Contentions(A Liam Payne AU)

Chapter 14

My eyes blinked open, head now only lightly throbbing. That was until the memories came flooding back; the man, the sweetness of Liam, and then those two words that refused to leave my mind…

His girls…

Was he some sort of abusive pimp or something? What did he mean by ‘his girls’? And was I becoming just another one of them? With that thought my breathing caught, my hands quickly fumbling for my phone I had stuck in my bra for safe keeping. I had to get out of there and fast. Who knew what he was going to do to me? Then again…how was I going to escape?

I quietly padded over to the curtains and looked outside, my eyes widening as I actually recognized the street name at the corner, standing out in the dark; I knew where I was. Without a second thought I opened the door, not bothering to close it and took off running.My fingers fumbled with the buttons of my phone, hastily calling the first number that came to mind. The dial tone resounded through the speaker, the familiar voice finally answering.

“Hullo?”

“Harry!” I squeaked, looking behind me, afraid that Liam would come for me. “I-I need you!” Keys jingled and a door closed, his car soon after starting up.

“Where are you, love?” he asked softly, calmly.

“A-at the corner of Adams,” I whispered, ducking behind a bush as I tried to hide from the unknown threat that seemed so imminent.

“That’s right down the street from me,” he frowned, his tires crunching as he sped down the road, the sound now not only coming from the phone, but from nearby also. “I’m here, where are you?”

“B-behind the bush,” I sniffled, swiping at my eyes as I stood up so he could see me. He quickly hopped out of the car, rushing to me as he saw my distraught state. He grabbed the tops of my arms, taking in the shirt that clad my body, obviously a guy’s piece of clothing.

“What happened to you?” he murmured, his hold sliding up to cup my cheeks. I opened my mouth to speak when a loud yell made me whimper, clinging to Harry.

“Brin!” Liam’s voice boomed from down the street. “C’mon, where the hell are you?!”

“Let’s go,” Harry whispered, ushering me into the car and quickly zipping down the street, leaving the boxer in the dust. My sobs intensified, my breathing becoming ragged as I panicked. My sister was basically dead, Liam was probably some pimp who wanted to rape me, and I was left on my own in an empty apartment.

“Brinlee, calm down, love,” a raspy voice begged, my preoccupied self not even noticing that we were at Harry’s flat, my door open and a familiar face leaning over me. “Please, this isn’t healthy.”

“What am I going to do?” I gasped, head spinning and body swaying. In a matter of seconds I had fallen to the side, strong arms quickly catching me.

“Okay, okay. I’ve got you,” he cooed, easily picking up my trembling mess of limbs and carrying me inside, kicking the door closed with his foot. He strode into the familiar living room, setting me down on the couch and situating my head in his lap.

“Breathe, darling. Just relax,” he coached, gentle fingers petting my hair as he did. “Everything is going to be alright.” I nodded, shakily following the exaggerated breaths Harry was taking through his nose, trying to help me as much as he could.

“That’s a girl,” he mumbled as my tears came to a stop, breathing leveling out. That overwhelming sense of dread had seemingly disappeared, leaving me with a fearful depression, my eyes lacking that spark I had always been able to maintain.

“Brin, what happened to you? Why was Payne looking for you?” he asked softly, making me stiffen. How did he….

“How do you know Liam?” I croaked, feeling another approaching panic attack as he looked a bit shifty.

“We’re…we’re friends,” he said quietly.

“Friends?”

“Well, um actually…we’re cousins.”