Golden (HS)

Chapter 9

-Audrey-

I opened my eyes, the ceiling coming to view. I raised my head, spotting Alex seated beside me, with my mother  sitting beside her.

"Mum?" I said, my voice scratchy. Both of their heads shot up at me, my mother immediately rushing beside me.

"Audrey, honey, how are you feeling?" my mum said, kissing my forehead. I smiled at her, trying to sit up, as Alex left the room to call the doctor.

"I'm okay. I need water though." I said, trying to sit up. Mom held my hand, before moving to get a glass of water.

The door opened just as mom handed me the glass. In walked Harry and the doctor right on his heels.

"I met your boyfriend, by the way." mum said smiling at Harry, who just stared at me, as he leaned against the table opposite to my bed. His arms were crossed, as he watched us in worry.

"How are you feeling?" the doctor asked, making me glance away from my boyfriend.

"I'm okay." I replied, drinking my water. I glanced at Harry, before focusing back on the doctor.

"Do you know what happened?" I asked the doctor.

"You had just fainted. It could be due to tiredness, lack of sleep, stress, alcohol, and not taking certain medications. Have you been under a lot of stress?" he asked.

"Uhm yeah i guess." I muttered, thinking about Harry and the text I got, from the award show.

"I'd say you've got relax, Ms White. Take a few days rest and try not to stress yourself so much. Who'll be home to take care of you?" the doctor asked. 

"I will." Harry said, before I could open my mouth. 

I glanced at Alex, who understood what I wanted to say.

"Actually," she said, stepping forward, "I will be with her."

Harry looked at her, understanding that I did not want him there, making him nod, silently looking away.

"Um okay. I just want you to make sure that she's not stressed and that no unwanted pressure is put on her."

Alex nodded, taking my hand, and drawing circles in my hand.

"I'll leave you alone now." the doctor said, smiling at us and left the room, leaving only the four of us there.

"There's a ton of fans outside, so Mason is posted right outside your door, and there are other guards near the lifts and downstairs as well." Alex explained to me, making me nod.

"What exactly happened, Audrey?" mum asked me. I shut my eyes, remembering the text message. I opened my eyes, my eyes tearing up at the thought.

"I got a message." I whispered, Alex and mum listening. Harry stood on the end of the bed, arms crossed and listening.

"It was from them." I said, making mum and Alex look at each other, confused.

"Them, Alex." I said, a bewildered look in my eyes. She took a second before, she finally understood.

"Oh my gosh." Alex said, turning to mum, as my eyes met Harrys confused ones.

He didn't know yet.

"Harry, sit down." I said, patting the empty space beside me. He hesitated, but he came and sat down.

"Mum, Alex? Could you give us a second?" I asked, as they nodded, mum's eyes wide. They left, as I turned to Harry.

"You know I used to date Niall, right?" I started saying, making him nod.

"Well this one day, I went over to Niall's place, because there was supposed to be a party there. He was late, got held back in the studio, so he told me to wait at his place, and that his friends would start the party. And uh, these friends were all of Niall's childhood friends." I said, playing with Harry's rings, absentmindedly, as he watched me.

"Liam, Fel and Ed weren't with me, they all had various events to attend. I entered Niall's place, immediately face-to-face with one of Niall's friends."  I whispered, my eyes filled up just at the thought of my past.

"He seemed pretty sweet at first, asked me if I wanted a drink, and then as more people filled into the house, the more antsy I got. Niall was nowhere to be seen. This guy was pretty sweet, talked to me about Niall, asked me things and all that. But then kind of led me upstairs, I didn't let him take me to a room, so we sat on a sofa in the hallway. The upstairs was less crowded. But he- he placed his hand on my thigh." I said, tears streaming down my face. Harry picked up my hand, kissing it and wrapping his hands around it.

"He- he then said some sexual things and things he wanted to do to me. I said no, I refused, saying I wasn't interested and that I just wanted to go to Niall. But he didn't let go, Harry." I said, sobbing," "He didn't let go." 

Harry silently listened as I cried, unable to speak. I sniffed, wiping my face before looking up at him.

"He tried- he tried to touch me. He slid his hand up my thigh, trying to reach under my dress. I tried to push him off, but he wouldn't move. Everyone was too drunk around us to notice that this was happening. He held a hand to my mouth, as I cried, and he groped my chest and-" I sobbed, unable to speak further.

"He didn't get to go all the way." I said, after a moment of letting the traumatic feeling return to me. Harry held my hand, his thumbs rubbing my knuckles supportively.

"Niall walked in on that, and he saved me. He stopped it from happening. He punched the guy, until the guy couldn't breathe. He held me when I was crying." I said, nodding. The emotions slowly returned to me. The emotions from that day.

"Niall saved me." I said, shutting my eyes, as I squeezed Harry's hand. I opened my eyes, the tears still falling out.

"Niall promised me that he wont take the guy to court, I mean we should've. But he got away." I said.

"And yesterday during the award show, he messaged me." I said, pointing at my phone on the other side of the room. Harry got up to take it, sitting back down next to me.

I opened it, scrolling back to the message, and showing it to Harry. He frowned as he read it. He placed it back into my hand after he read, sighing.

"Audrey," Harry said, moving closer to me, "I want you to know, we are here for you. I think you should take this guy to court. We don't know if this message could be him, but I need you to consider taking this guy to court. And now what I'm going to do is, I'm going to take your phone to my friend, he knows how to track numbers. I'm gonna figure out if its this guy, okay? And where he is too." 

I stared at Harry as he explained this. I looked down at my hands, before looking back up at him.

"Yeah, that's alright." I muttered, making him nod. He stood up to leave the room.

"Can you tell me why you got so pissed that day?" I asked, holding on to his hand. He stared at me, his eyes not leaving mine.

"Maybe later, Aud." he said, as he removed his hand from my grasp, and he walked away from me.

Mom and Alex entered back, demanding me to explain, making me hand my phone over to them.

But my mind was elsewhere. I was suddenly thinking back to that day.

"Aud?" came Harrys voice from the door, making me snap out of my daze and look up at him.

"I forgot to ask, what was this guys name?" he asked, a soft look on his face. I in-took a sharp breath, avoiding the tears and feeling it difficult to swallow. I could never forget his name.

"Troy Mark Randell."

song of the chapter is fearless by louis tomlinson