Hope «h.s.»

Fourty-One.

Chapter 41:

Everyday seemed the same now.

Jazz gave me a fresh bruise as "payback" for his black eye and multiple bruises scattered on his body from whom I'd assume was Terrance. He took me to shower, I put on a new dress, I met with Terrance, I said nothing to him for a whole hour while he ate, he threatened me and everything I valued, I got dragged back to the chair, and I sat. Repeat.

Sometimes I was lucky if the affable lady came to give me food. Food seemed like it was given to me as a treat for good behavior. I felt like a pet, not a human being anymore.

But this day started out more miserable. I woke up to the empty room feeling ten degrees colder than what it used to have been. The dress already did nothing to trap my body heat, so the air felt like a snow blanket on my skin.

"Help!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. "Um," I leaned my head back to try and think of how to phrase this. "I have to use the bathroom!"

It was like I was going insane. Usually the rule was if you ate almost nothing, you have to use the toilet less. But I needed some way to get out of this chair. I needed to drink some water too. And use the bathroom.

But then I heard something.

I could have sworn I heard Harry Styles voice.

The voice behind the wall whispered "Piper?"

It was Harry's voice. I knew it for a fact.

I wanted to yell "Harry" but I felt as if it was useless. How in the world would he be able to find me? It was ridiculous. I was ridiculous. I was probably going insane. My mental state was definitely not at it's best. I wanted to hear his voice so bad that my ears were making me hear him.

About an hour later, my prayers were answered. In walked Jazz to take me to shower.

He silently untied me and grabbed me underneath the arm.

"Walk." And I did just that. I was on a mission.

As I undressed, I didn't dare to look at myself in the mirror. I know I looked horrible. There was no color in my face, my cheek had zero life left in them, my eyes were baggy, my hair was flat, and my skin was dry.

Of course, the shower only had a bar of soap which I usually utilized effectively. But I felt no desire to wash away what would just come back. I saw no hope in the simple bar of soap anymore. It was getting too small for use anyways.

Instead, I cupped some water in my hands and drank. The water tasted especially hard, but it made my neck loosen up a bit and my head stop throbbing from dehydration as I swallowed more and more of it.

All of a sudden I heard a loud bang. It wasn't the door or something crashing into the wall. It sounded like a gun.

A gun.

I quickly shut off the water stream and jumped out. I was scared out of my mind. The shooter could come in here at any moment. I dried my face and then my body and quickly put on the surprisingly short dress with the heels. I figured if I had to run, it would be inefficient to be in heels. So I took them off.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the door.

I shrieked and held my arms out as I caught Jazz who was falling more and more as I opened the door. I almost toppled over with his weight.

As soon as I saw the blood, I shrieked again. Jazz was dead. He was the victim of the bullet. He was shot right in the center of the chest.

Who would shoot Jazz? He was the one who worked here...

Questions buzzed through my mind as I sat down and cried with Jazz's dead body in my lap. I know he didn't deserve my tears in the slightest, but I had to break down.

"Piper?" said a voice.

I didn't even notice anyone else in the hallway as I cried. I slowly lifted my head and wiped my watery eyes.

I could not believe my eyes. It was Max. Max Jones was holding the gun.

"Did, did you do this?" I said between sniffles.

"Oh my gosh it's you!" Max cheered. "And yes. I saved your sorry ass."

I didn't know what in the world he was doing here and I didn't know if I could trust him at all. That is, until I heard his next words.

"Harry get in here! She's in here!" Max yelled.

"What?" I whispered in disbelief, shoving Jazz off me completely.

And to my good fortune, Harry walked out from a room I'd never been in. Our eyes locked across the long hallway. I smiled as my dreadful tears turned into happy tears. Harry ran.

"Oh my fucking god, you're alive!" Harry cheered as he got close enough to not have to yell.

"Well I'm going to try and find a safer way out," Max said and was quickly gone.

Harry almost tackled me against the wall. He did not waist any time putting his lips feverishly onto mine. He cupped my jaw with one hand and tugged on my wet hair with the other. I was in no state to handle this much emotion.

I slightly pushed him back to get some air. "I'm sorry," I cried and let my head fall into his chest.

"You don't have to be. I'm here. I won't let them hurt you anymore," Harry said and I one hundred percent believed him. I fisted his t-shirt with my grimy hands. He smelled like his famous cologne. God, I missed that. I missed him. I loved him.

"I love you," I mumbled into his shirt.

He sighed and wrapped his arms tightly around my small frame. "I love you too," he said and my heart skipped a few beats. "Jesus, you lost like twenty pounds. Have you been fed?"

I slowly shook my head. "Not that much."

"That needs to change immediately," Harry said. I giggled, lifted my head, wiped my eyes one more time and pecked his lips, savoring the flavor.

"God I missed you," Harry muttered.

I finally had hope. I could go back home once Max came back. It was a miracle that Harry came to save me one more time. I was determined for it to be his last.

"So someone finally came for you. Good because I was beginning to think you were a lost cause."

Harry and I both turned our heads to see Terrance's beaming face.