Catching Red Eyes - NYC

Chapter 109

Everything was in slow motion as Harry lost his balance and fell backwards grabbing his face. Alec, along with Marsh, pulled Laurie back and away from Harry. I felt my hand fly up and cover the gasp that escaped my chest. More guards ran over to make sure Harry was ok but he pushed them off as he got up. I couldn't hear anything as Harry wiped the blood from his lower lip. His eyes never left me as he got all the way up. Someone closed my door and I heard the car shift into gear as we turned to leave. Our eyes never left the other as we pulled away.

He stood there. Blood dripping and staining his white t-shirt. I watched as he got smaller and smaller and then finally gone.

"Babe, we need to ice that when you get home," said Alec to Laurie.

"Yea, I know. Fuck, that hurt. Row, babe, I'm sorry but he had it coming to him. Did you see him drop, though?"

I nodded. I didn't have the energy to say much but Laurie punching Harry square in the jaw was not what I expected to happen. Everyone was talking back and forth about the punch as I stared out the window. Sure, it was nice to see Harry in some physical pain but it didn't compare to my injuries. I turned back to face Laurie who was in the back between Alec's friends and everyone got quiet.

"Do you have my pain medication?"

She nodded and pulled three small white pills from her bag and handed me a water bottle. I popped all three at once and took a sip of water before handing it back to Laurie. My wrist, ribs, and eye were throbbing. Thankfully, I saw the apartment coming into view.

 Along with rows and rows of paparazzi. My heart sunk. What now? I looked over at Alec driving and back at Laurie and friends. They didn't look too worried.

"Don't worry, Rowan, these guys play in a city football league three times a week," Alec said to me. I finally took in the size of the two other people with us. They were quite large. I hadn't noticed Laurie squeezing between them. I smiled at them the best I could. As soon as the car stopped, the cameras flooded my side and the flashing wouldn't stop. The back doors flew open as the two linebackers shoved the paparazzi away from the door. Laurie pulled open my door while Alec grabbed my bags. It was chaos as people were yelling all around me. I was so dizzy that I felt like I was going to throw up. I put my hand over my mouth as I started to salivate and feel it all coming up.

"Move the fuck away from us!" I heard Laurie yelling to the cameras. Thankfully, the linebacker friends did a pretty good job barricading them as we hurried inside the dark apartment. I hurried towards the bathroom, threw on the light, and hovered over the toilet as I threw up. It was so incredibly painful, I felt the tears welling in my eyes. The pressure in my face from getting sick was making it hard not to faint. I grabbed the toilet to not completely slump onto the floor but it was no use. I curled into a ball on my bathroom floor as I cried. It hurt to cry but it was the only thing that I could do right now. I pulled my knees up to my chest to help me remember I was still human.

"Fuck, Rowan." I heard Laurie say but it was very far away even though I felt her slowly pull me up and pull me into her chest. My tears were staining her gray v neck as she held me.

"He-he and h-her. He didn't listen to me." My voice came out broken and quiet in the small bathroom. I tried to take a deep breath but my chest felt like it was caving in. Nothing in this world could compare to how painful all this felt. I sat with and cried in Laurie's arms until I was completely exhausted. I must have fallen asleep because my eyes were closed when I heard someone softly talking to Laurie.

"Just be careful."

I felt someone move me off Laurie's lap and carry me from the bathroom. I was completely out of it but felt someone lay me down in my bed and take off my hat and my shoes. I assumed it was Laurie because I felt someone push the matted hair off my forehead and run their fingers through my hair and stroke my cheek. I slowly opened my eyes and saw his face and his piercing green eyes staring into mine.

"Hey, beautiful. You ok? You were having a nightmare."

I looked around. I was back in the castle in Ireland. I looked over at Harry. His jaw in place and no cut from Laurie's punch. What the hell was going on?

"Wait, what? How?"

I lifted up my shirt as Harry watched me. My stomach turned when I saw the bruises and my swollen ribs. I looked down at my wrist and it was wrapped up. I looked over at Harry but he was gone. He was replaced with a strange dark hole and it was sucking everything around me inside. I felt myself falling into this darkness and tried to run but my legs were being pulled down. I looked down and I saw long fingernails digging into my skin and they belonged to Meredith. She was pulling me deeper into the dark hole with her nails.

"Row! Wake up!"

I woke up screaming, crying, and gasping for air.

"Jesus, Row. What the hell were you dreaming?? I have the chills from you screaming like that!"

I started to calm down when I realized I was safe in my bedroom with Laurie next to me. I was taking deep breathes but my whole body  was convulsing and shaking.

"Row, are you alright?? You are shaking really bad. Like, really bad."

I looked up at Laurie and her eyes were full of fear and worry.

"I-I'm fine. Just-just a really bad nightmare."

Laurie handed me water from my bedside table and I took a sip. The water felt wonderful as it touched my hot insides. I pushed back the sweaty mess of hair from my forehead.

"Laurie, I'm alright. I think its those fucking pain killers. They are messing with my head."

"Well, maybe we can get you a smaller dosage or maybe only take one instead of three?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I have no idea."

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