Polishing The Edges

Chapter 16

All of this was too much for a seventeen year old girl to handle. I couldn't take the abuse. Anxiety attacks were slowly becoming a normal thing.

"Please, Ella. Please." Loud sobs interrupted the blurry voice. "God please wake up, please." I opened my eyes, squinting at the bright light.

"Ella!" My face was soon covered by Harry's chest. He was squeezing me so tightly, I could barely breathe.

"How long was I-"

"Two LONG, LONG days." He sobbed into my hair, squeezing me tighter.

"I-."

"I'm so sorry, all of this is my fault." He said, sitting up and running his hands through his hair.

"No, I've had anxiety attacks since I was little. It just happens-"

"When you're scared or nervous." He finished my sentence completely.

Oh. I guess it kind of was his fault then.

"I'm fine, really, I've had them before." I said getting up. "And I'm not in any pain, so, obviously I'm fine."

He sighed, watching me with sorry eyes.

I walked down the hall, passing Niall on my way, noticing he wasn't marked.

You're mine, I claimed you first.

Harry's words rang through my head, as I passed Niall with no emotion. I didn't want to risk our safety.

Harry followed behind me, at an uncomfortably close distance. I stopped short, and he hit into me. I laughed at him, and looked back. He wasn't grinning. He just kept looking forward, like he was waiting for me to walk again. He ruined my only chance at a happy mood.

I jumped down the stairs, skipping two at each jump. On my last jump, I was picked up into the air. "Stop jumping. You'll probably fall." He spoke with no emotion. He set me down on the hardwood floor and walked into a room I haven't seen yet. He shut the door behind him. I looked around for Perrie, and she wasn't anywhere to be seen. I sighed loudly.

"Hi." Liam's voice made me jump about five feet in the air. I stared at him, disapprovingly. I turned my back to him.

"I'm sorry, I can't talk to you."

"Really?" He rolled his eyes.

"Do you want to feel Harry's wrath?"

"Good point. See ya." And with that he left me to my thoughts in my room.

My dad was probably going crazy for me. Unless they told him. Actually, now that I think of it, I could be out if the country for all I know.

A loud blast of music interrupted my thoughts. I looked around, to find the sound coming from the room Harry had shut himself in. I was deep in wonder about what it was.

I quietly walked over to the door, leaning my ear against it. I nudged it slightly open, hoping it wasn't noticeable.

Nobody was inside the room. The music was still playing. I know I saw Harry go in here. I quietly stepped into the white room, with cushioning mats on the floor. In the middle of the room, hung a single punching bag. Then out of a separate room, came a sweaty Harry with a towel wrapped around his next. I quickly hid behind the stereo and cabinets.

I watched him throw the towel across the room with demeaning strength. He slipped on a pair of black boxing gloves and continued to punch with all his strength.

I winced at every punch he practiced, knowing one day that would probably be me. I was holding back tears, when I heard him yell at himself at each punch.

"It's my FAULT." He groaned and punched after everything.

"But she LIKES NIALL." He punched harder.

I like Niall as a friend, what the hell?

"IM GOING TO KILL HIM!" Another punch.

"Or whoever I get to first." He mumbled under his breath.

I have never been so scared in my life. Tears started rolling down my cheeks, as I held back sobs.

BREATHE ELLA.

He threw himself onto the mats, punching the ground in serious anger.

While his face was to the floor, I decided I'd make my escape. I stood up carefully, but managed to knock over a water bottle.

JUST PERFECT.

He looked up, immediately spotting me. My eyes widened, and I ran out the door.

"Ella wait, I-."

I broke down into tears and fled the room, in search of an exit. I ran out of the house, finding Perrie just coming into the house. "What's wrong?" She asked as I desperately hugged her. I cried even harder when Harry tried to pry me from Perrie.

"Just let her calm down, Harry." Perrie tried to reassure him.

"NO." He raged, and took me from Perrie. He picked me up bridal style, and I kept my eyes closed, sobbing like crazy. He carried me into the house and up the stairs into the bedroom. He roughly sat me on the bed, as I kept my eyes shut and tried to drown him out with my loud crying.

I could feel him forcefully shoving me against the mattress, yet I kept my eyes closed. "You are mine, and only mine Ella." I kept crying, having no reaction except depression and fear. I didn't want to be his. I could be killed trying to love him. He always snapped on me.

...

"Stop crying, it's okay."

I opened my eyes to find Louis propped up on his elbows next to me.

"You have to leave, Harry will hurt you if he finds you here."

"I don't think he'll be coming up for a while." He twirls a stand of my hair in between his fingers.

"Did he hurt Niall again.. Because he said-"

"He says everything he doesn't mean when he's angry. He also does everything he regrets."

"I know exactly what you mean... The first time he hurt me.. I woke up ..and he..was, he, was apologizing. And when I had that anxiety attack, he was like praying I woke up, I heard it. And he kept apologizing and..-"

"He really does care about you." Louis continued. "He just lashes out."

But he really does care. I just can't stay here and risk this.