Save ourselves- One Direction

Avery

Click. Click. Click. I snapped the last photo of Harry's back and pocketed the phone again.

"Did I miss anything else?", I then asked cautiously.

"No, that's all there is," he muttered, standing up and trying to put on his t-shirt.

When he grazed a large bruise, he winced and doubled over slightly as he drew in a hissing breath. The T-shirt fell to the floor. I helped him sit down again. Then I picked up the T-shirt and stood in front of him.

"Can you raise your arms?", I asked.

Harry nodded and slowly raised his arms above his head. You could tell that this movement alone was already causing him incredible pain.

Gently I put the T-shirt over his head and arms and helped him to pull it down. As I let go of the hem, his hands came to rest over my own. I lifted my head and looked at him. Despite the blood on his cheek, Harry smiled that beautiful crooked smile that made my heart beat faster every time.

His hand brushed my hair behind my ear and then he suddenly hugged me. I returned the hug and snuggled against his body. He flinched slightly as my hands settled on his back. I had probably just gotten a bruise.

"Sorry," I mumbled.

Harry didn't reply. Instead, he pressed his face into my T-shirt. One hand reached into my hair, the other settled on my back and pressed tightly against me.

Something damp soaked the fabric of my shirt and it was only when I felt Harry's body tremble erratically in my arms that I realized he was crying. I let him, trying to be strong myself and not burst into tears. So we both sat there for a while, clutching each other.

"I'm so sorry, Harry. I'm sorry," I murmured into his hair.

"Was it bad?", I then asked quietly, even though I already knew the answer.

Harry lifted his head. Tears still glistened in his eyes.

"I won't tell anyone you were crying over that," I promised him with a tentative smile.

"I wasn't crying about that."

Surprised, I looked at him.

"No?"

"I'm scared for you. I saw what happened to the others today. What happened to me. And I know he'll do the same to you. And I...don't want him to do that to you. Or Linda...or Roxy," he explained to me.

At that moment I seriously considered kissing Harry. Did he really think that? Was he that worried about me?

Instead, I brushed an unruly strand of hair out of his forehead.

"I'm scared too. Not necessarily for myself, though, but for everyone else," I confessed to him then.

Harry looked at me almost frowning.

"Hempton beat you guys up. And with each one of you he's brought to him, he's become more brutal. And I'm just afraid that the next one he'll send for won't get up again. I'm afraid that maybe he'll hurt Linda and the baby because he can't control himself."

"Maybe he won't even come for Linda," Harry tried to reassure me, but I shook my head.

"She's been with us so often, surely he or some other guardian has picked up on something."

"Hey, it won't be long before Liam and Daisy are done with the boat. We will be fine," Harry squeezed my shoulder.

"And what if it's too late by then?"

"Avery, listen to me. We've all known the risk. Linda did too. But she still wanted to go along with it. I know it's not what you want to hear, but we can't lose our minds now. If we make mistakes now, no one will ever get out of here."