Bittersweet (Zayn Malik AU)

Chapter Two.

I groaned as I slowly came around. My head was absolutely banging, and my nose felt funny too. I coughed and slowly sat up, wincing slightly as my head throbbed. My breathing was short and laboured; every single breath was painful. The tightness in my chest added to my plight. I leant against the wall and closed my eyes, pondering over what hurt the most. The throbbing of my head and nose, the tightness of my chest, or the aching in my heart.

It was times like this that hurt the most. The reminder that Tyler felt nothing when he looked at me, other than a sense of triumph. Tears seeped from the corners of my eyes, miserably trickling down and falling onto my shirt. For once, I didn't wipe them away. I let them fall, and soon silent tears turned in to loud cries. My shoulders shook violently as I sobbed. Tears of anguish, of how my life was become. A twenty-one year old grown woman, locked in her boyfriends' cellar like a toddler.

Slowly, the tears stopped. My chest felt better now, and the throbbing of my head and nose had dimmed slightly. I gingerly felt my nose, wondering why it was hurting. Noticing a broken shard of mirror next to the stairs, I reached for it. I held it up to my face and inhaled a sharp intake of breath.

My nose was covered with a thick layer of blood, and there was a large, bloody bruise at the side of my head. The contrast between the scarlet blood and my blonde hair was a little startling. I gingerly felt my nose, and winced when I felt a tiny bump on the bridge of it; indicating that it was broken.

Finding an old, used tissue in my skirt pocket, I quickly spat on it and used it to dab my nose clean. Raking my fingers absent-mindedly through my hair, I winced when a sharp pain shot through me. I blinked the tears away, willing myself not to cry.

My eyes scanned the sinister cellar, drinking it in. The cellar was mostly empty; except for a large, old sofa of ours and a few boxes here and there. The sofa had a jet-black sheet draped over it, giving it an incredibly scary feel. The window was caked in grease and dust and the light itself was dim, so the room wasn't very bright. I would have stood up to attempt to open the window, but I felt so dizzy.

I tucked my knees up and slipped my hand into my pocket yet again, but this time for my phone. My heart skipped a beat when I noticed the jagged crack zig-zagging across the phone. Sighing heavily, I stored it back into my pocket, choosing not to dwell on it now. At that moment, the sound of the metal key crashing against the door echoed through the room. My stomach churned in fear as the door was slowly pulled open.

Standing at the top of the stairs, dressed in a black suit, was Tyler. He was holding what looked to be a dog bowl, which was strange seeing as we didn't own a dog...

"Morning!" He said cheerily but a cruel smile covered his face.

"Did ya have a nice trip?" He smiled proudly at his lame joke. He looked down at me, a mocking smile on his face. I probably looked pathetic; curled at the bottom of the stairs with a bruised, tear-stained face and bloody hair.

"I hope you've learned your lesson, you little bitch. From now on, the only time you'll be leaving this house is if someone dies." He spat. I tapped my fingers nervously against my knees. Waiting.

"Oh, by the way, bitches are dogs right?" I eyed him warily, wondering what the fuck that had to do with anything. He zoomed down the stairs, until he was knelt in front of me. I jumped at his sudden close proximity, trying to shuffle away. He placed both his hands on my hips, stopping my movements and pressed a chaste kiss to the side of my neck.

"Answer me." He whispered. I gulped and swallowed the bile rising in the back of my throat.

"Yes, T-Tyler." I mumbled. He moved back from me, until he was towering over me. I let out a deep breath I didn't even know I was holding, and waited for him to speak.

"I figured this would be appropriate for you then." He placed the dog bowl full of cereal right in front of me, and patted the top of my head.

"Dig in!" He smirked, snickering at his wit. I swallowed the lump rising in the back of my throat, trying desperately to suppress the hurt that was threatening to take over. I opened my mouth to speak, but then immediately closed it, before opening it again.

"Why me?" I whispered, keeping my eyes fixed on the floor. The smirk slowly melted off his face, and his eyes hardened. He shot me a filthy look; as if I was a nuisance he was forced to see to.

"Because you're mine, and only mine." He snarled down at me. My eyes filled with tears, falling down onto my hand and seeping onto my clothing.

Before, I knew the chances of being able to leave Tyler was slim, but now I knew they were microscopic. Not only is he ridiculously possessive and nosey, but he's also a vampire. He can hear my every move, see 10X better and is 10X stronger than me, and he can move faster than I ever could. The only advantage I had is that he thinks that I'm too submissive and meek to even think about leaving him, but how is that supposed to help me? I was stuck with him, for the rest of my life.

I suddenly realised Tyler was still talking.

"-business trip for two days, so you'll have to amuse yourself down here. Don't worry though, this should keep you busy," He threw a yellow, chew toy for dogs at my face, hitting me square in the nose. I cried out and nursed my throbbing nose. He underestimated his own strength sometimes, so when he threw the toy at me he probably didn't think it would hurt.

He didn't notice my pain, safe to say. He never did.

The burning pain of my nose began to subside, and I stayed curled up until the pain was nothing but a dull ache.

I sat up and tried to remember what he said. Something about a business trip?

"You're going on a business trip?" I murmured, my voice raw and hoarse.

He nodded cheerily. "Yep, for two days. In fact I'm leaving in," He checked his watch, "right about now, actually." He turned to leave.

Something inside me snapped. Perhaps it was the thought of being locked in this dim, damp cellar or maybe something else entirely. Either way, I knew I couldn't let him leave.

"No! Wait, please!" I shouted, my voice the loudest it has been since he stepped into this miserable cellar.

I stood up quickly, too quickly, the blood rushed to my head causing me to feel dizzy. I leant against the wall for support until the feeling of fainting went away. As soon as it did, I rushed towards Tyler and gripped his arm tightly.

"No, please don't leave! I'm sorry, I'm sorry for everything! Just don't leave," I sobbed, feeling so degraded. He looked down at me pityingly, pushing his bottom lip out in a fake pout.

"Is liwkle Delilah scared?" He said in a baby voice. I knew he was mocking me, but I didn't care. I was desperate not to stay in this bleak cellar for a moment longer. I nodded and held his arm tighter, still crying.

"Too bad. Now get the fuck away from me before I smash your head against that wall." He spat. Slowly, my hand dropped from his arm and the tears stopped. I stepped away from him, until there was a good five metres between us.

"Have fun!" He trilled, and walked up the stairs. He blew a kiss at me, before finally locking the cellar door. Moments later, I heard him whistling merrily.

I slumped against the wall,sliding down. Looking around the dark room that would be home for the next two days, I was surprised when no tears came.

Guess I was stuck down here.