bare [h.s.]

After

[sawyer's pov].

"Thank you again, officer,"
Harry sadly smiles, closing the door after two men in uniforms drag
Elijah out in handcuffs.
He keeps his body faced away from me as he stands perfectly still for a few moments.
I tuck my knees into my naked chest
and keep Harry's sheets tight around me.

"Where are they taking him?"
I speak for the first time, and
Harry turns with wide eyes.

"You finally find the courage to speak
and it's about his whereabouts?"
He takes a sit in the chair adjacent
to the couch and crosses his legs.

"What happened to me? I can't
piece every detail together right now," I ask, rubbing my temples to try and soothe my ragging headache.
I still feel tipsy from the few drinks
I consumed earlier, but nothing is
as painful as the hurt in my legs.

"Do you not remember?" He stares at me and I feel angry that he doesn't understand my confusion.
"He sexually assaulted you, Sawyer!"

"No," I shake my head, "No he didn't.
We're together; it was just sex, right?"

"Just sex? Are you being serious?" Harry pushes himself off the chair and kneels before me.
"You didn't give him consent."

"How do you know? I could've said yes. I don't remember clearly,"
I object, but his frown deepens.

"You were drunk; still a bit tipsy now.
You weren't in your right mind.
He took advantage of you."

"But how do you--" I begin, and he presses his bruised hands against my knees.

"Because! I had to carry your limp body downstairs; us both in tears.
That is how I know you didn't want this," he yells, tugging at the roots of his hair. I flinch at the loudness of his voice, scooting away from him.

"I don't want to press charges," I say firmly. Harry glares at me with a fire burning brightly in his emerald eyes.

"He attacked you. You need justice."

"But I don't think ruining
another person's life will give me justice. He was an intoxicated teenager with his whole life ahead of him. I can't take that away and call it justice," I mumble. He lets out a long sigh before sitting next to me,
wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

"He ruined you," he whispers,
avoiding my eyes.

I ignore his hurtful jab to my heart.
"Please don't report this.
I don't want anyone knowing, Harry.
If my parents found out...
if anyone found out,
I'd be known as the girl who was 'raped'," I focus on his wounded hands and imagine them
beating Elijah.
"No one would know me as Sawyer anymore. They'd only know me
as a rape victim."

"This does not define you.
What you have gone through
does not define you," he kneels before me, cupping my shaking hands around his cheeks.
"Your past does not change who you are. This," he motions to everything around us before continuing,
"does not change how I feel about you."

"You still want to be with me?
Even after everything has happened?"
I bite my lip, looking down at the floor. Harry tilts my chin up to meet his eyes, pressing a soft kiss on between my brows.

"We can get through this together,"
he nods to himself for reassurance,
"I won't let anything happen to you again. I promise."

Ally peers her blonde head around the corner and I forgot she was even here. Her expression softens when she sees me, and I frown at her smeared makeup and swollen, bloodshot eyes.

"How is she doing?"
She asks Harry instead of me,
who sits right before her.
He turns his head to her,
nodding slowly as she lets out
a sigh of relief.

"Uh, Harry?" She shifts awkwardly
and leans against the wall,
fiddling with her chipped fingernails.
"Can I talk to you? Privately?"

I look back and forth between them both and furrow my brows, but stay silent. She leads him into a different room, closing the door behind them.
I lay my chin on my knee,
praying the pain will soon subside.
And a peaceful sleep tries to take
me under, until I hear Harry yell.

❁ ❁ ❁

[harry's pov].

"What do you mean
you didn't report it?"
I snap, running my fingers through
my hair. Ally stands speechless
before me, looking around the room.

"I-It isn't my place to report it,"
she explains, closing her eyes
to avoid my fit of anger.

"I told you to do one simple thing!"

"I was only thinking about
Sawyer's sake!
If she wants to charge him,
it's her right to, not mine."

"You don't even care about her, do you?" I ask, pacing around her.

"I care more than you do.
Don't pin this on me," she almost
laughs in my face, and I furrow my brows.

"Then what did you tell the cops, huh?
What did they think happened here?"

"I said he was disturbing the peace...
trying to start fights and harassing people," she glances up at me,
"I couldn't tell them the truth
because you and I both know
we can't face it."

"I want him to stay away from her,"
I say steadily. "And if you two are afraid to report him,
I'll take matters into my own hands."

She scoffs, crossing her arms against
her chest. "You won't do anything drastic."

"Is that a bet?" I turn my head
quickly to her and she looks at me
in resentment.

"Harry," Sawyer stands in the doorway, adorned in white fabric.
"I... I want to cleanse myself of
tonight's events. Could you help me?"

Ally clears her throat,
"I'm going to head out."
She nods me off, passing by hurriedly.
She pauses momentarily, gently touching Sawyer's shoulder.
"I'll be by tomorrow, yeah?"

"Are you sober enough to drive?"
I ask, walking her to the door.

"I'll be fine," Ally stops, leaning up to
my ear, "don't worry about me.
She needs to be taken care of tonight."

"And Niall?"

"He's already gone," she confirms,
giving a small wave to Sawyer as
I swing the door shut.

"My parents' bathroom is around the corner," I point in the direction,
"I'll get the bath started for you."

Sawyer shakes her head,
rubbing her arm with one hand
as a form of comfort.
"Come with me."