Five Lovestories

I was wrapped into a thick blanket, and I was leaning against a police car. The police had only been here for a few minutes, but they were already cordoning the place. People were everywhere, looking and whispereing.
In the ambulance, Harry was sitting with doctors, making some tests. He had a slight crack in his arm, but except the bruises and the blood that was covering him, he was going to be okay. I felt bad, for not being with him like a genuine girlfriend. But I had been fooled that Liam was dead, and now, here he was. I needed to talk to him, he needed to explain things. I had asked the ambulance driver if Harry needed to go to the hospital, and in that case, of course I would go with him. But then Liam would have to come with us. The ambulance driver told me that Harry needed to go in, just to x-ray his skull.

"Okay, I'm coming with you." I said and squeezed Harrys hand, the one who belonged to the non-broken one.

But the police wouldn't let me go, since this now was a huge crime scene, and I had been a part of it. I needed to stay for notes and questions, and surprisingly, so did Harry.

"I'm sorry, but he needs to go to the hospital." The driver told the police.

"Ah, come on. The boy will be alright." The police said, and we all stared at him. "Let him stay, just for a few questions."

"I don't know if.."

The driver was interrupted by Harrys raspy, weak voice.

"It's fine, let me stay a while.." He pressed out.

I was relieved that Mark and his gang wasn't here anymore, that they had been brought to the station. That was where they all belonged, behind bars. It felt like I could finally breathe again.
The police asked Harry a few questions, how many he fought, how he found me, how it all happened. I already knew everything, so there was no point for me to listen. Instead, I walked over to Liam, who was leaning against his own car. He was talking to someone on the phone, but when he saw me, he said goodbye with a smile, and hung up.

"Who was that?" I asked.

"It was.." He started, and smiled bigger than ever. "It was Ruth."

My heart dropped, just like when Harry and Liam came to save me.

"Oh God.." I said and felt the tears streaming out as I hugged Liam hard. "I thought.. I thought I killed her.."

"No, you didn't.." Liam said while slowly, and calmly rubbing my back.

I pulled away and shook my head in confusion.

"Tell me everything! How can Ruth be alive? And why are you here, and not in a bodybag?"

Liam leaned back again on the motor head, and took a deep breath.

"Well, it's simple really. I was driving on the road, and I was thinking as hard as I could. I needed to come up with a plan to save her, remember?"

I nodded eagerly.

"Well, I had finally come up with a decent one, and I decided to go with it. The plan itself is not important now, but it basically meant that I sacrificed myself for Ruth."

"What do you mean?" I interrupted.

"I mean, that if I would get Ruth out of there, I would get killed."

I swallowed hard to try to prevent the lump of sadness to get up again.

"But that was of course something I was willing to do.." He said, and really looked like he was trying not to cry either. "But I was a almost there, when.."

"When Marks gang came and tried to kill you? Yeah, he told me.." I said.

But Liam looked confused.

"No, that's not what happened.. What happened was that I got a call."

"From Mark?!" I asked.

But Liam laughed.

"Kath, this story ends good, let me finish." He chuckled. "I got a call from Nicola. She asked me if I had heard anything new about Mark, and then I remembered.. I hadn't even told her that Ruth was in danger, and that I was about to go and save her! So, it took a while, but eventually, I told her.. And you know what she did?"

I shook my head.

"She laughed."

What? Liam saw my confusion, grinned and continued.

"She told me that I didn't have to drive any further. She had went to Ruths place and picked her up when she was leaving for the airport, so they were both safe. It was Marks gang that was stupid, and thought she was still here."

Though everything that had happened this night, I allowed myself to laugh. A relieved laugh.

"Thank God their brains are so small.." I chuckled, which Liam joined me in.

"Yeah.."

Suddenly, we were interrupted.

"Excuse me?" A man with a suit asked between me and Liam.

I turned to him, and was filled by suspicions by his serious look on his face. He had a trim beard, a combed hair, and looked like a man in his 30's. Behind him was a small crew, both colleagues and photographers.

"You're Kathleen, right?" The man asked and held out his hand.

I accepted it, and nodded.

"Good. And you must be.. Liam?"

"Yes, sir." He nodded and shook his hand too.

"I'm Bart Whyle, I'm a homicide detective. So, Kathleen. We need to.. have a little conversation, about everything that happened tonight."

"Yeah, sure, but I've already talked to the po-"

"You only give the basic facts to the police." Bart said with a grin. "You tell me every detail."

I looked at Liam.

"Uhm, okay.." I said. "But I'm pretty sure I've already told the police everything.."

"No, you were stressed after the horrible scenes you'd just lived through, and you thought several of your friends were dead. You could not possible have told them everything the minute they pulled you out of that dark alley."

I stared at him with disbelief.

"But now, when you're more calmed.. Tell me everything."

I sighed. I guess he was right. And I didn't want an enemy on the police-side.

"I was just walking from the restuarant, and.." I stopped and saw how they all were writing down notes after every word I said. "Uhm, yeah, I was walking from the restuarant and then someone, Mark, grabbed me into this alley. And then, Mark was.. well.."

The memories came past my mind again. How he had held me against the wall, breathed in my face, and ripping my dress apart. I swallowed, and reverted to the speaking.

"He started to tear my dress apart.. And threat me.. And.."

"Babe." Liam said when he saw my tears, and held me. "You don't have to do this."

"Get off her, she does have to." Bart snapped.

"It's fine." I said low, and Liam nodded. "Well, then Harry came and started to take Marks gang down, and then Mark let go of me and I ran away to call the police, and then Mark came to get me again.."

"And then what?" Bart asked.

"Well, meantime I was calling the police, he had beated Harry up, and he was just about to.. rape me, when Liam came and saved me."

I looked up on him and smiled.

"Okay, so, ehm.. I have a few questions.. Where were you going?"

"To Apple-Hill, a party." I explained.

"Oh, I know the owners on that café. Well.. when you were walking.. why did you walk that way?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, there are so many streets to walk on, so many safe, big sidewalks, in the centre of the town. Why walk just here?"

"I haven't exactly been here before, it's my first semester of college, so I didn't know exactly which sidewalk to go on.."

"But you knew where Appel-Hill was, right?"

He was starting to irritate me, where did he wanna come?

"Yeah, duh, you can see it from like every angle in this town..?" I said annoyed.

"Yeah, but still.. You told the police that you were on the sushi-restuarant around the corner, but if you walk out of there, Apple-Hill is right in front you you."

"What's your point?" I asked with my arms crossed.

"Why didn't you walk straight forward, towards the Appel-Hill? Why go in the wrong direction?"

I tried to remember, and I did. It was because I needed a moment for myself, and my eyes were filled with tears. I couldn't see or think straight. But how would I explain that to Bart? Then I would have to explain why I was crying.. And even though it was wrong of Harry, I still didn't want him to get into trouble because of it.
I chose to ignore the question.

"Where is this leading?"

"Well, it's just a little weird, everything that has happened.. It's just doesn't seem.. realistic.."

"Are you.. are you accusing me of lying?" I stuttered.

He didn't seemed shocked at my question.

"I've been working in this business for a long time, sweetie. I know when a case is fake, or real."

"So you're telling us that.. all we have told you, is fake?" Liam asked.

"Wait, what?" Harry asked.

He had been sneaking up on us, and listening to our conversation.

"Well.." He started. "You don't really have any evidence, I mean, Mark and his gang could equally be the ones that got beat up by you guys."

"How can you be working in the homicide busniess? You're stupid." Harry said.

Bart smiled, and lightly shook his head.

"Like I said, the story seems fake. You would think so too, if you were the one hearing it."

"Yeah?!" I screamed. "What about being the one living it? You can't just expect us to have evidence on something like this, it's not like we recor-!"

But then I went mute. I couldn't be any happier that the smartest moment of my life, happened right now.

"What is it?" Liam asked when he saw my lit up face.

"We did record it!" I said, and looked at Harry, and down at his chest.

"Oh, right!" He said and unplugged the camera from his chest, while I did the same.

"We do have a camera!" I said towards Bart.

We were led to a tent, with computers inside. Bart and the rest of the cops waited outside, as Harry and I connected the little cameras in a computer.

"Okay, here we go.." He said and pressed 'fast forward'.

I was proud, and glad that he even managed to stand up.

"So, this was filmed from two angles, from your, and my.. Which one should we show to them?" He asked.

"Mine. It shows what Mark said to me when you weren't there." I said low.

I realized that it came out wrong, and Harry looked up at me.

"Hey.. I really am sorry.. for what happened between us.."

"Yeah. I know. It's fine."

But right after the words were said, I could hear something from the computer. Of course, it was the scene from the bathroom.

"Harry.. Harry! Stop it!"

It was pretty awkward, but Harry fidgeted.

"Babe, please.. It's almost my last day, so let's just do it.."

Harrys eyes grew at hearing his own words on the tape.

"Oh, God.. I didn't.. I didn't know what I was talking about.." He said, sounding sad. "Shit, I really am a dick.."

"It's fine." I repeated.

"No, it's not! Look at how you're trying to get off me!"

I looked at the screen, and he was right.

"Cut the crap, Harry!" I screamed on the tape. "I love you, okay? But I don't like this side of you!"

Harry became even more upset.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked.

"Yes, I promise.."

"Because, God, I swear, I don't know what came over me.."

"Harry!" I screamed, and he stopped. "I forgive you, okay? I love you, thay's why!"

I hugged him, and after being numb for a few seconds, and probably wondering "why is she hugging me when I'm the one who should be begging for forgiveness?", he finally hugged me back.

"I love you too." I said in my hair, and hugged me harder than he had ever done.

I pulled away and looked up at him. He looked terrible, but yet, here he was. Standing up, walking, even screaming at me and hugging me hard. He really did everything for me.

"I'm gonna cut out the part where you.. well, you know.." I whispered.

"You are?" He asked with big eyes. "God, I love you.."

We hugged again. Regardless what he had done, I still felt more safe in Harrys arms than ever.

Notes