(Gwen)

".....pl....please don't t-", I looked at Niall.

"NOW, Gwen", he looked me in the eye.

Oh God
Oh GOD
He knows
How does he know

I took another step away from him and toward the door.

"Gwen...", Louis now spoke and my eyes darted to him.
"....we're worried about you, that's all".

I turned fast and got to the door to run out of the room, but Niall was faster.
He grabbed the door knob and looked down at me.

"Gwen, just show me your backside", he whispered, looking down at me like he was about to cry.
"Please", he breathed out.

I couldn't stop the tremble of my chin as my eyes begged him to let me out of the room.
His eyes told me no.

I took in a deep breath and slowly walked over to the other side of the room. I reached the daybed and bent down, reaching the hem of my dress.

Still moving slow, I gathered the material and pulled it up to my waist. I leaned forward against the daybed to steady myself.

The room was dark with only one lamp on, but Niall, Liam and Louis could see the layers of dark bruises. I stood there in a thong, showing them.

For a while, no one said a word, the only sound was a short quiet gasp from Louis.

Then I heard Niall's footsteps moving closer to me. I stood up and let my dress fall back down, covering me.

"It's not what you think", I muttered, holding my hands out in front of me.

Niall ignored me.

"Theo. Theo....did this...", Niall's eyes pierced mine with intensity, even though he sounded very calm.

He suddenly grabbed both of my arms. His expression was pained and desperate.

"PLEASE, tell me Theo didn't do this to you?!!", he yelled as I cried, trembling, seeing Niall this mad.

He then looked into my eyes, from one to the other, searching me while he breathed hard.

My silence answered him and he let go of my arms.

Staring at me, he walked backwards toward the bedroom door.

"Niall! It's not...I...", I cried out, walking quickly after him.
"It's what....I...", my embarrassment overcame me as tears blurred my vision.

Niall kept his eyes on mine and pointed to Liam.
"Is he working right now?"

"Niall, no", Louis said, all of us knowing why he asked.
"Let's sit down and c-", he tried saying, but Niall made his way to the door.

"No!", I started to go after him, but right before Niall left the room, he looked at Liam and then to me and I saw Liam nod.

Liam caught my arm, then began hugging me. I tried pulling myself away from him, but he just held me tighter.

Niall was gone and undoubtedly on his way to Holmesworth Medical.

Liam kept holding me and I cried in his arms, for many different reasons.
Ellie and Dani ran into the room.

"What's happening?!", Dani stared at me, then looked at Liam.

"We saw her bruises", Louis said.
"Niall took off".

"No", Ellie whispered.

"Niall's not gonna hold back this time", Liam said, looking down at me.

"This time?", Dani looked at Liam, confused.

"Remember that night....Niall and I asked you to drive Gwen's car?"

Dani nodded.

(Dani)

I was on a date and he was hot.

His eyes were bright blue. He had the jaw and cheekbones of a model and his muscular build was breath-taking.

We had just finished dinner and ordered dessert when my phone chimed.

I excused myself before I answered, seeing that it was Liam.

Liam asked if I could take a taxi to an address he gave me.
He, Niall and Gwen were at Theo's and Gwen had too much to drink. They needed me to drive Gwen's car to Niall's.

No matter how big or how small, I'm there for them.
My friends are my family.

This was our first date and he seemed like a nice guy. I hung up with Liam and looked at him.

"I'm so sorry, Ryan. My friends need some help. Would you mind driving me somewhere?"

"Uh, yeah! Sure! Okay", he said.
"Is everything alright?", he held his hand up to catch our servers attention as he got out his wallet.

"Oh, yeah, it's fine. They just need...some transportation assistance", I explained, simply.

(Liam)

Theo, Niall and I sat in Theo's kitchen while Niall ate his Chicken Marsala. Gwen was eating hers, still in bed.

Just a moment ago, Gwen'd had the slightest bit of trembling between her legs. Liam decided to give her the pain killers to relax and numb her body, completely.

"Dani's the most discreet out of everybody. She can drive Gwen's car", I said to Niall.
He nodded as he chewed and I walked away to call Dani.

I made my way back into the kitchen as Theo spoke to Niall.

"Yeah. I get it, alright", Theo was slumped in his chair, looking down at the table and he continued.
"I just....from the moment I saw her. I couldn't h-"

"Save it. The only reason you're not behind bars right now is because Gwen begged me. I swear to God, if I hear about you so much as thinking about seeing her again...", Niall stood up and looked down at Theo, daring him to say something.

Niall angrily walked away from him, passed me and left the kitchen.

Theo looked at me, then back down to the table.
"I'm sorry", he mumbled.

I crossed my arms over my chest, looked at him, then left the room having nothing to say. I was still trying to absorb everything that happened.

I sat down in a room, alone, to decompress. About ten minutes later, the doorbell rang.

I opened the door and there Dani stood with a black Hummer parked in the driveway.

"My date. He drove me", she explained.
"You're on a date? Dani! You should've told me. We'd have called someone else", I said, feeling bad that we interrupted her evening, but she just shrugged.

"No, it's cool. This was a good way to learn more about him. His character", she looked at the Hummer the man drove.
"He's eager to help".

Niall had Gwen in his car, I drove behind Niall, Dani followed me in Gwen's car and the black Hummer followed her.

Once we got to Niall's house, Dani introduced us to her date, Ryan, then they left.

(Niall)

When I carried Gwen into my house, she was like a rag doll.
Her eyes were opening and closing, she was smiling, but her body was limp.

Minutes later, I came out of my bedroom and closed the door behind me.

"She asleep?"
"Yeah", I answered Liam, rubbing my forehead.

"Jesus", I sat down next to him.
"I've just....I've never, never heard of anything like this. This....nerve disorder that she has?".

"Most people don't. It's extremely rare", Liam looked at me, then asked, "You think he'll stay away from her?"

I shook my head, knowing he meant Theo.
"I don't...I don't know. I don't know. I don't know if I should call Cullen, if I should call the police....I told Gwen I wouldn't, but I...don't know", I said, my mind spinning.

"Mate, listen. Gwen's seventeen years old", Liam put his hand on my shoulder.
"She's not a little girl anymore and she did what most seventeen year olds do".

I looked at him with surprise and anger. Before I could say anything, he patted my shoulder and went on.
"I'm not saying I think it's okay for a thirty year old man to be messing with a seventeen year old girl".

"I sure the fuck hope not", I stared at him in disbelief.

"Of course not. But....Niall, think about what you were doing at seventeen. Me. Dani. Ellie. Cullen. All of us"

"It's different with Gwen, Liam, you know that. Most seventeen year olds aren't sophomores in college. She's completely inexperienced. She can be easily manipulated by a grown man. She was".

"I know. I just...think we need to keep in mind that she's gonna act her age....whether it's with a guy her age or Theo or whoever".

Liam stood up.
"I need to get going. I'll bring Gwen more of her medications as soon as they're filled", he squeezed my shoulder.

I nodded and patted him back.
"I'll see you", I said with a tired smile.

He left and I walked to my bedroom and silently cracked the door open. Gwen was deeply asleep.

I laid down next to her, on top of the sheets and fell asleep seconds after I closed my eyes.

(Gwen)

I woke up feeling fantastic. Embarrassed, but physically fantastic.

Niall was asleep next to me, but then moved to lie on his side when I got out of the bed to use the bathroom.

When I finished brushing my teeth, I walked back into his room and he was sitting on the edge of the bed, running his fingers through his hair and yawning.

"Hey", I wrapped my arms around myself, awkwardly.
"Mm. Hey", he said, scratching his neck.
"How are you feeling?", he asked.

"Really relaxed. Very good", I said and walked over and sat next to him on the bed.
"Niall, thank you. I-I'm sorry. About everything. I'm....such a freak"

"Gwe-", he started to say, but I held up my hand.

"Can you please listen first?", I said and wedged my hands between my thighs, looking at the floor.
I saw him nod out of my peripheral vision.

"I've...Niall, I've always felt like a freak and I....hate myself, sometimes", I said, rawly.

I saw his head turn fast to look at me.

"Theo made me feel what I've always wanted to feel. Normal. Like a normal girl, Niall. He didn't look at me like everybody else does. He didn't treat me like everyone else does....I mean, everyone else, not you guys..."

He suddenly stood and held out his hands.
"Gwen. Look. Can I....listen, Theo's a grown man. He knows how to get what he wants. He knows how to make you feel things that he wants you to feel. There's n-"

"How do you know how he feels about me?", I yelled, jumping to my feet.
"You don't know him!"

"I know that he said and did EVERYTHING he could to get in your pants. I know how guys are, Gwen! You have to trust me on this!"

(Niall)

"You have to trust me on this! Tell me, Gwen, who says "I love you" to someone after just meeting them?!", I asked, a little too loudly.

I watched her eyes lower.
She locked her pinky fingers together the way she does when she feels uncertain.

"Do you....", she cleared her throat and fidgeted, nervously.
"....do you...you really think that? Y-You think Theo just wanted to sleep with me, Niall?"

My heart felt like it broke into a million pieces.

I looked at the girl who I watched grow up, my best friend's little sister.

She had her first experience and here she stood, in complete insecurity. She looked so little. I saw the child she once was and tears filled my eyes.

She had to feel scared right now,
wondering if she was just used when she had felt more special than she'd ever felt.

I wanted to drag Theo to her and make him tell her that he meant every word he said to her.

I wanted to make Theo beg to be lucky enough to be around her because she's the sweetest girl he's ever met.

I wanted only good for Gwen.

And I knew that Theo was not good for her.

"Yes, Gwen. I think Theo just wanted to sleep with you", I told her, softly and honestly, wanting to protect her.

She stood there, nodding her head, looking off to the side, like she was figuring out a math problem.

"Gwen, you are amazing. You're a beautiful, brilliant, amazing person. I can't believe y-", I said, but stopped when she abruptly left the room.

"Fuck", I said to myself, sitting back onto the bed. I got up and ran after her.

"Gwen!"
"Leave me alone!", she yelled from another room as I followed her voice.

"GWEN! Please!", I said and heard her footsteps stop.

I ran into the room and she just stood there, her back to me.

She slowly turned around and her expression surprised me.
I thought I'd find her in tears or bewildered or angry, but her face was stone cold.

"I'm smart. How could I have been so dumb? I'm...smart", she said, looking at me for an answer.
I stayed silent, not having one.

"I'd never have done that....never would've fallen for...any of that", she looked away from me.

"That's what I'm talking about, Gwen. He's had a lot of experience, he knows what to say and what to do. To him, women are like toys that he wants to...",
I shut my mouth and looked up at the ceiling.

"Gwen, just....tell me you'll never see him again", I made her look at me.

"God....", she shook her head.
"I can't believe everything that's happened in the last twenty-four hours".

She looked like she was daydreaming for a few seconds.

"Niall, after Liam gets those prescriptions for me, I'm gonna head back. I've got some exams coming up and I want to focus on studying, not...any of this. And don't worry, I'll never see that asshole again".