“I know you were with that Liam Payne guy.” I backed against the door and shook my head as Mitchell walked in my direction, stopping right in front of me.

“No I wasn’t.” I was lying right through my teeth, and I knew he could see through it.

“What have I told you about lying to me?” Mitchell’s jaw was clenched tight and I knew what was coming next. “Now… you know how angry lying makes me.”

“Mitchell, please—“

“Don’t interrupt me!” I felt a sharp pain across my cheek as his hand slapped me. I took in a sharp breath as the stinging subsided. “First, you lie to me about study groups and movies with friends… and now you’re cheating on me?”

“I would never cheat on you!”

“I said,” Another slap to my face. “Don’t interrupt.” I nodded and Mitchell pushed me against the door. “Why would you do this to me?” A single tear rolled down his cheek. “All I ever did was love you and take care of you… and this is how you repay me? By cheating on me!” There was a dull pain in my right foot that got stronger and stronger before I realized Mitchell was crushing my foot underneath his weight. “All I ever wanted was for you to be okay in life… why would you do this to me?” I stood there in silence. “Answer me!” Mitchell dug his thumb into my shoulder, causing me to cry out in pain.

“I swear! I didn’t cheat on you! I would never cheat on you! I love you!”

“You’re a fucking liar!” Mitchell brought his knee up to my stomach, causing me to double over in pain.

“Mitchell please you’re hurting me.” Tears spilt over my cheeks.

“This… this is nothing compared to the hurt you’ve caused me today.”

“Mitch, please.” I fell onto the floor as he pushed me down. The second I tried to get up, his foot came down on my back, holding me down.

“I love you, take care of you…” I didn’t dare say another word, praying it would help me get through this fight. “Do you even feel sorry right now?”

“I’m sorry, Mitch. Please… please just let me go.” I begged as tears flowed out of my eyes. The pain in my shoulder was unbearable as Mitchell put pressure on it. My phone began to vibrate in my pocket… and if I could just get to it before Mitchell does anything too terrible…

“Now you know I can’t do that…” I heard a snap before I felt the pain in my wrist. The pain easily traveled from my wrist up my arm as I cried out in pain.

“Mitchell, please!” I felt his foot hit my side over, and over, and over before there was a blow to my head and everything went black.

Mitchell’s POV

“Get up.” I kicked her side again, turning her over onto her back. “Mels get up.” She wasn’t moving. “Melody this isn’t funny. Get. Up!”

Nothing.

I backed out of the room and ran down the hall of the dormitory. I wasn’t catching the blame for this.

Quin’s POV

I walked out of the elevator, dialing Melody for what seemed like the billionth time. Why wasn’t she answering her phone? I made my way to the room as I stuffed my phone into my pocket and opened the door. “Melody, I tried to call you like thirty times. Why haven’t you answered your… oh my God.” I covered my mouth to keep from screaming as I saw my best friend lying on the floor, out cold.

I fumbled for my phone and pulled it out of my pocket. “Quin…” I rushed to my friends side as I finally got a hold of my phone.

“Don’t worry… I’m calling an ambulance now.”

~*~

The ride to the hospital was the longest of my life. Melody kept going in and out, and her sentences rarely made sense. The one thing she asked over and over again, though was; “Please… don’t tell Liam.”

Of course I had to tell Liam! Other than me and her family, who else would run to her rescue? Mitchell wouldn’t, that’s for sure… he had to have been the one to put her in this position. No one else would do this to her.

Quin: Meet me at the hospital in London.

Liam: Why? What happened? Are you okay? Is Mels okay?

Quin: Mels is being checked in right now. I think Mitchell did this to her.

Liam’s POV

The second I read Quin’s text message, I got up off the couch and grabbed my keys. Anger boiled through me as I walked to the front door. “Where are you going?” Zayn asked, pausing the show we were watching.

“Melody’s in the hospital.” I slammed the door shut behind me and got in my car. As soon as the car was in gear, I tore out of lot and sped off towards the hospital. “Hello?” I answered my phone as Quin’s ringtone played through the speakers.

“Where are you?” Her voice was panicked, which caused me to push down on the gas pedal harder.

“I’m almost there.” I said, panic rising in my chest. Why was she so worried? Oh man, was Melody okay? What did he do to her?

I pulled into the parking lot and ran in the front door. “Melody Scott. Where is she?”

“We can’t let anyone back without a pass.” The nurse at the counter said, apologies written all over her face. “I’m sorry.”

“Then give me a damn pass.”

“I can’t—“

“He’s with me.” I looked over at Quin and the nurse nodded me in her direction. I walked over to Quin’s side and she immediately answered my questions before I got the chance to ask. “She’s got a broken wrist, a few cracked ribs, and she’s got stitches in her head where it looks like she was kicked.”

“So she’s okay?”

“The emotional trauma will affect her more than the physical damage if Mitch did this.” Quin explained as I felt a wave of relief wash over me. “They’re only letting one person in at a time, and I already got to see her, so you can go.”

“Thanks.” I smiled and kissed the top of her head before walking into the room we stopped in front of. My heart fell into the pit of my stomach when I saw Melody hooked up to four different machines, lying there almost lifeless. “Oh my god… what did he do to you?” I took a seat in a chair next to her bed and took her hand in mine.

“She’s going to be out for a day or two.” I looked up at a man in a lab coat, flipping through her medical records. “She took quite the beating, but she’ll be okay.”

“Thank you.” I said as the man walked out and gave Quin the ‘O.K.’ to come in. “The next time I see him, I swear to God I’ll—“

“You can’t let her see you so angry, Liam.” I looked up at Quin who was sitting on the opposite side of Melody. “It’ll scare her to pieces.”

“I can’t just pretend it didn’t happen! Look at her! She’s…” My voice trailed off.

“I know… but believe me when I say ‘don’t’.” I nodded and rested one of my hands on Melody’s cheek.

God, just let her be okay.