But Fleur dodges her punch, and throws her own, knocking Kirstie right to the ground.
"We need to find Emma. Fast."
*****
Emma P.O.V
Is this what defeat is? Holding onto your own life by its strings as someone else overpowers you, forces you against a wall in the gentleman's toilet and uses all their strength to restrain you?
I feel so helpless, so destroyed.
I'm seconds from being raped.
I need my guardian angels.
But life takes its unexpected turns at times. Sometimes, just when you just need it.
Mal's hands are drawn away from my legs as quick as a bullet from a gun, when one colossal ring of skin on skin echoes over the screaming in my ears. My vision begins to clear like warming up a frozen windscreen. The white dissipates.
On the toilet floor, Nick Knowles is beating the shit out of him.
"Emma!" Two of my friends barge through the door. My angels, Emily and Fleur dash up to my side. "Oh my god! Are you ok? Come on! Let's get you out of here!"
Emily helps me gain my balance, picking me up off of the countertop and resting me on my feet. She pulls my dress down so I'm all covered back up, back to PG-13 me.
But I still feel like I can't walk, talk, or breathe.
I'm helped by my two girls back out into the candlelit hallway, where a few more of my campmates are running to my side. "Here, sit down." Fleur helps me down onto the carpet. "It's all okay, Emma. We've got you. You're safe now."
I feel nauseous. I feel blood-drawn. I feel shaky. But, I feel hopeful.
"Are you feeling ok? Sick at all?"
I shake my head, but start to cry all over again as the realness of what just happens sweeps me off my feet.
Noel, Hazza and John fly to my side with a few paper towels and begin to wipe away some of the blood leaking from my legs. Malique only created a few gashes, but the knock to my head is forming a substantial bruise and my brain is beating.
"I think she could have a concussion." I hear Noel say. "Can you hear me ok, Emma?"
"Yeah ... I can hear you fine. My head just really, really hurts."
The ringing in my ears is beginning to subside when I feel the absence of the person I need most. "Where ... where is James?"
Just on cue, James and Anne come flying into the narrow hallway.
"I'm here." My boy's arms wrap themselves around my shaking skin. The nausea then completely subdues, and I feel an abundant amount safer wrapped up in him. "It's ok, Emma. I'm right here."
James P.O.V
My heart is broken.
I hold my fragile girlfriend as tight as I can without hurting her, feeling her tremor and her teeth clatter. Physically, Malique hasn't torn Emma up too bad. Emotionally, it's like she almost died.
"Right. Someone get her a chair and a drink. Emma will need fresh air. Is there a first aid kit?" Anne, our walking Wikipedia page instructs. "It looks like she's hit her head pretty hard. If so, can someone get an ice pack? There should be one in the freezer behind the bar."
I hold Emma tight against me, letting her tears soak into my suit jacket. I then help her up onto a chair that Dec and Holly bring to us once they've been notified.
Minutes pass, and by this time, only Cassy, Fleur, myself and Emma are left in the hallway. Sair, Nick, Noel and John have dragged Malique's now limp body outside... god knows what they're doing to him.
Kirstie? She can rot in jail for all I care. Fleur threw that punch pretty god damn hard. I'll be surprised if she's awake by now.
I don't leave Emma's side. I push her fawn curly hair back behind her ears and tie it with a hairband so it's out of her face. I then stroke and kiss her forehead as she takes some ibuprofen to help with her headache.
"Feeling any better?" Emma's sister hands her an icepack. "Sair and the boys are taking care of Mal."
"Why ... why would he do that to me?" She winces. "I don't get it? He's ... with Fleur."
"Not anymore." Fleur rashes. "He tried to rape you, Emma. I'd murder him if there was no prison sentence or paperwork."
Emma lets out an adorable giggle. "Thank you for saving me though. I ... I felt so hopeless." A final tear trickles from her eye. "Can we get out of here? I need to change out of this dress."
"Of course. Are you ok to walk back?"
"I think so." She holds the ice pack to her head. "Can you all come with us?"
"Of course." Cassy nods. "What's your room number?"
"508."
"Can I have your keys? I'll make your bed for you and lay out some clean clothes for when you get there."
"Thanks, sis."
It takes maybe ten minutes to get back to Emma's room. Fleur holds all the doors open, whilst I hold Emma and help her as she's still a little dazed and dizzy. "Thank you, baby," she pecks my lips as we stand in the elevator. "Thank you for all of this."
"Don't thank me." I kiss her back. "You didn't deserve any of this."
We finally make it to Emma's suite. It's so aesthetically pleasing, but as she is the Queen then she does get a suite fit for a Queen.
I'm forced to stand in the hallway whilst Cassy and Fleur cut Emma out of Kirstie's dress. I mean, it's nothing I haven't seen, but I understand why her sister and best friend are protective, especially since she's just been ripped apart by another guy.
Once I'm allowed back in, Emma seems so much happier, snuggled up in her pyjamas. I take her makeup off for her whilst Fleur brushes her hair through.
"Guys, I feel so much better." Emma swats our hands away. "I can do it."
"But we're treating you like a Queen." Cassy insists.
For a couple of hours, the girls and I watch some I'm a Celebrity clips (that don't have Malique in), whilst also packing Emma's suitcases because we're leaving for Britain tomorrow.
"Baby boy. Hairspray isn't makeup." Emma chuckles at my attempts to sort out her makeup bag.
"What the hell is this?" I pick up some sort of weird sponge. "A tampon?"
"It's a beauty blender." She laughs. "It's for blending in makeup."
"Oh," I study it, before sliding it back into the bag. "Well then, is this a beauty blender too?" I pick up a plastic tube.
"No. That's a tampon." Fleur cackles, pulling it from my hand.
I give up on the whole makeup-bag-sorting and instead, I join my girlfriend and wrap her body up in my arms.
After another few minutes, Fleur and Cassy decide to retire to their own rooms, ready for the big day tomorrow. "Sis. If you need anything at all, call me, ok?"
"Ok." Emma nods. "Goodnight."
Once the door is closed, Emma and I kiss and cuddle until I know for certain she's ok. I take some time to explain to her what happened with Kirstie, and how she put Mal's drunk ass up to it. However, both of them are scum. They both deserved what they got.
I take a deep breath and pull the duvet back from my legs, letting the cold air gush around them. "I better get going too." I smile. "It's getting late."
"James?"
"Yeah?"
"... Please stay." She massages the palm of my hand. "Stay with me here tonight?"
She doesn't have to say anything else.
Instead, I strip down to my boxers. I then pull the duvet back over myself, pull Emma's chest to my chest and stroke my hands through her hair until she falls asleep.
*****
Second chapter today! WE'RE SO CLOSE TO 100,000 READS!
This chapters shoutout goes to Dramasimmer for all of the comments and for always voting!
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