushed a hand through his unruly hair.
"I'm sorry but I did this to help you," He reminded me as the men tugged me back towards the door.
"Harry, what the hell did you do?" I yelled and unsuccessfully tried to pull myself from their firm grasp. Then men brought me to stand in front of Mrs. Owen.
"Charlotte, your friends and myself have all agreed that, for the time being, it would be in your best interest if you were to be staying at the hospital with me for a little while," She told me evenly.
I retaliated, "Who says I'll stay there?"
She smiled slightly, "Ms. Palmer, you don't have a choice in the matter"
All the pieces of what was happening came together in one hard snap that made me feel as if I'd been punched. I was being sent to a psychiatric hospital. This woman would be treating me until she thought I'd be able to function normally. I didn't know the extent of how far off the deep end Harry, and everyone else for that matter, was brought to believe that I had gone.
Mrs. Owen turned and went out the front door. Everyone stared as I was being dragged out of the house behind her. They were in the perfect place to watch because this is where they went when Harry had asked for some alone time. Little did I realize he was telling me goodbye.
"I'm sorry," McKenna called to me and Niall wrapped an arm around her, trying to comfort her.
"I'm never going to forgive this!" I screamed, not thinking my words through. I don't know if I would be able to forgive what they were doing to me. All I knew was the words would crush her. I wanted all of them to feel bad for what they did and in this state of mind, I was willing to say anything to make that happen.
Harry came out to join the group and whispered something to McKenna to which she nodded solemnly. Probably telling her I didn't mean it.
"You bastard!" The words flying out of my mouth shocked even me, "How could you do this to me? How could you do that to us? I'll never trust you again! You destroyed us!" This stopped me short. Was this really the end of Harry and I?
The last sight I had of Harry, he looked crushed. Totally and completely broken under my harsh words.
I was put into the back of a van and strapped into the seat. Mrs. Owen and one of the men sat in the front seat and the other across from me, watching my every move.
Not caring about the man in front of me, I broke down into sobs. The only people I had left in this world betrayed me and sent me away because they thought I was crazy. Crazy enough to be hospitalized.
"Hey," The man before me spoke in a surprisingly soft and kind voice, "I know it's hard but where we are going really isn't that bad. This isn't to punish you, it's to help you"
Another sob lodged in my throat as I tried to process the words. But as much as I tried to see it as help, all I could compare this to was being kidnapped all over again. Taken against my will, being forced to do things I didn't want to do with people I don't trust. And just like last time, I'd do whatever it took to escape.
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Hey guys, so I know this isn't how it works. To actually have someone committed, you have to like go through court or whatever and that would take months so for the purpose of this story, I'm going to do it this way. It's alot more exciting in my opinion anyways ;)
But I hope you enjoyed the chapter despite the technicalities! Pretty please fan, vote, and comment! Thanks for reading xx