Afraid - H.S - Under Heavy Editing

Ch.18

Alyssa's POV

Two weeks have passed by and I haven't really seen Harry; I have been avoiding him- well as much as I could.

I knew he was here because I would hear him cough, or sneeze or yawn. To accomplish this, I would wake up way before he did and clean the house. And then I would stay in my room, not moving, not even breathing loud. I would keep to myself.

But I'm so exhausted. I'm exhausted from all of the crying, from barely being able to sleep at night and then waking up early, and I honest haven't eaten for the past three days. I mean usually I would have anything that I could find that he wouldn't miss, like a cereal bar or an apple sauce cup. But most things I couldn't keep down.

I have been so stressed, with everything I'm pretty positive I've lost fifteen pounds and I look gross. I'm pale, my cheeks are hallow, my ribs are starting to show really badly and I just look sickly. Everything was okay though, for the situation, in that case. I hadn't seen him and he hadn't talked about what happened...

Until he called my name from downstairs. My heart stopped. My palms began to sweat. Did I not clean something right? Did I forget to put away the dishes?  I slowly walked down the stairs. He was waiting for me at the bottom, he was wearing his usual black jeans and white t-shirt.

He starred at me with some kind of emotion that I couldn't read; it made me look away not wanting to make eye contact anymore. I held my breath not wanting to make any sound.

"I am having a few guest over and you will stay in your room. Do not come out unless told otherwise." He said, I was still avoiding his eye contact. I just nodded and I stayed there until he dismissed me, and I went upstairs, quietly, to my room preparing myself for another party.

Harry's POV

Ever since I pretty much beat the shit out of Alyssa, I keep remembering what I did to her. I keep remembering her voice saying "you're hurting me." And "stop it!" Her struggling to get out of my grasp. I didn't have any control. It was the alcohol.

No it wasn't, you fucking coward. You got jealous.

I told myself. 

The door bell chimed; I got up off my couch to answer it. I had invited Zayn, Matt, and Liam over. We were going to have a guys night; have a few beers, watch a game or two.

We probably won't watch any tv what so ever, just have about six cases of beer. And talk about drunk things. I wasn't even close to drunk, maybe a little tipsy.

"So Harry has a girlfriend. Her names uh... Alice?" Matt slurred. All of the guys gaped at me with their mouths open.

"She's not my girlfriend... She's my uh, house keeper." I told them. They laughed it off, and dismissed it.

Alyssa's POV

I waited and waited and waited. But nothing came. Just some of Harry's friends. I could hear them banter, and laugh and clink their beers.

I stayed quiet and didn't mind them until I heard my name.

"So Harry has a girlfriend. Her names uh... Alice?" I'm assuming Matt slurred. They were silent.

"She's not my girlfriend... She's my uh, house keeper." He told them. They laughed it off, and dismissed it.

But about another hour later they were talking about me again.

"Yeah that Alice chick was hot." I heard Matt slur. That made me feel pretty uncomfortable...

I opened my door a little and listened to them talk.

"Yeah her boobs were huge. I don't see how you don't want to just fuck her." Matt said laughing. The other guys joined him. Harry kept silent.

"Do you keep her around as a twenty-four seven maid? Or does she go home or what?" Someone slurred. I wasn't exactly sure who it was.

There was a pause. Then Harry's answered them.

"She uh.." he didn't want to say it. Please don't tell them, please don't tell them...

"She uh.. lives here. She lives here twenty four, seven." Harry finished.

"Dude get her out here!" they all said.

Harry sighed. "No. She's probably asleep."

"Wait why didn't you just say she was the maid?" asked Matt.

"Because I didn't want to tell you that I had a maid." Harry laughed. "You already give me a hard enough time about my house." He continued

"Well yeah, because what other twenty-six year old has a mansion?" another one interjected. 

"But dude. Like I said get her out here, I want to see this chick." Said another voice I didn't recognize. Can't they just leave it alone? 

Harry still didn't say anything for a while.

"Okay. Hold on." I heard him stomp up the stairs one by one. I quietly shut my door and scooting back from the door, sitting on my bed and  bringing my knees to my chest.

He opened my door; and I looked up at him with wide eyes and he knew I was listening in on the conversation. He walked over to me and pulled me up by my arm.

"Come on." He told me when I shook my head and struggled to get out of his grip. But he continued to pull me along. 

We descended down the stairs. "I-I heard what Matt said about me. Please don't take me down there." He stopped; pondered on the thought...

But he still continued down the stairs. When the men came into view I felt like a whore the way they were looking at me. I wasn't even wearing anything skimpy. I was wearing a ratty, loose black t-shirt and, grey sweat pants.

We reached the bottom of the stairs and all of them stood up to meet us. The three other men all towered over me. The look on their faces remained me if when Dave tried to rape me when I was thirteen.

I just prayed that they wouldn't try anything, and let me go back up stairs....