Thorns

chapter forty-three.

zayn.

It all happened at once, his fist flying towards the side of my face and everything just blacked out, I didn't have time to register who had punched me or why. It just happened. Everyone surrounded me all at once and my head was spinning. What was going on? Why am I on the floor? It made no sense. Everyone was in the way, Perrie carressing me. All at once I see her panicked expression, her mouth dropping open as she takes it all in.

"What happened?" She mouthed but I shake my head, not knowing how else to reply.

"Mummy!" Lucy cried, running towards her and hugging her legs.

"Luce, what happened?" She crouched down to her level and I see Lucy's tears run.

Lucy doesn't reply and throws herself onto Rose, I see her wince in pain but she ignores it, holding onto her tightly. I see her trembling hands and I know she's scared, but she doesn't acknowledge her own fear, mumbling things quietly to Lucy.

"What are we going to do? We have a concert tonight!" Louis shouts at nothing.

"Did anybody see the man's face?" Paul speaks, phone in hand.

"His face was covered, nobody even got his height or anything, it happened too quickly."

"How did he get in? Fùck!" I shout, hitting my palm against the ground.

I rub my face, wincing at the pain. I stand up but everyone still surrounds me. A bottle of water is thrusted into my hands and I take three gulps and it's gone. My face throbs and I feel like it's swelled. I hated it.

"I need pain killers! Fück!" I scream, shoving everyone away.

"Rosie." My voice softens as I take in her appearance. She was shielding Lucy away from me, eyes wide in terror.

"H-hotel. We're going- hotel." She stuttered, stumbling as she grabs Lucy's hand and follows Lou. Lou looks back sympathetically, taking Rose's hand in hers.

rose.

The shouts, the hitting, the crying, the screaming. My head spun in my hands as I tried to separate Carl and Zayn. My mind could't function right, the bruising, the shouting, the swearing. Lucy was fast asleep beside me, hands gripping onto my shirt and refusing to let go. I didn't mind missing the concert, there were going to be plenty of others.

"Are you okay?" Lou turns to look at me and I give her a quick nod, not wanting to distract her from her phone.

"Hey, we're here."

"Thank you Lou. I don't know what I'd do without you." I speak, carrying Lucy with a grunt of pain, walking into the hotel.

"Have you got your room key?" She asked, causing me to blush.

"Here, you can stay in my room." She smiles, leading me towards the lift.

When finally in her room, I let Lucy sit on the sofa whilst I made my way to the small kitchen, filling two glasses of water. I make my way over to her, handing her the glass and making sure she had sipped some before placing it back down onto the sofa.

"You're honestly such a great motherly figure to her." Lou commented, startling me slightly. I thought she had left.

"Aren't you supposed to head back?" I ask her, ignoring her previous comment which I thought was false.

"Yeah, I just need that picture of you because you're probably heading to bed soon!"

"Oh, right okay." I sit down onto the chair she hauls out for me whilst she runs into her room, probably to grab make-up remover.