Taken by One Direction

Chapter 14: Tool

I open my eyes reluctantly. I am staring up at the ceiling of the bus. There is something cold pressed to my jaw and I feel sore.

"Oh, you're awake." A deep voice whispered softly above me. I blinked a couple times in an attempt to see clearly. I was in the back bedroom, lying on the floor. My head was propped up on something.

I tried to adjust my body so that I could sit up, but a hand pushed my shoulder back down firmly.

"Stay still." Someone commanded. I rolled my head back to see who was there. Shit. I started to shake internally as I realized that it was Zayn. I had to take deep breaths and calm myself down as I realized that my head had been resting on his lap.

"Wh-what are you doing?" I asked quietly as I adjusted myself so that I could look up at him comfortably. He was leaning over me and stroking my hair with one hand. The other hand gently held an ice-pack to my lower jaw.

"Helping you." He muttered back, slightly aggressive.

"Wh-why?" I asked after a few moments of silence passed. He let out an annoyed huff.

"Because you passed out and you needed someone." He responded. I lay still for a couple of minutes. I tried to seem calm on the outside, but on the inside I was freaking out. I mean, Niall had knocked me out and now Zayn had me alone in the back room. None of the other boys seemed to be back...

"Thank you." I whispered. Zayn looked down at me with hard eyes and shrugged. I waited another minute or so before continuing.

"I think I'm alright to get up now." I informed him as politely as possible. He slowly mover the ice from my face.

"Ok, but sit up slowly, I don't know how stable you are yet." He commanded. His voice was hard and stern, but there was a small hint of concern. I slowly push myself from his lap and into a sitting position. Behind me, Zayn stands up.

"How are you doing?" Zayn asks as he moves in front of me. I look up at him.

"Er, I am fine. My cheek hurts a little," I lightly touch where Niall had punched me, "and my gut," I move my hand to my stomach, where I had been kicked, "but other than that I'm fine." Zayn mutters something under his breath and then reaches his hand to me. I accept his offer and place my hand in his own. His hand tightly wraps around mine. He leans down and wraps his other arm around my waist and pulls me carefully to my feet.

"Uh, thanks." I mutter as I take a step back. Zayn doesn't remove his hands. He still grips my waist tightly and tightens his hand around my hand. He doesn't let me stand on my own. I move to take another step away from him, forcing him to loosen his grip. As soon as he does this, though, I stumble, causing him to make his grip on me even tighter than it had been before.

"Woah, there." He chuckles as he steadies me. Instinctively, I grab his shoulder for support. As soon as I touch him though, I pull my hand back. He clenches his jaw when I pull away, but doesn't say anything. Still holding me, Zayn leads me over to the bed and sits me down on the edge of it.

"Wh-where is everyone?" I ask as he lets go of me and strides to the other side of the room to pick up the ice pack.

"Still in fitting. Marcia, our stylist, has an idiot for an assistant. I have no idea when they'll be back. Niall is still in the other room, sitting at the booth eating." Zayn's tone took a bitter edge once he mentioned Niall.

To be honest, I was surprised he was helping me. This was the guy who has been the most abusive to me so far, so sue me for being apprehensive.

He comes back over to me and crouches in front of me so that our eyes are at the same level. His fingers slowly grasp the hem of my shirt.

"May I?" He waits for my permission. I nod reluctantly as he pulls the fabric up to just below my breasts, revealing my stomach. A sigh escapes his lips as he moves his cool fingers to the bruise already forming.

"Does it hurt when I touch it?" He slowly prods my stomach, earning a hiss from me. His hands move away from my injury as my reaction gave him his answer.

"Is he bipolar?" I ask softly as Zayn presses the ice to the bare stomach. He freezes for a moment, but then looks up at me.

"Niall has anger management issues. Most of the time, he's totally fine; this carefree and sweet guy. But then, the smallest comments set him off and he gets violent." Zayn explains to me. I nod, remembering first-hand the two encounters I've had with the angry Niall.

"Look, as much as your attitude and sarcasm pisses me off, don't change out of fear of Niall. The boys and I will know if he ever tries to hurt you again and we'll step in before he does." He promised me. I look up at him as he rises back to a standing position.

"I already gave him a lecture on hitting girls," Zayn said as he turned to throw the ice pack out. You're one to talk, I thought.

"Excuse me?" He spun around with his eyebrows raised at me. Shit, had I said that out loud?

"Sorry." I mutter quickly. He narrows his eyes and shakes his head, but makes no move to hurt me.

"You're lucky that you're bruised up from Niall because I wouldn't have let you get away with that remark otherwise." He warned me as he opened the door to leave. His threat almost proved my point.

"I meant with a closed fist, by the way," he told me as he stepped out, "I have no problems dealing with unruly behavior, so don't think that this little incident with Niall changed that." He hissed as the door slammed behind him.

Ok, so he basically told me that guys shouldn't hit girls with a closed fist, but bitch-slaps and spankings are totally fine? Tool.