One Plus One

Chapter Seventy-Four

The same four walls were beginning to close in on me. I just wanted to be back home and pretend like none of it had happened. Every time I heard a noise in Jamie's flat I flinched thinking that he was coming for me, and then when I did see him I couldn't move from fear pinning me down.

"Ready to go, baby?" His voice called up the stairs.

It startled me and I jumped off the bed. I scrambled for my phone in his drawer and snook it into my pocket before running down the stairs. Jamie opened the door and flicked his head towards his car. I walked past him and climbed in.

"Relax, baby. We'll have some fun tonight."

If scaring me was his idea of fun, he was going to have the time of his life. I couldn't comprehend why he was doing this. I was Jasmine's sister. Surely he knew that this would be the last thing she wanted to happen. Something broke inside of him the day he killed Jasmine. Something broke and I'd been left to put it back together.

"Marlie? Marlie, look at me."

I turned my head to face him. He could see the tears in the corners of my eyes.

"Stop crying. You and I both know that I only hurt you if I have to."

"Jamie."

"Yeah?"

"When can I go home?"

He stared blankly before he spoke again.

"I'm gonna pretend you didn't ask that question. Don't let me hear you ask it again. Stay in the car. I'll be back in a minute."

The doors locked and I was trapped once again. This time I was glad of it. I took out my phone and switched it back on. Numerous missed calls appeared on the screen and luckily another one came through. I answered and held the phone up to my ear, Lily's voice calling out my name and making me begin to cry with relief.

"Marlie, where have you been? Not a call, not even a text for two days! I've been worried sick." She then silenced as she heard my sobs. "Marlie, what's wrong?"

"Lily, it's Jamie. He-."

The passenger door was swung open and I tumbled out onto the pavement.

I could hear Lily's voice still calling my name as Jamie picked up my phone and ended the call.

"Calling for help were we? In fact, I might call back and explain everything is ok. You're with me remember. You're fine."

He followed through with his suggestion, calling Lily and making up endless lies about what was happening. Feeling satisfied with leading her on he helped me back into the car and shut my door. He drove back to the club we'd been a few nights previous. How I hoped Harry was inside. I might have had some chance of getting out of this mess.

HARRY'S POV

Marlie. I hadn't stopped thinking of her since I'd helped her that night. The fearful expression that was plastered on her face remained as a painful image in my brain. A girl shouldn't look that scared of a guy. I then remembered how she was so caught up on thinking about my welfare. She had no thoughts about her own. I saw the bruises all over her wrists where that scumbag had gripped her as if he was crumpling a paper bag. She thought I hadn't noticed but they were hard to hide.

Seeing Marlie again had only reminded me of how much I cared about her. I needed a chance to explain to her what really happened that night. She needed to know that it wasn't me. I would never do that to her intentionally. She'd trusted me and after what her dad did, I was so sure I'd never break that bond. Brody and I now didn't speak because of what he did. He made me lose the best thing that had ever happened to me. But I was determined I was going to get her back.

The smug idiot swanned into the club grinning as he tugged Marlie behind him. My blood began to boil at the thought of him hurting her. Her eyes were wide, the silver grey colour shining through but still there was a sense of terror. He had made her wear a jacket, probably to cover up the bruises he had inflicted on her. I watched as her eyes searched the room in secret. Was she looking for me?

"Harry? Harry, mate, what are you staring at?" said Josh as he tapped me, snapping me away from the scene I was watching unfold.

Josh followed my eye line to where I was previously looking.

"No, mate. You don't want to get involved in that." Josh warned.

"But it's Marlie."

"Yeah, and that guy is trouble. You touch her and he will kill you. No doubt about it."

"Josh's right." interjected Danny. "You have to let her go, mate."

"Have you seen what he's done to her? He's abusing her."

"Harry, Marlie is nothing to do with you anymore."

"She needs help. She wouldn't even let me touch her when I tried to help her. She is scared of every guy."

"Harry, just leave it. You can't help her. No one can."

I was silenced by my mates from talking about it. I knew that I couldn't let it slide though. She was too beautiful and too timid. I still loved her.

She was sat with her back to me. Jamie stood next to her towering her with his tall and broad frame. He slowly leant down to kiss her neck and my fist subconsciously clenched. I could see her visibly shaking. A few words were exchanged before he left and I saw Marlie throw her head into her hands. This was my chance.

MARLIE'S POV

Scared didn't match how I was feeling. Even terrified was too weak a word.

"Marlie?" sounded a familiar voice but I still jumped violently and almost fell off the bar stool. "Woah, careful, I didn't mean to scare you."

His voice was deep and gentle. Harry.

"Harry, please go. Jamie will be back any second."

"In that case we better get going."

"What? No, Harry. You'll get hurt."

"But what about you? I've seen what he's done to you."

He looked at my neck and spotted there were relatively fresh marks all over it. Love bites, but they weren't out of love. He'd forced himself upon me.

"Marlie, please just let me help you."

His green eyes searched mine in desperation, just looking for me to agree and let him take me. The want to say yes was overwhelming but the thought of the consequences if I did began to overshadow it.

"I can't, Harry." I began to weep. "I have to stay with him."

"You don't have to. You have a choice."

Choice. That was a word I'd forgotten the meaning of. It had been so long since I'd had a choice. Before I could think about it any longer my hand had reached out for his and I had jumped down off the barstool.

Harry pulled me towards the back exit. The streets we emerged into were dark and no one could see us. I clung tightly onto Harry fearing that Jamie was in the shadows waiting to pounce on me. Harry weaved in and out of the streets taking me with him until we came to the police station.

"You have to tell them." Harry stated.

"What?"

"He needs to be put away for what he's done."