Restrained

Restrained - Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Niall's POV

"In coming over right now!" I yell into the phone, and hang up as I grab my keys and run out the front door. I may be overreacting, the chances Mark actually knows where she's saying is minuscule. But I'm going over there anyway. I scream and hold my hand on the horn as the car in front of me goes at least twenty miles too slow. He doesn't get the memo and I jerk around him into the next lane. The old man gives me a snarky look as I pass him.

Is she scared? Angry? Or is she confused? I can't help but picture her in that house. She hasn't told Macy, that I'm sure of. She wouldn't tell her until Mark himself is barging into the room...no I need to stop. Dammit! I'm only five minutes away and I feel as though I'm getting all red lights. I finally pull down Macy's street and then up her driveway, and run into the house without knocking.

I'm unfamiliar with the house, but manage to find Amber and Macy in the kitchen with some girl I've never seen before. When they see me they all have mixed reactions.

"Hi." I say after a several silent pauses. Macy's jaw clenches and she stands up from her chair.

"What are you doing here?" She says, shaking her hand in my face. Amber's face is pleading for me not to say anything, but I'm almost scared of Macy. So I just shrug and sit down next to Amber at the table. I give her a reassuring squeeze on her thigh before I realize my actions. She tenses under my touch and I shoot my hand back to my side.

"You can go home now," Amber says harshly, the words sending a pain through my chest. I nod and stand up, but do so too quickly and evidentially make the chair fall loudly to the ground. I cringe before setting the chair back up and practically run outside of the house.

F-ck. I knew she didn't-doesn't- want me but the pang of rejection is hitting me harder than ever now. But I'm also beyond mad. Here I am, scared sh-t over her, and she just sends me off as if it was nothing! I wish I could just be done with her, I wish I could so badly. She is toxic for me. I don't love her and I don't hate her, but I feel both for her at the same time.

"Quinn? What are you doing tonight?" I ask after he answers my call.

"Layla and I are going out," he says, chomping his gum obnoxiously into the phone.

"Out where?"

"Jesus Niall what're you, my mother? We're just going to dinner at this pub. You can come if you want," he says, and I tell him I'm coming over before hanging up. I'm going back to my old ways, and I don't quiet care. If Amber wanted to play me this whole time I've known her, which admittedly wasn't long at all, I might as well forget about her completely. Once I'm in the apartment I realize I have no idea what to do with my time. I click on the t.v and watch some show I've seen several times. God this is boring. I really cannot wait to go out, I haven't in what feels like weeks. Amber destroyed everything that I did, and now I have to build it up again. Maybe I feel for her too quickly and gave up too easily, but she's so hard to deal with maybe it's for the best. My phone begins to ring besides me, and I can't help but think it might be Mark. When the caller ID shows up as Amber, I get an idea of how to help her and be done with her. If I call the cops, mark will be out of both of our hair. Amber will be pissed at me, but she'll have an apartment and safety.

His threatening call replays in my mind and I decide what I need to do before I over think it. I call up Quinn and tell him I might be a but late. I jump into my car and drive to Amber's apartment. The lights are on and when I stand outside the door crashing is heard from inside. Adrenaline runs through my veins at the thought of a fight. I had forgotten how good it felt to hit someone. I bang on the door wildly and prepare myself once the door opens.

"Don't you f-cking dare open that door!" A slurred voice yells from inside. The door snaps open quickly and a bruised girl runs out past me, and without as much as looking at my face she hides behind my back. Mark begins to run out but halts when he sees me at.

"Ah, blondie," he sneers, dropping his beer bottle on the ground. The girl flinches behind me as it shatters. I can smell the alcohol on his body, and before I think much of it I'm running up the steps and connecting my fist with his face. He stumbles back and I continue to punch him. My fists go numb, and I can barely feel the few punches Mark throws at me. I'm aware of the girl sobbing behind me, but I don't stop. Adrenaline is coursing through my body, but I peel off of his body at the sound of the girl screaming.

F-ck I probably just saved her life and now she's screaming for help? What the hell? I pull Mark up and shove him off the stairs.

"You leave Amber alone or next time I will kill you," I yell as he stumbles away from the house. I turn to face the small blonde headed girl, who has been silently sobbing. I can't help but feel extremely annoyed at her reaction. Here I am saving her ass and she's screaming for someone to help him.

"You can go now," I tell her. I will not replay what happened with Amber. No way in hell. The girl seems like polar opposite of Amber. She looks small and weak, despite the few tattoos she has on her arms. While Amber will do anything to make sure nobody helps her.

The girl stares at me like a deer caught in headlights. She stops wearing, and silently stares at me from her place on the ground.

"I have nowhere to go," she says, and the low rasp of her voice surprises me. I shrug my shoulders and unconsciously wipe my bloody knuckles on my shirt.

"Nowhere?" I say flatly. I keep telling myself I won't let her stay with me. Not again, this can't happen again. She shakes her head and stares at the ground. F-ck. I turn to the apartment, trying to think of options. Maybe she can stay at Amber's place for a few nights.

"Could you stay here?" I ask her, rather harshly. Damn, can't she at least get up off the ground?

"It's foreclosed. The landlord is coming tomorrow," she says, and points to a small pink paper stuck to the door. Sh-t, I never thought about that. Here Amber is away from the place and not paying the bills. Maybe even months before I knew her. I pull my hair in my hands and walk in small circles.

"Come with me," I tell her, rolling my eyes as she stares at me blankly. She finally comes to her senses and comes to the car with me. I wait for her as she stands outside the door, but cautiously slides into the seat.

"Who are you? And why were you at the apartment? Who's Amber?" She says, throwing a million questions at me.

"Niall. Amber is a...friend of mine. That's her apartment," I tell her, trying to give her as little information as possible.

"What's your name?" I ask her as I drive down the street.

"Alana."