𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐄𝐃 // 𝐇.𝐒.

22.

TRIGGER WARNING: brief discussion of sexual assault and rape ahead.

Chapter 22

I scoot closer to the edge of the bed to let my feet touch the floor.

My palms feel abnormally hot, matching the swarming heat I feel in my cheeks induced by the alcohol and fear.

He warned me not to leave the room, demanding for me to stay put. Yet, I'm standing up.

Through the head rush I get, I blink profusely. I groan, rubbing my tired eyes as I mentally curse myself for not reminding myself that I'm such a lightweight when it comes to drinking.

Though, it was always August who would remind me. Whenever we were at a party together, she'd tell me to take slower sips or have a drink of water in between drinks so that I wouldn't feel like this.

I huff at the remembrance and begin to walk towards the door. When I reach for the doorknob, I take a moment to pause before twisting it open.

The room might be spinning, but I don't think I can sit and wait. I have a troubling urge to know what the hell is going on even if it kills me. I'm exhausted of living in utter oblivion. With that, I've opened the door.

I look out the empty hall. The music is cut and no longer bouncing off the walls. The screaming has also diluted, I've also noticed.

With slow and careful steps towards the staircase, I reach for the railing to hold on. I'm taking cautious steps down the stairs. The closer I get to the bottom, the louder I hear the voices I recognize.

"For fucks sake, Harry!"

"Fucking relax," mutters Harry. "It was just a warning."

"And that makes it fucking okay?!" I hear Zayn yell, followed by the shatter of glass. "This is our home, Harry! That could've been my girl! Look, I don't want any part in this shit anymore, I fucking told you."

Harry scoffs. "Your girl is fine, and I hate to break it to you, Z, but you'll always be part of this shit. The only way out is with a bullet through your fucking-"

"Shut the fuck up," I hear Sutton warn. She then scoffs, clearly not afraid of him. "Just tell us what was the warning for? Were they targeting us or you?"

Harry heaves a long sigh. I lean my back against the wall, remaining quiet to overhear. The other side of the wall I lean against is the kitchen where the three of them are talking in. I close my tired eyes and frown to focus on listening.

Harry then says, "They weren't targeting anybody in particular."

"This is all because of what you did last night," Zayn then says.

"Last night? While I was getting stitched up? What did he do?"

"None of your damn business. Why the hell are you even here? You have no fucking part in this conversation," Harry tells Sutton.

I shouldn't be overhearing, but it's not my fault they're so loud.

Stark is barking. I lean off the wall and peek my head from the staircase to find the dog. When I look into the living room, I see him with raised fur along his spine. He's uncontrollably barking out the window.

"Fuck, will you shut that damn dog up?!"

I leave the staircase and walk past the kitchen to get to the window where Stark is. I make it by chance as everything shifts around me. I risk falling and being seen by Harry all because I desire to know what's happened. With palms flat on the windowsill, I squint through blurred vision.