Withhold [H.S]

[Chapter 22]

Payton's POV

I sat on Styles' bed with my arms wrapped tightly around my knees while my thighs pressed deeply into my stomach and chest. I couldn't keep my eyes off of the door that would soon be opened any minute. My body was shaking ever so slightly and my breath seemed to be as loud as my pounding heart.

I was super nervous because I knew Styles will be walking in any minute firing questions at me. And who knows if that's all he'll do. Maybe he'll smack me around for not eating. After all, Zayn said he wouldn't be happy with that fact. I gulped and flinched as soon as the door opened, not giving me a chance to remember if I even heard footsteps coming towards the room or not.

Styles stared at me sharply before turning slightly to close the door shut behind him. He then flicked the switch, making me flinch again as the bright light consumed the darkness. His eyes stayed deeply focused on me, making me shake even more in my own skin. I stared at him with wide innocent eyes, afraid to set him off with any word or movement.

He eyed me quickly before taking a few steps forward, making me just barely lean away when he got closer. "Why do you look as if you're in trouble?" He finally spoke, breaking the terrifying silence. "I- am I n-not? In... trouble?" I said with a shaky voice in shock.

He looked at me more carefully before he crossed his arms. "Are you?" He asked, making me puzzled. "We'll have to see. So I heard you're not eating?" He said as I gulped. "I'm surprised that you-"
"What? That I care?" He raised an eyebrow during his interruption.

I closed my mouth slowly as he stared me down. "It's not so much of that Payton. I just don't think you should starve yourself. You need to eat. You're skinny as it is." He commented as I scoffed. "I'm not skinny. Please." I chuckled as I shook my head.

"Yeah you are. I can wrap my whole hand around your waist." He stated with narrowed eyebrows. "Well I'm not hungry. I'm not starving myself. I just don't have an appetite." I said as I now crossed my arms and slowly leaned back.

"So if I offered you food right now, you wouldn't eat it?" He asked. I shook my head before he rolled his eyes. "You will eat in this house. That is a rule, and an order." He said as he now pointed at me, his words getting bitter by the second. "I don't have to eat. That's not my rule to follow. That's ridiculous." I scoffed before he climbed on the bed and grabbed my shoulders, slamming me into the headboard.

"Excuse me? Would you like to repeat that?" He hissed as I whimpered and looked into his eyes with fear. "If you're a part of our gang, you need to have some meat on your bones. You're too skinny. Anyone can snap you like a twig. It'll be easy." He said with intimidating eyes.

"Why? So that you can eat me? What's so important about having meat on my bones?" I asked. "So that you're strong. You're weak." He said as he eyed me. "I'm not weak!" I raised my voice as he smirked.

He then leaned back before pulling me along, catching me off guard as my breath left my mouth. "If you're so tough, push me off this bed. Right now." He said as he held my arms. I looked at him before making a weird face. "What?" I asked, confused. "Push me. Off. The bed." He ordered.

"Ha, I'd be glad to. Thought you'd never ask." I commented as he narrowed his eyes at me. He then squeezed my arm super tight, making me whimper. "I didn't ask for that remark. Watch yourself." He warned.

"Sorry." I whispered before he released me. "Come on now little tough girl. Push me. Prove to me that you're not weak." He smirked as his knees sunk into the mattress. "O-okay..." I said as I looked at his chest before my hands.

I then launched my hands at him, pushing at his chest as hard as I could, waiting for him to go flying off the bed. I then frowned as he stayed in the same spot with an even bigger grin on his lips. He leaned back just very slightly, making me fluster as I realized it didn't phase him at all.