What Was Lost // (Harry Styles FanFic)

Chapter 14

Sutter's POV

"Pack your shit, you're leaving." I tell Lilly, and then walk over to her closet and start pulling her clothes off the hangers and tossing them in the floor for her to put in a bag.

She's still sitting on the bed with Jo, but I'm not wasting any time. When she realizes what I'm doing, she stands up off her bed quickly, but then winces and sits back down, clutching herself.

Her shirt must rise up with her movement, because Jo's eyes are focused on her back. I see her mouth drop open and she pulls Lilly's shirt up the rest of the way on her back. Her face pales and her lips start quivering.

Lilly pulls away from Jo's reach and goes to move her shirt back down, but I'm striding over from the closet in just a few steps and I grab her shirt out of her hand and look at her back for myself.

She has deep blue and black bruises that are in lines all across her whole back. She has some spots of red where the skin was torn and is finally starting to heal.

I can't even form words, or thoughts,  because I'm so mad. And I'm so broken for Lilly, and what she must have gone through. Has been going through for the last seven days without anyone to look after her.

"I'm sorry, I can't..I have to go." Jo says, putting her hand over her mouth as she's crying. She walks out of Lilly's room and it's so quiet in the house, I hear the garage door shut behind her.

I finally find my voice. "How long has this been going on?"

     She looks up at me, worried. "I told you, since I was a little bit younger."

     "That's not what I mean." I say back, in a voice I don't even recognize. I didn't realize it was possible for me to get this angry. "I would have noticed marks and bruises like this, Lilly. I'm asking how long has he been beating you this badly?"

     She looks outside her window, like she wants to escape. "About two and half years."

     I fall to my knees. About two and half years. Exactly the amount of time that I've been gone, and right when I left and told her she had to move back into this house.

     That I couldn't take her with me, where she would have been safe.

     I lean forward to the ground and put my head in my hands. My eyes swim with liquid, because I'm so mad and so miserable at the same time. How. How could I let this happen to her? How could I not have figured this out?

     "How could you not tell me this?" I ask her, and do nothing to try and mask the pain in my voice.

     I hear the bed shift and she sits on the floor beside me. "Please look at me." She says softly.

    I look up at her, and I don't know what she sees in my eyes, but it makes her break down too. She pulls on my arms, wanting me to come to her, so I do.

     I wrap her up as gently as I can, and try to convey with my body that I will protect her from now on, and I will never let this happen to her again.

    I'll kill him if that's what she wants me to do.

    "Answer my question, please." I talk into her hair, not willing to move us from our embrace. This is the first time she's initiated any touching between us, and it simmers the rage inside me.

     "I was embarrassed, Sutter. Your parents are supposed to love you, not despise you so much they get a kick out of hitting you."

    "I can't believe this has been happening since we were kids. I'm some kind of fucking idiot to have never figured it out, or known, or to ask you more about the bruises."