Keeping Hope

Tyler took a step closer to Emma. "You don't know who Hope is? God, this is fun" He laughed out loud.
"Leave her the fuck alone" Harry shouted.
"This brings back memories, right Styles?" Tyler reaches out, running a finger down Emma's jaw. She was too scared to move, glancing down at Harry, tears trapped in her eyes.
"Fuck you Tyler! I will kill you motherfucker!" Harry broke through the hold of the two guys, pushing them aside as he got up to his feet. Tyler turned to punch Harry. Emma seeing what was about to happen reached out to stop him.
"Don't touch me bitch" Tyler yelled punching her in her face, making her fall onto the pavement, triggering boy and dog to launch themselves onto Tyler.

Emma's POV

My cheek bone was burning. I felt as my whole face was broken from the punch. I pick myself up watching Harry and Hoover attack Tyler, his friends long gone, too scared to stay and help.
"Harry- STOP- Hoover come here" I say. The dog listens to me, pacing to my side.
Harry kept on punching and cursing Tyler, accusing him of costing him two year of his life
"You pinched two years of my life! Screwing my family! Lying! Making me take the fall! You will pay you piece of shit"
"Harry- Harry stop- you'll kill him" I wrap my arms around his waist trying to pull him back.
"Get away from me" He pushed me, making me fall back. Hoover jumped up at him growling.
"What? So the girl pets you and you take her side?" Harry looks down at him, finally stopping. Harry walks over pulling me to my feet and down the street away from Tyler.
"Harry- we need to go back- we need to see he's all right" I say trying to break his hold on my arm.
"Are you out of your mind? The guy punched you in the face and you want to go back?"
He kept on walking pulling me after him.
"Harry- let me go- I want to go back" I say "That was Jen's boyfriend right? You can't just leave him there"
"Watch me" He hisses
"Why did you do that? Why did you pick a fight with him? You can go back to jail for that"
Harry then turns to face me. His eyes black with rage
"I picked a fight? You have no Idea what you're talking about" He spat
"First of- Yes you were- and second let me go" I swipe at his fingers with my free hand "This is crazy! How can you beat up someone like that and just walk away?" I exclaim "I must go back"
"You can't- he punched you damn it- and you want to go back? He will do it again- he's done it before- If you go I will not come and save you" He threatened
"What do you mean he's done it before? You're talking crazy" I am full of despair. Harry was starting to scare me. Shouting and blaming Tyler for crazy things.
"You think you know it all ha? Well you know fucking nothing" He hissed in anger.
"So tell me" I say calmly, promising myself I will not raise my voice at him- I will stay relaxed even though I am scared shit.
"Like you share your secrets with me? So are we friends now? Now you suddenly care? After wanting to go back and see if that fucker is ok? Two can play this game Emma- Why can't you swim ha? What did you mean when you said 'not again'? Tell me!" He grabbed my arm again pulling me closer to him as he looked down his nose at me. I froze. I haven't realized I said anything about the last time this happened to him.
I look up at him my eyes wide with alarm.
"You see you don't share- so I won't share" He chuckles an evil sound coming out of his mouth.
"I can swim" I say without thinking. I used to know how, but after the incident I just couldn't do it, I just couldn't go into the water again.
"Oh you can? Well let's see how good of a swimmer you are- since the last time I saw you sink rather than float" Harry was pulling me to the back of a dark house. I tried to slow him down begging him to let me go but he just wouldn't listen. When we reach the back of the house I can see the dark waters of a pool. Fear took over me- he wouldn't- would he?
"Harry please- please don't" I plead with him, struggling to break his hold on my wrists.
"Why the hell not? Show me what a swimmer you are" He paced towards the pool pulling me after him.
"Harry please" I was getting a panic attack, my vision glazed as tears filled my eyes. I was trying to catch my breath, to swallow down the fear that caught in my throat.
"Ready? Here we go"

Harry's POV

I turn to look at her. I stop as I catch the tears running down her cheek, the terror in her eyes. Yes, I wanted her scared- she needed a good dose of it, though I didn't want her terrified. She was white as a ghost, her heels planted into the ground trying to slow me down. When my eyes meet hers she squeezes them shut. I let go of her wrists and she falls to her knees, her legs to shaky to hold her. I did this to her. I made her so scared, I made her cry. What the fuck was wrong with me?
"Emma" I bend down to her. "Emma- I'm sorry" I say softly.
She was sobbing, her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking. I am such a dick.
How did I become like this? I used to dry girls tears, not make them fall from their eyes. I was always a dick, I always got into fights- throw a punch at any face that asked for it, not able to control my temper- But I treated girls nicely, that’s why I always was able to get a girl- a one nighter- better than anyone else- that was my secret- treat her with respect and she'll come, so how the fuck did this happen. I reach out and take the pink strand between my fingers, running it through them. Her hair was so soft, not like some of those girls hair which was sticky from all of the shit they put in it.
"Emma, I'm a dick- I didn't mean to scare you like this- I'm sorry look at me- please" I say.
Slowly she removes her hands from her face. Her cheeks and eyes are red from her crying.
She isn't angry- but hurt, and that was much worse than anger. I extend my hand to wipe her cheek, but she moves back.
"Fair enough" I say, letting my hand drop.
She then takes out her phone, dials and puts it up against her ear.
"Ni? Can you please come and get me?" She says
"Elm drive" I whisper the name of the street.
"On Elm drive… Just come please" She hangs up the phone. "You better get out of here, before Niall sees you" I sniffle.
"Listen Emma, I didn't mean that- I just got caught up in it and- I'm not like that" I try to take her hand in mine, but she shifts back.
"I want you to stay away from me Harry" Her hair fell to her face, and I so wanted to push it back for her, touch it again, but I knew better.
Head lights turn onto the street, the SUV stopping next to us, and Niall got out of the car slamming the door.
"Em- What happened?" He reached out to her, gently taking her cheeks in his palms turning her head slightly taking a look at the purple mark that started to appear on her cheekbone.
"I will fucking kill you" He turned to me, his fist colliding with my jaw. Hoover barked ready to jump up at him. But I hold him back, biting back my own anger, knowing I deserved that.
"NO- Ni" Emma jumps in to pull him away from me "He didn't do this" She said quietly as Niall turned his head to look at her.
"Then who did?" He demanded to know. She looked at me carefully. She looked so delicate. Tyler will pay for that mark on her face. I added that to my mental list.
"Were you with her when this happened?" Niall turned her face- so I can see the mark clearer.
"I was" I answered him, head held high. I am not afraid of him, he doesn't intimidate me at the least.
"So this happened under your watch?" He shouted at me
"His watch? What am I two?" Emma started getting cross.
"I told you to stay away from him! I told you he was bad news! You had to go find out for yourself? Get your face marked?" Niall turned his shouting at Emma.
"Wow really smooth bro" I clap my hands at that. Emma looked as if she got slapped by him.
"You know what? I'm sorry I called you, I going home, you two can stay here for all I care" With that Emma turned and started walking.
"Go with her" I motion to Hoover. He looks up at me and then trots over to Emma, stopping to walk her pace.


Emma's POV

My cheek is burning, the salt from my tears not helping. I jump when I feel something touch my hand. It was only Hoover, for some reason he came with me.
"Hiya Hoover" I smile at him.
I was stupid to call Niall- of course he would start shouting. What was I thinking?
And Harry! He was ready to throw me into the water, knowing I don't swim. He saves me from drowning, takes me home, makes me tea, and then he is screaming and shouting, pulling painfully at my arms towards a swimming pool. He was mental- completely mad.
And those things he was yelling at Tyler? I mean, Tyler is quite creepy, I don't know what Jennifer is doing with him- even Zayn seemed better than him- But blaming him for his time in Jail and all of those things he said? That was mad.
I reach my street, walking up Harry's driveway to get Hoover home. I notice Niall's car parked outside.
"Hi Anna, I just brought Hoover back, thanks for letting him join me" I smile when she opens the door. I stand with my left side to her, so she can't see my right cheek.
"Thank you! Have a goodnight love" She smiled as she let Hoover in and closed the door. I stride through the grass that separated the two driveways to find Niall sitting on the front steps.
"I'm sorry" He said when I stopped in front of him crossing my arms over my chest.
I study his face. He was truly sorry, his blue eyes sparkling up at me.
"Oh Niall" I take a few steps and sit beside him.
"What were you doing with Harry Emma? And at Night?"
"I was walking his dog, and I met Sam on the way, and we heard people fighting- it was Harry and Tyler and two of his friends, and it just took a bad turn" I huff
"I told you Harry is bad, this isn't the first fight you've seen him in, you should have walked away"
"Trust me, I've learned my lesson" I rest my chin on my palm looking out at the street.
"So, how bad was it? In the water today?" Niall finally asked
I took a moment before answering him.
"It was- I was ready to give up, I had a flashback to the last time, I could feel her hands on my shoulders weighing me down" I turned to look at him "I thought it was you- pulling me out, but it was him, why didn't you jump in Niall?" I wanted to know. He is my family, he knows about what happened last time- he was there, so why was Harry the one to save me?
"I was about to. But Harry jumped in before me, I'm sorry Emma, I haven't been keeping my promise"
"I want to stay home tonight, would you sleep over?" I decided to let it go. It was water under the bridge. I was safe, so I was better off forgetting what happened, and locking the past up.


Emma and Niall got up and entered the house. Emma was ready for a new beginning, putting the past away, but the past always comes back to haunt you, look at Harry, he knows about that best, if you don't face it you will sink faster than she did in those waters.
Maybe she did need Harry after all, he could help her, he has done it before, and maybe, just maybe if they help each other, they both can be saved.

Notes

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