BY ACCIDENT [L.S]

🚲 TWENTY-THREE 🚲

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
- Edited -

[ Louis' POV ]

It was almost four in the morning when I reentered the room.
I tried my best to sleep in the guest room, I tried my best to give Harry space and to let him sleep. But it was incredibly difficult. I couldn't stop my mind from spinning, I couldn't get the images of someone hurting this lovely boy out of my head.

I couldn't be away from him because I was scared. Scared I wouldn't be able to help him if anything happened.

So I returned to my bedroom where Harry was, luckily, still fast asleep.
I sat at the edge of the bed, doing everything to be quiet and not startle him awake.

I watched him carefully, running my eyes in every visible part of his body, still hating the fact that he had to come all the way here while in pain because he wasn't safe in his own house.
And, as I inspected his bare arms, I could notice that he had more bruises on his body than just the ones on his face. They weren't as visible because they mixed up with his tattoos, but still they were there. Purple, green and yellow marks on his skin. Bruises that weren't just recent, bruises that had the shape of fingertips and fingernail scratches. 

Bruises that confirmed the fact that Harry wasn't telling the full truth, and that these acts of violence had been happening for a while. It wasn't just tonight.
That Austin had crossed the line. He really did.

Suddenly, I jumped off bed when a loud ringtone cut the silence of the room.
I stumbled on my feet trying to reach for the phone before it could wake Harry.
It was his phone. And as the screen light illuminated the entire room, I could see it was an incoming call from Austin.

I shook my head in rage. If I had a word with that manky arsehole, I'd probably go to straight up murder him. So, taking a deep breath and clenching my jaw, I immediately turned it off.

Though, as I turned the volume down so it wouldn't ring again, the screen remained lit, and I could see that Austin had sent lots of messages during the night.
All of them along the lines of 'I'm sorry.' 'I didn't mean it.' 'Come home.' 'I want to make it up to you.' 

He was just a garbage person. He was toxic and abusive.
Harry needed to report him to the police. Right away. This was clearly domestic violence.

And there it was again; he was calling once more.

"Fuck!" - I said, turning my hands into fists as I contained the impulses to throw the phone out the window.

"Louis?" - I heard Harry's tired voice from the bed.

I turned to see him wide awake, resting on his elbow as he frowned at me.

"Hey." - I said and sat on the edge of the bed again. 

"Hey."

"I thought you were going to sleep until morning." - I tried to say as softly as I could after my outburst.

"What time is it now?"

"Four a.m., love."

"I slept two hours?" - He asked and I nodded.

"Do you need anything? You can go back to sleep, if you need it. I won't bother you. I'm sorry if I woke you."

"No." - He shook his head.  - "Why are you up? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." - I smiled, trying to look calm even if I was still beyond pissed at that Austin fucker.

"Something happened, didn't it? You're..." - He reached to grab my hand in his'. - "You're nervous."