We will protect you

Consumed by darkness

⚠️This chapter is very emotional, trigger warning for graphic scene"

When we walk into the main room everyone is sitting down in the lounge area, on the table there are plates of different food, everyone seems relaxed and enjoying a few drinks and laughs.

" Hi baby" Harry indicates for me to sit next to him on the three-seater lounge, I settle beside him, and Ed settles in next to me, everyone looks so relaxed, it makes me smile for a moment, I feel the last few weeks I have felt nothing but stress and anxiety.

I lean back against the lounge and feel Harry's hand resting at the back on me and Edward hand resting on my thigh.

" Lou, can we ask you a few more questions" I feel myself instantly starting to tense up, Harry and Edward both notice straight away.

" If it gets too much, we can stop ok." 

" Ok" I say in a meekly reply.

" Lou when I was looking into Simon Cowell, I saw a lot of stars like yourself speaking out, I actually couldn't believe what I was reading, can you tell us your story".

I look up at Edward who can see the tears swimming in my eyes already.

" Its ok, if it is too much".

" I want to tell you, but it just might take a bit".

" If you need to stop, just tell us" Harry hand is making comforting swirls on my back.

" In the beginning  at the start it was so  good, I had audition for the X Factor went through the process and came  third, after the final show Simon approached me and offered me a record deal, I was thrilled to be even offered anything so of course I jumped at the chance no questions asked, It was like I was on a roller coaster ride and I didn't want to get off" 

" I started to notice a few subtle things that weren't beginning  to sit right with me , they were constantly shoving paper work at me to sign and when I raise that I wanted to be able to read it before I signed it , I was told that If I didn't sign it then and there then I would be dropped just like that , it was blackmail and it was constant, whenever I spoke up about something, it was always  the same thing, and in Simon words. 

" I own you Tomlinson and don't forget that I can destroy you at the drop of a hat, I can take this all away and you will be left with nothing, I will make sure you never work another day in this industry ever again".

"There  were so many time when I just wanted  to give it all up but then it became too hard , because the reaction from the fans built until I was one of their biggest money makers they had  so there was no going back and no getting out, I had the attention of the entire world on me and nobody knew what a hell of a life I was living" I feel Edward get tense at my side as Harry pulls me in close.

" They started controlling who I could talk to and not, I was under guard at every concert and taken straight back to a hotel room, where I was locked into for the night , there was never any time I was allowed out, I had no friends , they isolated me from my family to the point where they took control of my phone , blocked all my families number and refused to let me call them, or them call me, I was alone in the world except for the guards who watched over me".

I take a deep breath before I continue.

" Everyone  thinks that being a famous singer is one of the best jobs in the world and the fame and Fortune Associate with it but it is nothing like that, I never had any money as they controlled it all, I had to ask for permission if I wanted anything, but then again I was never allowed out by myself so I never really had the chance to go a shop like a normal person".