Chapter 19: Old Habits Are Hard to Break

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Niall’s P.O.V.

When she didn't respond right away, I opened my eyes in fear. Did Jimmy... did he rape her? How could he have done such a thing to someone who trusted him with all that she had? What possessed him to do such a horrid thing? I looked into Natalie's cloudy, tear filled eyes searching for an answer.

"It wasn't me. It was s-some random girl. J-Jimmy was drunk, he didn't k-know what he was doing," she mumbled.

“When did this happen Natalie?”

“While you were on tour,” Natalie answered, her gaze fixed on something behind me before her eyes met mine. She bit her trembling lip trying to get it to stop. I moved onto the couch and pulled Natalie onto my lap. She flinched at the sudden contact but didn’t move away from my hold. I rested my chin on the top of her head as she nuzzled into my neck, her shaky breath lightly fanning over my skin.

“So what did that have to do with you crying last night?” I felt Natalie go rigged in my arms. She stopped breathing for a few seconds before she recomposed herself.

“You didn’t stop when I told you too,” she whispered.

“Oh my god, Natalie did I…” I asked frantically.

“No, Liam pulled you off of me before things went too far.”

 “Thank god, I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I had,” I said, placing a gentle kiss to the top of her head before I hid my face in her hair.

 “I know,” she whispered so quietly I barely caught her words.

We stayed there for a while, Natalie remaining wrapped in my arms. I wanted to stay here forever so nothing could ever hurt her again. I wanted to protect her from all of the injustice in the world. Even though I knew that it was an impossible task I had to try.

Natalie’s P.O.V.

I sat beside the large window in Liam’s living room. My knees were pressed against my chest, a cup of tea that I was holding in my hands balanced on my kneecaps. The steam rising from the cup fogged up the window, but it didn’t bother me. My mind was already preoccupied by other things. I wiped away the tears that desperately fell as that night replayed itself over and over in my mind.

“Natalie… there’s something I need to tell you,” Jimmy whispered.

“What is it Jimmy?” I asked becoming worried. I had never seen my best friend so upset.

“I… I love you Natalie.”

I was at a loss of words by his confession. Before I could come up with the words to respond to Jimmy, he pressed his lips forcibly against mine. His lips tasted like whiskey, making me want to gag. Whiskey always reminded me of my dad. I pushed Jimmy off of me, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

"What the hell Jim?!” I scolded him.

“I love you Natalie,” he repeated before once again kissing me against my will.

This time it was rougher, full of lust. I tried to push Jimmy away again but he had too strong of a grip on my arms. No matter what I did I couldn’t escape. Turning my head away, I ripped away from his kiss. That didn’t stop him, in fact, it encouraged him even further. Jimmy began kissing down my neck as he played with the thin straps of my tank top. I couldn’t stop him from throwing it off a mere ten seconds later as he held both of my wrists enclosed in one of his hands. Every time Jimmy lifted his head to look at me with his glazed eyes he whispered the same words over and over.

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