Remember That Summer

Remember The Nightmares

"Who the hell is this!?" Max yells holding up a magazine. On the cover is a picture of Harry and I getting out of the cab outside their flat. "Answer me bitch!" The magazine comes down and hits me in the face.

"We are just friends Max. I-I love you and only you baby please believe me!" I cried and screamed as he ripped at my hair. He pushed me up against the wall and punched me in the stomach, I started to cry.

"Shut up you fucking slut!" Max yells and pushes me to the floor. He starts kicking me hard in the face and stomach. I curl into a ball and scream, someone has to hear me, someone has to save me.

"No no no!" I cry. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"Kat!" Max yells and starts shaking me. I cry harder.

"Kat wake up!"

I startle awake and cover my face with my hands. "D-Don't hurt me I'm sorry!" I cry hard.

"Kat, baby, please look at me." Hands pull my own away from my face. I flinch back. Big warm hands find my face. "It's me Kat. It's me." I crack open my eyes and see Harry kneeling next to me. I look around. I am not in Chicago, I'm in London. Harry is here holding me, Max isn't. I look towards the door. Louis is standing there looking scared. I grab Harry and pull him to me. He raps his arms around me and I cry into his shoulder. "Go back to bed Lou I got her." I hear Lou mumble an unsure okay and some scuffling followed by the closing of a door.

"Harry he's gonna find me." I cry.

"Who? Kat what the hell were you dreaming about? Kicking and shaking and screaming. You looked like a goddammed exorcist. " Harry rubs my back. I cry softly into Harry's shoulder. I realise he isn't wearing a shirt and his tattoos are on display. Birds and a butterfly and a ship on his arm.

"He knows where I am Harry." I mumble. "Max, my ex-boyfriend," I feel Harry stiffen.

"He can't hurt you Kat. You are so far away from him." Harry says and strokes my hair.

"No he's right here. In my head. He doesn't have to be here physically to hurt me. He's already made his mark. See after- after we sent him away, I started having these nightmares. That somehow he'd get out of wherever he was and he'd be pissed and come and beat me until I was almost dead. I'd always wake up before I died but I knew I was dead in the dream every time I woke up. That he had killed me." I shiver. "So my mom took me to the doctor, one good thing she did for me, she never knew, my mom, that I was abused. I went to court by myself. Testified for myself. Anyway the doctor diagnosed me with PTSD, you know that thing soldiers returning home usually have, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She put me on medication and it helped with the nightmares and eventually I stopped being afraid to go out. But I don't know. It's just back."

"Kat look at me." I look at him, "I won't let him hurt you. Outside or inside." He says, I nod. "Are you gonna be okay?" Again I nod, "I'm going to go back to bed then, call if you need anything alright? Even if you think it's incredibly stupid, yell. I'll see you in the morning." Harry says wiping away my tears. The ones I left on his bare shoulder are still there. He starts out of the room. He can't leave. Max will just come back, in my head.

"Harry wait!" I call and Harry stops to look at me. "C-can you stay with me? P-please? I'm afraid." I sound like a fragile little girl. But right now I am who needs someone to chase away the bad dreams.

"Of course Kat." Harry says and crawls into the bed with me. I slide closer to him and nuzzle up against his chest. He raps his arms around me. I feel his lips on the top of my head.

"Thank you." I mumble sleepily.

"I'm not leaving." I hear right before sleep takes over me.

^-^