t w e n t y - f o u r

My teeth chattered together occasionally on my walk back to my flat. I pulled my coat around me as tight as I could but it didn't do anything. The air was cold and I wanted more than anything to be in bed with 5 different blankets and Evie on my lap. When I moved out and went to live with Liv I had to leave Evie at my dad's and Carol's because our flat didn't have a garden. It had a small balcony with a few plant pots on but whenever Liv or I went out there the old woman from bellow us would always yell up and tell us we were too heavy and making the planks creak which worried her so really we didn't have a balcony at all.

"Aren't you a pretty picture," a raspy voice said from behind me as I was walking up the small hill near my flat. I smelt weed before I'd even heard the voice and when I turned my head to look the disgusting scent hit me right in the face and made me cough a little.

I didn't respond to the man and carried on walking, speeding up just a tiny bit.

"Oi sexy bum," I felt a hot hand grab my wrist, "Don't you wanna have some fun?"

"Get off me!" I said loudly and tried to push his hand off but he just grinned and gripped my wrist tighter, making me wince in pain.

"Take you hands off-" my mouth was covered by another hot hand, making my words inaudible. I struggled but the man held me tightly and I couldn't get him off.

"Now I wonder what kind of stuff you like huh..." he said in a hushed voice and pushed me to the side of the pavement into the brick wall of a house.

"Help!" I tried to scream but his hand muffled my words so they were only hums.

"Your very sexy," he said and suddenly I felt his dry lips on my neck kissing up and down. I shook my head but it didn't do anything, his hand that was over my mouth was now holding my entire head still.

"Get the fuck off of her!"

I stopped struggling when I heard the voice that always made me calm and I watched as the disgusting man was yanked off of me by Niall. Maybe it was a good thing that he basically stalked me. I was left desperately trying to wipe my neck while Niall yelled at the man.

"What do you think your doing?" he shouted right in the man's face.

"Alright lad, chill out. Maybe you should just go yeah?" even the man's voice made me want to vomit.

"Go? I just saw you tryna have sex with her in the middle of the street you asshole, I ain't going anywhere," Niall said in a steady voice.

"You don't even know the girl," the man said pointing at me. I was still pressed against the wall, scared to death and I couldn't move even though I wanted to run to Niall and hide behind him because I knew he wouldn't let the man lay another touch on me.

"So what? I'm not gonna just ignore what's going on here," Niall looked at me for the first time since he'd pulled the man off me and I couldn't stop the tears from falling when my feet finally moved and I tried to run to him.

"Now just hold on a second," the man said and grabbed my wrist once again making me look at Niall with terrified eyes, "How about me and you take a little walk quickly and I'll apologise," the man looked at me and I swallowed.

"No," I said through clenched teeth.

And then there was a loud, ear hurting crack that made me jump. I didn't know what happened until 5 seconds after the noise when my cheek started burning. It wasn't burning like when you burn yourself on the side of the oven or accidentally touch the only-just-boiled kettle. No. It was the burning you get when you are slapped so hard by another person that it makes you want to cry out in pain.

"You fucking bastard!" Niall shouted at the top of his voice as he swung an incredibly forceful punch at the man which made the man loose his balance and take a few steps away from me. I ran behind Niall quickly, holding my cheek with my hand because it hurt so much, and watched as the man felt his jaw where he had been punched.

"Don't ever touch her you dick!" Niall yelled and punched the man again in the cheek. The man stumbled to the side and groaned in pain.

"Niall let's go," I said to him as he raised his arm for another punch. I put my hand on his bicep and he turned around straight away with eyes that cared only for me.

"Your cheek," he said quietly and lifted my chin up and pulled my hand off my cheek so he could see it properly.

"I'm fine," I shook my head slightly and he pulled his hand away straight away, "Just... where's your car?"

"This way," he said and we walked away just as the man was straightening back up.

His car wasn't far, just across the road and up. It smelt like him and he smelt just as I remembered, musky vanilla. When I climbed into the passenger seat I almost fell asleep on the seat because it was so comfy.

"Niall?" I almost whispered. I didn't look at him when I said his name but I saw that he turned to look at me.

"Yeah."

"Thank you," I was sat upright with my legs pulled right up to my chest because I was so scared.

"What for?" he asked almost as if what had just happened was something he went through on a daily basis.

I turned my head so my ear was resting on my knee, "For what you did back there. That man was really disgusting and he was trying to-" I began crying half way through my sentence and even though I couldn't see him properly, I knew Niall's face was sad.

"I know what he was doing Lily, you don't have to say it," Niall reassured me in a soft voice.

I sniffed and carefully wiped my eyes to try and get rid of any mascara that might have began to run down my cheeks but I winced when I put pressure where the man had slapped me. Niall noticed my wince and I felt my hair get pulled back so he could see my cheek that I knew was bright red.

"Let me see your cheek," Niall said in a sort of commanding way.

"No. I said it's fine, ok?" I snapped and covered it with my hand so Niall couldn't see but he just pushed my hand down and out of the way. I winced again when he brushed his fingers against it lightly, not at the pain but how strange it felt having his hand on my face again.

"Get your seat belt on," Niall said suddenly and adjusted himself in his seat so he would be able to drive.

"Why?"

"I'm taking you back to mine cause you need to get some ice on that," Niall said, turning the keys so the engine roared quietly to life.

"What? No you are not!" I protested but when I tried to open my door I realized Niall had locked it so I was forced to stay in the car. I refused to put my seat belt on. I didn't care if I was acting like a bitch, but when Niall started driving I got scared and pulled my seat belt across me in one quick movement. I was far to paranoid to ride in a car without a seat belt on.

I wasn't sure how long the drive was. I kept almost falling asleep the entire time but whenever I shut my eyes Niall beeped the horn loudly which made me jump and him laugh. His laugh. His beautiful, wonderful, joyful, happy and many more words laugh. I hadn't realized how much I'd missed it until he had laughed and I never wanted him to stop.