Scars (A One Direction Fanfiction)

Chapter 16: Cotton Candy Ice Cream

As things went back to normal, I began to my piano and started to teach myself something new. I missed playing a lot even though it had been maybe a couple of weeks since I last played it. I also unpacked my books and down at the very bottom of the box was The Fault In Our Stars which I never finished reading so before I put it on the shelf I started to read it from the beginning again. I had heard that I would cry. I thought maybe a few tears would slip from my eyes but no, I swear it was a waterfall. I was so engrossed in the book that I didn’t even hear Simon come into my room.

“Bree the- have you been crying?” He asks when I turn around.

I hold up the book to show him. “It’s so sad!” I explain and smile.

“Anyways, the boys are here to see you.”

No I told them that I didn’t want to see them at the moment. Sounds rude I know but I need to be alone. All they wanted was my story and you see where that got me?

“Oh… I uh… I’m not here.” I say and shove my pillow in my face but Simon just laughs.

“Bree they are really worried about you, especially Liam.” I shake my head, Liam isn’t supposed to worry. He doesn’t need to, he has everything he wants and needs and yet he is worried about a nobody like me.

“Please Bree just for a few minutes?” He pleads and I go back to the time that he begged me to tell the boys what happened to my mum and dad. I picture Niall’s concerned face as he sees me crying when I played the piano for him. I picture each of the boy’s expressions when I told them my secret. I picture myself falling in love with the boys.

I feel myself nod and put the book down.

“Thank you Bree.” Simon says and exits my bedroom.

As the boys come into view I see their worried expressions relax and turn into smiles. Niall was the first one to embrace me into a hug and the other boys followed.

“How are you doing Bree?” Harry asks as we sit down at the dining table.

“Well to be completely honest... It’s been a tough few days.” I reply and look at Liam who is sitting across from me.

“What has happened?” Niall asks leaning forward.

“You... you didn’t tell them?” I ask Liam shocked and he shakes his head.

“It wasn’t mine to tell.”                                  

“Tell us what?” Louis questions.

“I don’t want to talk about it, Liam can tell you if like later.” I answer quietly as my eyes fill with tears but I blink them back. I look up at Liam and I can tell that he wants to run over and comfort me but I plead with my eyes to try and get him and the rest of the boys to leave.

“Well uh… I guess we better head off then.” Liam says standing up and pushing his chair in and the other boys follow.

“See you guys later.” I say before they reach the door, they all say goodbye and leave to head back to the car.

Niall turned around and gave me a tight hug. “Please be safe.” He whispers and I nod.

***

NIALL’S POV

“Liam what happened?” I ask as soon as we got inside the car.

“Yeah.” Harry says.

“Um… On the Saturday night after her shift there were a drunk group of men and one of them um… he…” Liam trails off and a tear runs down his cheek. Harry was the first one to understand what he was trying to say.

“They… he raped her?!” He asks angrily even though he worked it out and Liam slowly nods. There was a collective gasp and Liam bursts into tears.

“It’s all my fault! I should have had my phone with me at all times until I knew that she was safe and I should have demanded that she let me take her home! I knew she wasn’t going to be okay by herself!” He yells out frustrated and Zayn puts his arm over Liam’s shoulders to comfort him.

“Don’t say that Liam, you know that it was out of your hands.” Zayn says reassuringly.

The rest of the ride home was silent except for when we each dropped the boys off at their apartments. When Liam and I got back home I had to practically drag him inside because he wanted to go back to see Bree. He grabs my cotton candy ice cream out of the freezer, he must be really upset about this whole situation.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask in an attempt to get him to let everything he wants to say off his chest.

“She cut herself again Niall! Do you know how hard that was for me to see?!” He yells and the tears spill from his eyes for the second time tonight. He places the ice cream tub on the counter and puts his head in his hands.

And then it hit me. “You love her don’t you?” I ask quietly with a tiny smile on my face.

“What?! No! I can’t Niall!” He replies but I know he does.

“Why?” I challenge and he shoves another spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

“Because that will only bring more pain to her life and she came here to get away from all of the crap back in Australia and look where that got her!” He replies and puts the lid back on the ice cream. “Now if you will excuse I am going to bed.”

“Liam it’s 5pm.” I say.

“I know.” And he stalks off to his bedroom.

This was confusing. When I first saw Bree I swear she was an angel from heaven, she is beautiful and very sweet but then I realised that I love her like a sister not the way that I think Liam does. I feel very protective of her, we all do.

***

“No… No… Stop… Please… Let her…” Liam was yelling from the other room.

I looked at my phone to see what the time is, 1:37am. I groan and get up out of bed to wake him up.

“Stop! Take me…” He yells.

I start to shake him lightly. “Liam. Liam.” I say but he doesn’t wake up.

“Please!” He yells again, droplets of sweat slide down is forehead.

“Liam.” I whisper and shake him a little more forcefully. His eyes shoot open and they are filled with horror and sadness but he then calms down. He starts to cry again and I pull him in for a hug.

“Are you alright mate?”

“Is she safe?” He asks quickly ignoring my question.

“I think so.” I say confused.

“I need to call her.” He says determinedly and grabs his phone and goes to his contacts and he clicks on Breanna.

I wait in silence and suspense for Bree to pick up the phone.

“Bree!” He says relieved.

“Sorry… I just wanted to make sure that you were safe.” He says embarrassed and there was a silence.

“Oh so you weren’t asleep?” He asks puzzled.

“Yeah me too.” He replies after seconds of silence.

“Okay, night.” And he hangs up.

“So?” I ask him when he puts his phone back on the table.

He explains the whole conversation which only went for a few minutes but it turns out that she had a nightmare was woken by Simon a few minutes before he had called. He wants to know what had happened in her nightmare but he didn’t ask.

“Do you feel better now Liam?” I ask quietly and he nods.

“Thanks for waking me and I’m sorry for wake you.” He answers.

“Don’t worry about it, good night.”