Bruised, Battered And Broken.

Chapter 3

Jess laid in her bed with her back to Jack and stared at the clock. Six AM. She was wide awake, she hadn't slept for very long, if at all. The events of last night were clanging around in her head. She didn't spend a lot of time at Harry and Louis' place. She just sobbed uncontrollably into his shirt. That was the first time she had allowed herself to cry for years, and to do it into Harry Styles perfectly defined chest probably wasn't her brightest idea.

He had practically begged her not to go back, but Jess had tried her hardest to convince him that they were just going through a rough patch and that she would be perfectly fine. Harry didn't believe her she knew that, but after a few private choice words from Louis, he let her go, with the promise he would text her as soon as she got in, something she hadn't done. When she had got back in, Jack had left a key out for her in the porch and gone to bed. She'd climbed in, hadn't even cleaned her teeth as she was so scared she would wake him up, and had hardly slept since.

Rolling over she looked at Jacks pained face. He looked like he was deep in thought even in his sleep, his harsh features set in a screwed-up expression on his face. It pained Jess to look at him like this, she felt nothing for the man, anymore, and she longed for nothing else than to leave, to run away, to collect her things and start again. But she knew that she was his prize and he was never going to let her go, he would find her wherever she went. So, it was easier to just stay and take whatever he dished out. Jess gently swung herself out of bed and threw on her dressing gown. Making her way to the kitchen she noticed the smashed glass had been cleaned up and the table had been returned to its rightful place in the centre of the room. She turned on the coffee machine and set her cup underneath. Jess held her breathe as she heard movement from the bed room, she turned to the coffee machine and prepared for an eruption.

"I'll have one as well please babe, if you're making," Jack placed a soft kiss on Jess' cheek and she winced away, this was the normal after Jack had one of his episodes, he pretended like nothing had happened.

"What are you doing up this early?" Jess asked passing him his coffee, before attending to her own.

"We've got a meeting with the band today to start shooting the Pepsi advert," Jess' heart skipped a beat, but then calmed herself, knowing that Harry wouldn't say anything to Jack about what happened last night. "What's wrong?" Jack asked clearly noticing her reaction to his statement.

"Nothing," It appeared lying had become second nature to Jess now. "Is Kev happy about landing the contract?"

"He is happy about landing the boys for the contract," Jack said, "Do you want to come to work Jess?"

"Why do you want me to come with you?"

"Do I need and excuse to want to spend time with my girlfriend?"

"No I guess not..." Jess smiled her fake smile "but you know Jack, its work, you should probably go on your own," Plus she didn't want to see Harry; there was no way she could face him.

"Jess, come on, it could be fun!"

Jess just admitted defeat and nodded at that point, but she'd just ignore the boys and just fade into the background, she knew that they would be working anyway, so she wouldn't have to spend time with them anyway, and maybe they wouldn't remember what had happened yesterday. Likely.

Jess had a shower and got dressed; she always had to make sure that she was ready before Jack, so she could make sure that she could help him if he was running late. As she pulled on her jeans she couldn't help but notice how loose they were on her, they hung off her slender hips, she pulled on her white baseball top with red sleeves and white VANS. She pulled her long hair back into a little ponytail, and let some light wisps fall on her face, she set about covering the bruises with make-up, by the time she had finished, no one would have noticed that last night she was beaten again, she looked almost radiant.

"You look amazing," Jack said, taking her hand and leading her out the door. "I hope this is just for me and no one else."

The secret was, is that it wasn't Jack that Jess had found herself dressing up for, it was Harry, and it wasn't necessarily because every time Jess thought of him, she got butterflies in the pit of her stomach and she came over very inappropriate, it was more she wanted to prove something to him, she thought Jack had taken away her fight, but last night, Harry seemed to give it her back.

When she got to the studio, the boys were already there, she saw Niall first, who gave her a brisk smile and indicated her was going to get his make-up done. Then Louis, who didn't even make any sort of contact with her, he just stared at her coldly, making her wince a little, not that she blamed him, she shouldn't have got Harry involved in any of this, Liam and Zayn walked through together both on their phones, not really paying attention to anything that was going on around them, she felt hands on her shoulders and she spun round in panic, convinced that it was Jack and he knew what she was up to, she stumbled backwards and was caught just before she smashed into the ground, she looked up, straight into Harry's beautiful, green eyes.

"You didn't text me last night, I was worried," he said, helping her stand up.

"My phone was dead." Lies again. "Anyway, I was fine! Look, I'm here aren't I?"

"Great make up job," Harry raised his eye brows and looked at the scab that had formed in her hairline. "Can't hide everything though."

Jess frantically pulled her hair forward over the sore spot on her head "I'm just clumsy Harry."

"You just walked into his fist, did you?"

"Look," Jess said through gritted teeth and in a hushed tone, she pushed him away from her. "I don't know what you know, or what you think you know, but it's not like that, we just had a row."

"Stop lying to yourself, Jess... This isn't going to stop, only you can stop this, you need to walk away."

"Listen Mr. Holier-than-though-big-popstar," Jess began. "I don't know why you feel the need to get involved with someone's life you have only just met, but you don't know what you are getting yourself involved in Harry, this isn't your fight."

"And you're doing so well at fighting it yourself," Harry ran his hand through his hair. "Jess I just want to help."

"Harry," Jess was pleading with him now. "I am asking you to please leave this, I don't want you getting hurt."

"But it's ok for him to hurt you?"

Jess didn't have time to answer, Jack was at her side, sliding his snake like arm around her waist and pulling her in close, "Making the artists feel welcome are we Jess?"

"I was just asking Jess about her riding, I've heard she's quite good."

Jess stared at Harry wide eyed, was he purposely trying to wind jack up? She didn't understand how he even knew about her riding, she shifted her gaze down to the floor and felt Jacks breath quicken as she was pressed tightly into his side.

"Jess doesn't ride anymore," He answered "It's too dangerous."

"Did she have a fall?"

"She could of."

Jess looked from one man to the other, both of them staring at each other not breaking eye contact with each other, Harry was trying to push Jack's buttons and evoke a reaction from him. The thing was, unfortunately Harry didn't know Jack, he just saw him as a violent, aggressive man who couldn't control himself. But Jess knew him better. She had been on the receiving end of his beatings for years. The first beating, was because he had had an argument with his Dad about the family business, and he had come home and taken it out on her, this one time, he had lost an important contract and been shouted out in front of all his work colleagues by Kevin, that night, Jess fell down the stairs and ended up in hospital with 4 broken ribs. It wouldn't be Harry that would be taking the brunt of his anger, it would be her, and Jess couldn't understand why he couldn't see that.

"Come on Jess," Jack said, leading her away from Harry "I think Mr. Styles is needed in costume."

Jess followed him quietly, then turned around too look at Harry, who was just staring past her at Jack. "Hang on Jack, I've left my handbag on the table." She ran back to Harry and looked thankfully into his eyes. "Harry, I know you think your helping, and I am so grateful, but this is my fight, Please don't get involved, I don't want you getting hurt."