Isabella's p.o.v.

"Why is that so hard to comprehend?" I question, scrunching my eyebrows together.

Zayn paces in front of me, his breaths coming out at an irregular pace and his hands start fisting at his hair. He stops directly in front of me and looks utterly confused. What? What the hell is so damn confusing?

"You, you wha- this can't be happening, how didn't we find this. Idiots, absolute fucking idiots!" His hands form into fists and fly towards the wall behind me, a thumping sound echoing around us.

I shrink back in fear, my eyes becoming wide. Zayn instantly halts his movements and bends down so his eyes are level with my own.

"Bella, shit. I'm so sorry." He pushes a loose strand of my hair behind my ear but I jerk back.

His eyes frantically search mine and his hands grab my own, I attempt to tug them away but he just holds them tighter.

"Just, just let me explain. Okay?" He cradles my cheek in his palm.

"Explain what?" I turn my face away from him.

"Just, come out with me tomorrow. Please?" His eyes look down at mine, softening.

"I just told you, I'm with James tomorrow Zayn. I can't." I shake my head and get out of his hold, walking towards the school gates.

"What the fuck does he have that I don't!" He yells across the lot.

I look around me and sigh in relief when I realise that it's only me and Zayn left here.

"What then. Tell me." By now he's face to face with me, his breaths lightly hitting my face.

"Why him? Why not me?" This time I don't remove his hands as they take hold of my face.

"Because I don't know you, I've known him my entire life." I elaborate, confused as to why guilt is consuming me as I say each word.

"So basically, you feel forced to be with him. Yes? You don't want to be his girlfriend, you just think that you need to. Don't you?"

My mind tries to process the deep words he says. How is somebody that I have just recently known, impacting me this much?

"Zayn, you don't know how he's helped me. He has in ways that you wouldn't understand."

It's true, James has been there for me in ways that Zayn will never know. He once walked in on Rick abusing me, he beat him to the pulp and was about to call the police but I stopped him; terrified that if he ever got out he would kill me. Ever since then we have been joined at the hip and he refuses to leave me alone, but I had to tell him that Rick has stopped because of the harsh beatings I was getting for James not leaving my side.

"Hey, hey. Are you okay?" He lifts his hand to wipe away a tear. When did I start crying?

"Um, yeah. Im fine; I've got to go. Bye Zayn." I lightly push away his arm and rush out of the gates, turning the corner to take my route home.

...

I hurriedly lock the door behind me and let out a sigh of relief, leaning my back against the wood.

Zayn had continued to follow me home, so I ended up sprinting to my front door, with him hot on my trail. Speaking of-

"Isabella! Isabella, open up! I'm not leaving until you tell me what is wrong, so you may as well let me in and tell me now." By the end of his sentence, his voice calms down to a whisper, each word barely traveling through the thin wood.

I don't say anything, just sit there as he does the same, letting my breaths even out.

"What the fuck are you doing! I don't allow you to live here and do nothing! How dare you, get here. Now." I snap my head up in fear to the sound of his voice. Rick. He wasn't supposed to be home by nine, why is he here?

"I said come here, now. Or I swear to God.." His voice deepens with every word and he takes a menacing step towards me.

"I-I'm sorry, I was just about t-" My head whips to the side due to the intensity of his hit, my body slumping back down to the floor.

"You just sit there? While I slave away. You just sit there?" He lifts his leg up and shoves it down with such force the wind is knocked out of me.

"S-stop." I whisper, my throat dry as he continues to kick me in the stomach.

"You. Worthless. Piece. Of. Shi- Ahh!" A loud bang is heard and his body gets slammed to the ground, his head turning side to side as punches get thrown at his face.

My eyes close in lack of energy, but I weakly lift them, looking at the attacker. Zayn.

My head falls back to the ground, my body replicating Ricks in the sense of our figures lying lifelessly on the floor. I feel myself being picked up, my head laying on something soft.

A satisfying pride wells up within me for Zayn, for the boy I barely know, yet also the boy that saves me. Not many people would do that, James, yeah; but many others would run away in fear.

"Isabella? Isabella! Bella, please.." He chokes on a sob as fingers trail down my cheeks, why is he so sad, I'm not dead, jeeze..

I give him a half hearted smile and crack open my eyes, making him puff out a breath. He pulls me to his chest instantly and tightens his arms around me but making sure not to put pressure on my ribs.

"You scared the shit out of me there. Don't you ever do that to me again, okay?" He pulls me into his chest and squeezes me into an embrace and if I had the strength I'd pull away, but considering I can barely feel my lungs right now I don't have much choice.

The fact that Zayn has now seen Rick abuse me twice terrifies me, what if he calls the police this time? I'll have nowhere to live, nobody left. I can fix this, come on, just think of something..

"Uh, Ri- my dad, he was just drunk and I fell over you se-"

"Don't try and sell me that bullshit, you're coming with me. Now. You will not be with that piece of filth for a second longer. Got it?" What?

"I can't just leave and live with you, I have known you for what? A day?" I shake my head.

"Bella, there is no way in hell you are living with him, that's the only reason why I haven't fucking killed him yet."

"No Zayn, I'm staying here!" I shove him but he barely moves, shit.

"You have no choice here, none. Okay? This is for you, I'm not going to allow you to stay here with your abusive father! When you told me that you are the town rag doll in the restaurant, I honestly thought that you were pulling my leg, everyone told me you were lying and I was so fucking relieved. But now! Now I've seen that, that piece of shit has not only hit you once, but twice. That isn't a fucking coincidence." His eyes plead for me to understand as his fists tighten by his sides, controlling his anger.

"Your not allowing me!" How dare he! He doesn't get to decide what I do in life!

"This conversation is over, come on." He hoists me up in his arms and walks upstairs.

"Isabella?" I glare off into the distance, not telling him which room is mine.

"Fine then." He huffs opening up the first door, Ricks room. Hah, suck that.

I smirk a little at him, my eyes filled with humour as he groans in annoyance.

He walks into the next room but again, it isn't mine, it's a storage unit.

"Where the hell is your room?" I go to keep my mouth shut but he gives me a look.

"It's down the hall and to the left." I huff, slumping back into his arms.

The door creaks as he opens it and a gasp falls from his lips as I roll my eyes.

He sits me down on my thin bed and paces across the room, his knuckles turning white as he clenches his fists.

"He..he made you fucking sleep in this shithole! What the fuck Isabella, why didn't you tell me! I would of taken you from the day we met, I wouldn't of waited. Oh my god." He tugs at his hair and I start getting angry, who is he to say what standards I should live in, so many people don't even have a bed to sleep in at night.

"I didn't tell you because I didn't need to, I have James. Remember him, my boyfriend, he helps me through this. You don't need to." I yell, waving my arms to prove my point.

Zayn's movements stop altogether and he turns to me, a deadly look in his eyes.

"Your telling me that James knew! And left you here, I'm going to fucking kill h-"

"No, stop! Just stop. I'm going to call him, I'll stop at his house instead." I pick up my phone and go to dial his number but it's picked up and thrown at the wall.

"What the hell!" My phone!

"I'm here, you don't need him. Got it. Now, where's a suitcase?" I fold my arms over my chest, becoming silent.

"Fine, I'll find it myself." I cringe at his reaction each time he opens a drawer, his eyebrows furrow together in anger by the lack of items each one holds.

Once he finds my small suitcase he starts rushing to pack everything, not taking long by my lack of things.

"Come on." He ushers for me to get in his arms

"No, Zayn. I'm not leaving. This is my home." I stand my ground.

"Okay." I smile in victory but loose it once he carries me over his shoulder, and wince in pain as his bone digs into my ribs.

"Ow shit!" I yell, clutching my stomach.

"Oh no no, I'm so sorry. Here, sit here." He places me on the floor then lifts me up again, putting my legs aground his waist, my body on top of his, and my arms around his neck.

I continuously punch him, trying to get him to release me. He just lightly laughs and walks out the front door, only stopping to give Rick one final kick in the head on the way out.

He flips out his phone and dials a number.

"Hey, yeah. Come pick us up. Her house, yes. Quick." He ends the short conversation and pulls me to him tighter.

"This is kidnapping you know." I state, my arms becoming tired by the amount of punches I'm sending his way, yet none seem to affect him. I try to wiggle out of his hold but he just tightens his arms around me more.

"Oh Bella, soon you're going to thank me. You've been mine all along. You just don't know it yet."