It Was Always You

Chapter 1

It was dark, my heart was racing, and all I could think about was Liam and Niall and how they warned me not to go this way home. I had become so good at avoiding these men but now they were right behind me. I wasn't fast at all so I counted on the little twists and turns of the allyways to slow them down.

"Oh sweet cheeks! Get you tiny little butt back here!" They were close and I had come to a dead end. I found a dumpster and hid behind it hoping they wouldn't be able to find me. A tear rolled down my cheek as I heard their footsteps entering the dark ally.

"We know you're back here no just come out and we won't hurt you." His voice was so deep it hurt. If he wasn't trying to kill me I wouldnt have probably obsessed over it. The other men caught up to the curly haired one.

"Babe come out. Make it easier for yourself." I was trying so hard not to make a sound. I managed to slip my phone out of my pocket and dialled Niall's number.

"Hello?" I hadn't muted the volume quick enough and when Niall spoke they heard him. This was it my cover was blown and I was going to die.

"She's over here Haz." This time another deep voice spoke.

"Well what are you waiting for? Get her before she runs again!" I could hear their footsteps slowly start to walk my way. There was no point in holding in any sounds now so I let out a small whimper. The tears were flowing down my face.

"Char?! Charlotte where are you? Liam get over here somethings happening!" Niall was still on the phone but I was too frozen to respond to him.

The three men yanked me off the ground. If I survived this I would have a massive bruise on my arm the next day.

"Now Charlotte a pretty girl like you shouldn't be out here in the big bad streets at this time of night. Not unless you want big scary guys to hurt you. You're lucky we found you. Others could do much worse than we will." Harry's deep british accent sent chills down my spine.

"Please Harry! Please Please don't do this!' I tried to plead with him but there was no use.

"Now hun you know I have to do this. If your mom didn't stab me in the back we wouldn't be in this situation." He was fisting my hair and pulled me back a little with every world.

"I'm begging you." My eyes were overflowing now. All I wanted was to be safe in the arms of my best friends Niall and Liam.

There was a sharp pain in my side and Harry released my head. I fell to the ground holding my injured stomach.

Boom. Another sharp pain shot through my body as Zayn kicked my other side. I feel to the floor again and curled up in a ball.

blow after blow to my hips, legs, and stomach. Each one more painful than the last. I was starting to lose conciousness as Harry pulled me off the ground again.

"Say hello to your mom for me Love." He pushed me at the wall causing me to hit my head. I feel to the ground for one last time. My eyes were fluttering close but before they shut for good I saw my three attackers leaving me to die in this ally where no one would find me.

"Char?! Please answer me? Please!" Niall spoke through the phone his voice cracking.

"Charlotte please. We're coming for you. Please stay alive. We're coming." That was the last thing I remember hearing for a long time.

~~~~~Liam's POV~~~~~

There was no sound on the other end of the line and after a couple seconds of silence Niall and I sprung into action. All three of us had been bestfriends since we were three and ever since Char's mom had died she lived with us.

These men had been after her for a while now and it was almost like there was no escaping them. Charlotte wouldnt tell us why they wanted her but Niall and I figured out that it was them who killed her mom.

***********

We had finally found Char after what felt like and eternity. I was honestly preparing myself to find my bestfriend left dead in the streets. When we found her, her breathing was shallow and her heart rate slow. Niall called the ambulance and I tended to her wounds while we waited.

"Liam?" Charlotte woke up long enough to realize I was there.

"I'm here love it's ok." She seemed at peace and it killed me.

"I Love you guys. Thanks." Was she really saying her goodbyes? This couldn't be a goodbye. I was crying as I heard the sirens for the ambulance.

"Liam let go of her, let the paramedics handle it." Niall ripped me off of my bestfriend's body as I watched them put her seemingly lifeless body on a gourney and race off to the hospital. We jumped in Niall's car and speed off after the ambulance.

~~~~~~Niall's POV~~~~~

We had ran into the hospital after Charlotte and after waiting hours we were finally told how she was doing.

"Liam Payne? Niall Horan?" A nurse in blue scrubs holding a clipboard called our names. Both of us had practically jumped out of our chairs in the waiting room.

"Yes?" We said at the same time. The nurse looked up at us with a bored expression and signaled for us to follow her."

"Your friend's injuries are significant. She had her leg, arm and back broken. Luckily no paralysis occured but she was very lucky. She had internal bleeding that needed surgery but that should heal up quickly. There was a signifcant laceration on her head but again she was lucky." We had been following this women until now, but then she aburptly stopped and spun on her heels.

"Your friend could have died. She was lucky she didn't have a brain injury and before you go in I should warn you. The sight is not pretty right now but, except, for a couple of scars she shouldn't have any permanent damage." My head dropped as she told me this but perked up at the last part. She was still gonna be the same girl I've loved forever. Charlotte my little sister was still going to be Charlotte.

"Can we go in ma'am?" Liam said politely.

"Go ahead." The nurse gave us permission and I opened the door slowly.

God.

The body laying on the bead was not Charlotte. It looked like a movie where the body is laying in the hospital bed completely covered in bandages. My heart sunk and my eyes watered.

Charlotte was in a coma and covered in rags. Her hospital gown laid perfectly over her tiny body and her hair was shaved around the laceration.

My best friend was unrecognizable.