The Runaway 2 - N.H.

[03] There you are

Flashback

"Luke, truth or dare?" Michael asks out of the blue. We've been watching this movie for almost an hour now and we've all lost any interest we originally had.

"Truth," Luke says sitting next to me, without thinking about the question.

"Are you a virgin?" Michael asks and I freeze, pretending I'm still watching the movie.

"No," Luke says casually and turns his attention to the screen.

"With who?" Michael asks but he doesn't really sound too surprised.

"I don't kiss and tell." Luke mumbles and continues to watch the TV. I hear Calum giggle and look over to him. He looks back up to him and flashes his gorgeous smile. I smile back.

"Truth or dare Cal?" Luke asks Calum who's still smiling at me from across the room.

"Truth."

"Boring. Do you like Braeden?" Luke asks him and I look at Calum, grinning like a little boy on Christmas.

"Yes," Calum says, still smiling at me. "Braeden, truth or dare?" He asks and I shake my head at him.

"Dare." I counter him and his smile falters.

"I dare you to kiss Cal," Ashton chimes in and giggles. Ashton's friend Jasmine is next to him and I really like her, she's the only girl-friend I have here.

"Hey, it's not your dare," I point out but he's still smiling.

"Then I dare you to kiss me," Calum says and grins widely. I have to admit, I really do want to kiss him.

"And what if I say no?"

"You have to cook us dinner!" Michael yells and we all giggle. Michael always wants me to cook because I make good tacos.

"I guess I'm cooking dinner." I smile and get up to walk to the tiny kitchen in my apartment. I always have food to make tacos because Mikey makes me cook them at least three times a week.

I'm getting the food out when Calum walks into the kitchen pouting. "Why won't you kiss me?" He asks and giggles. I quickly place the meat I have in my hands on the table and stand on my tiptoes to kiss him. As soon as our lips connect he puts his hands on my waist and pulls me closer.

"Yaaass!" I hear a yell and pull away from the kiss. Michael is standing behind Calum taking a photo of us.

"Mikey." I laugh and he continues to take photos.

"You better still make me dinner though," He jokes and the three of us laugh.

----

What I'd do to have those days back... I immediately scold myself. Even then, after I'd only just met them all, there were secrets being kept.

I stare at my phone, waiting for Niall or Louis - anyone of them really - to text me, asking if I want to go to dinner or anything. It never comes.

Louis's POV

"I walked into her room once and her entire body was covered in blood." Michael says and my chest starts to hurt.

"What?" Niall asks from beside me.

"She cuts herself to feel better about but she doesn't even think about what she's doing to the people around her. She's disgusting and the worst part is she still hasn't told Calum." Michael spits at Braeden and I'm so confused. He has to be lying... right?

"That's not funny." Niall says and looks to Braeden. She looks like she's about to vomit and I just wish I could hug her.

"Oh I know. If you don't believe me, look at her thighs, they're shredded." Braeden half screams, half sobs and Perrie grabs before she can do anything.

"Are you happy?" She screams at Michael while Perrie tries to hold her back.

"No, I mean it's not funny you're breathing." Niall says angrily and steps toward Michael. I want to help her, I want to but I can't. Why can't I help her?

"Braeden!" I hear another accented scream from behind Braeden. "Michael!" The voice says again and I it sounds familiar. "Michael stop this." Luke steps into the light and he's only a few metres from Michael.

"No, he needed to know." Michael says and looks over to me. Do something. My brain tells me but I can't move.

"Know what? Michael stop it, you've hurt her enough." Luke says and steps closer to Michael.

"I hurt her? What about you? I did what I did to protect her, what you did was for your own personal gain. Was it just for the damn competition with Kyle, who could get with the most girls in a year?" What? It was all for a competition? Every fibre of me wants to punch them both in the face but I'm still frozen. "And maybe I should tell him too?" Michael says and looks back at Braeden. Luke doesn't know?

"Tell him. Fucking tell him! I honestly hope you feel better about yourself Michael. I really do." Braeden screams and starts to walk away. I want to follow her and I don't know why I can't.

Niall runs after her and I wish I could be strong for her, I wish I could be the brother she needs.

Niall comes back moments later, tears streaming down his face. "Get the fuck out of here before I kill the both of you." He growls at them and Michael starts to walk away.

Luke doesn't move before looking over at me. "I love her. I never meant to hurt her. You need to understand that I-"

"Just go." I say and laugh a bit. "You think I care wether you meant to or not? You still did! Don't ever go near her again, she doesn't need you in her life."

"I could say the same exact thing to you, you know." I glare at him and he walks away, in the opposite direction of Michael.

----

Last night is still a huge blur. We all left after that, the others constantly asking what happened but the three of us could hardly breathe. She told Perrie? Why didn't she tell me? Was it because of me...?

"Oh god." I say and run into the bathroom just in time to vomit. Tears start streaming down my face and I try to calm myself but can't.

After vomiting for three or four times, I lie down on the bathroom floor and let the tears continue to fall. I can't believe how selfish I was to ignore her for four fucking years.

"Louis? Lou, there you are I- oh my god what happened?" Eleanor asks as she walks into the room and immediately smells the vomit.

"It's my fault." I whisper and she kneels down next to me on the cold tiles. "It's all my fault."

"No it isn't Louis." She says slowly and puts a hand on my leg.

"Yes it is!" I scream and quickly stand. "It's clearly my fucking fault Eleanor!" She stares down at her lap, still kneeling on the floor and more guilt starts to surge through me. "El I'm so sorry, oh god." I kneel down beside her and she nods. "Please forgive me, baby I'm so sorry."

"Louis, hey it's okay." She gives me a small smile to assure me but I still feel like shit. "I'm okay, I promise." She whispers and hugs me.

"I broke her Eleanor. I'm the reason she's like this." I whisper barely audible.