You Make It Real (A Harry Styles Fan Fiction) {EDITING}

Chapter 53

CORY’S P.O.V.

As soon as I saw Riley lunge at Rebecca, they were both on the ground. Everyone screamed in excitement as Riley pounded her face over and over relentlessly. I looked over to Liam and he seemed to have the same idea as me and we both stood up after I slipped my pants on under the cape covering my bare body. We approached the girls, Rebecca hardly even fighting back, and pulled Riley off of her, arms and legs thrashing violently.

“Let me go! I’m not done with her!”

Liam pulled her toward him, now holding her around her waist and calmly spoke to her.

“You’re just going to do something you’ll regret, love. Come on.”

Riley still looked insanely at Rebecca, who was laying on the ground, bleeding. I thought about leaving without so much as a glance, but instead I extended my hand to her. At first, she didn’t trust me to take it, but she finally did and I pulled her to her feet. She said nothing as I turned and followed Liam and Riley out the door.

Once we were outside in the crisp night air, we walked quickly toward the dorms and at least made it around the corner before Riley faced me frantically.

“Cory, are you okay? I-I’m so sorry.”

I just stared at the ground awkwardly, like I do best.

“It’s not your fault, Riley. I’m okay.”

I lied. I was so far from okay, it wasn’t even funny. Why did I even talk to that girl? She seemed like the bitchy type the moment she introduced herself. I was so intent on meeting someone to distract me that I didn’t even pay attention to all the warning signs. I knew better than to talk to girls like her from when I was in high school. That small relapse in judgement resulted in more pain than could be described.

“How did it even happen, Cory?”

I felt like a child being scolded by his mother, but I knew Riley had pure intentions.

“She asked if I wanted to play seven minutes in heaven. I honestly didn’t know what it was until they started, but I have a feeling it was set up, because she got me pretty quickly. I thought it was just some kind of like kinky thing; tying me up. I’m such a fucking idiot.”

Liam looked pissed too, which I couldn’t understand. Shouldn’t he hate me? I slept with his girlfriend. Instead, he’d been so nice to me the entire time he’d been there.

“No, you’re not. Shit like this happened to me in school too.”

I didn’t believe that for a second.

“You don’t have to make stuff up to make me feel better.”

He chuckled as we started to walk again.

“Trust me, I’m not making it up. I really wasn’t popular in school. I liked singing and things like that; it wasn’t admired by my fellow students.”

I guess I had more in common with Liam than I had thought. Still, he got the chance to show those people at his school that he made something of himself. I was living the same life, just in college this time, which was twenty times worse. I didn’t even think shit like this happened in college. It was so childish.

“Well, thanks. Both of you.”

I directed that to Riley. She didn’t have to tackle Rebecca to the ground, but it’s exactly what I would have expected Riley to do. I just felt embarrassed. I didn’t exactly want her coming to my rescue.

“No problem, Cory. You know I’m always looking for a fight.”

We all laughed, but I felt a tinge of pain resurfacing in my stomach and I wanted nothing more than to climb into bed and feel a sharp blade against my skin before I fall asleep.