CALAMITY (h.s)

SEVEN.

SEVEN. || DICK

Just when Emaline believed that her day couldn't get worse... It got worse.

Richard Clifton. The name echoed loudly in her head. The two words she had been desperately refraining from thinking of all day.

She had been staring at Niall for God know's how long, tears streaming down her face without even realizing. Who knew somebody could cry so much in one day?

"Emaline!" She felt a large hand shake her by the shoulder as her name was practically shouted in her ear.

Emaline jumped and let out a mix of a sob and a scream. She pushed the hand from her shoulder with ease and ran back to her room. She felt a full panic episode coming on and she couldn't deal with it in front of a bunch of strangers.

She curled into fetal position on the bed, sobbing into one of the soft pillows.

Meanwhile, the gang discussed how to handle the situation.

"Niall! What the actual fuck? That was 'easing her into it'? You shit head," Jo rubbed her face in distress.

Harry swatted Niall upside the head, "You twat! Fucking idiot! She obviously had a very traumatic experience in that house today. I thought we discussed not mentioning that name to her until we were out of the state tomorrow," Harry was yelling now.

Harry's anger stemmed from many places. Niall not listening to him. Emaline's obvious pain. Luca having his wealth. And the pressure being laid on him by his uncle.

"Oy! I thought maybe it would be better to know before we left the state—" Niall begins his defense, but is quickly interrupted.

Painful sobs are heard from the room that Emaline is staying in, shushing the group before Zayn speaks, "Should one of us check on her?"

"Nose goes," Niall puts his finger to his nose.

Nobody else participated in nose goes, except for Louis— who was high out of his mind.

However, everybody had their eyes on Zayn and Harry.

"What?" They both commented at the same time.

Jo gave Harry a knowing look. Harry knew he was the only one truly equipped to deal with Emaline's current state of mind. But he also knew that Emaline would most likely be more willing to open up to Zayn, due to their history together.

Harry and Zayn spoke with their eyes, silently deciding who was going to go talk to her first.

"I'll go," Zayn announced to the group.

Once Zayn had reached the door, the only barrier between him and the ear ringing sobs, he gently knocked and entered the room.

"Em?" Zayn sat next to Emaline, reaching to rub her back lightly.

Emaline twitched at the moment of contact, "Don't touch me!"

Zayn retracted his hand, "Sorry, Em. It's just me, Z. Do you want to talk? What do you need?"

In a state of vulnerability, Emaline actually answered his question truthfully, "What I need is to cry. I need to scream. I need to know I am safe, and that I will never have to see or hear about that fucking dick ever again."

Being well aware that Emaline would certainly have to hear about him from Niall and Harry again, he knew he couldn't promise her that. But at the very least, he could promise that she was safe. For now.

"You're safe, Emma," Zayn bit the inside of his cheek, thinking of the right words to say, "I know I fucked you over, and I'm really sorry for that. I had to. You know how it is—" Zayn was nervously blabbering at this point.