Liberosis

Chapter 16

Trigger warning: mention of sexual assault. Please do not read this chapter if this topic makes you uncomfortable or if it triggers you.

Songs to listen to while reading:

Six Feet Under – Billie Eilish

Lie – NF

"What does it look like? We're hooking up." Liam states, swaying slightly in his standing position. I feel like I'm in shock, my body feels frozen to the spot that I am sitting on.

Déjà vu.

Harry's eyes move to my own as he scans my eyes for answers but he doesn't take longer than a few seconds. Before I can even process the situation that I'm in, Harry leaps onto Liam like a lion prancing onto an impala. Except in this case, I don't feel sorry for the impala.

My mind understands the situation to a certain extent, Harry is punching Liam repeatedly. But my body refuses to catch up to my brain for me to actually move or say something. Harry is straddling Liam, pinning his body down to the ground whilst he hits his face with such force that blood has begun to spray along the bedroom floor.

Well that hasn't happened before...

It feels like one of those moments in the movies where a bomb has just gone off, my hearing is muffled and my mind feels like it's ringing. The alcohol in my system acting as a devil on my shoulder as it isn't helping me at all in this situation.

My eyes tear away from Harry when I feel something touch the side of my arm. My gaze meets a worried looking Zendaya as she mouths words that I can't hear from the ringing in my ears. She guides my body to a standing position and starts to move me out of the bedroom. I glance over my shoulder to see Louis holding Harry's arms behind his back while Zayn drags Liam's unconscious body away from Harry's grasp.

I walk with Zendaya down the stairs and to the same couch that we were sitting on earlier. Zendaya sits to my right, Hailee sits on my left and Cara kneels in front of me. "What happened Lex?" Hailee speaks in just above a whisper as if she is scared that I am going to flee with any loud sounds.

I open my mouth to say something, anything but a croak sound is the only thing I muster. "Don't cry angel..." Zendaya coos as she wipes the tears that have fallen down my cheeks without my realisation.

"I—I was going to the bathroom..." I start, my voice sounding hoarse. The three girls nod their heads in unison as a sign for me to continue. "And... And I went into the room on the right because I couldn't remember whether you said left or right..." I look at Zendaya while speaking quietly. "Liam... He followed me and he—he pinned me on the bed and he tried to... he was trying to take my pants off but I was fighting him. I promise I was fighting the whole time. He kept saying that I was flirting with him but I swear I wasn't—"

They aren't going to believe me.

Cara interrupts me by holding my face with her hands. "Shhh, it's okay. We know..." Cara reassures me before wrapping me into a hug.