My heart raced as I practically sat in Louis' lap in the ER examination room. I'd been given a room right away because of the traumatic nature of my injuries. I had taken my clothes off and put on a hospital gown, as they had requested, but I wouldn't let Louis leave the room. I just made him turn around. 

“I hate this. I feel so...ugh, I don't know. I just want this to be over.” 

“I know, but you're not alone. I'm staying right here with you.” 

I grabbed a handful of his shirt, pulling myself tighter against him. I was short compared to him, but now I felt even smaller, like a child, tucked into my daddy's arms. 

A woman in purple scrubs came in and introduced herself. “I'm Sally. I'm a sexual assault nurse examiner. I'm just going to ask you a few questions before we do an exam. Is that all right?” 

I nodded, but before she could begin, Louis jumped in. “We want to make sure her privacy is top priority.” 

“Yes, sir. And you are?” 

Louis looked at me and then back at the nurse. “My name is Louis Tomlinson. I'm her boyfriend.” 

“I can assure you, Mr. Tomlinson, we don't share any information unless it's medically necessary. And even then, it's only between professionals. Ms. Norwood will be signing papers to that effect in just a bit.” As she said my last name, she nodded in recognition. “Oh, Ms. Norwood. I see. Of course we'll take care of everything with complete confidentiality."

“All right, Ashten. Can you tell me what happened?” She asked. 

“I...I...went to my ex-boyfriend's house. He invited me for dinner, just to clear the air about some things in our relationship. I...we...went to a sitting room and we talked for a bit, and then he asked if he could kiss me one last time, so I said yes, but then he attacked me. I...I shouldn't have let him kiss me.” 

She looked directly at me and said in a reassuring voice, "It's still not your fault. I just want you to know that, okay? Now, can you tell me where you're injured?” She asked kindly. 

I showed her the bruises on my neck and shoulders, and then the ones across my legs. 

“What about the cuts?” She asked, motioning to my legs and arms. Louis had closed them with butterfly bandages, but they were still quite painful and they bled occasionally. 

“My chauffeur heard me screaming, so he threw a rock through the window, and I jumped out. I must have cut myself on the glass.” 

She nodded sympathetically. “Are you going to report this to the police?” 

I looked hesitantly at Louis. He just nodded in encouragement, and I knew it was the right thing to do. 

“Yes,” I said quietly. 

She told us that she would call the police and that she'd be back with another doctor to do a full physical examination. 

When she left, I closed my eyes in humiliation, leaning my head against Louis' chest. He rubbed his hands up and down my arms, comforting me. “It's going to be all right, honey. It will be over soon.” 

The sexual assault nurse came back in with a doctor to do the exam. I was terrified. I had no idea how extensive this would be. 

“Would you like your boyfriend to stay, or do you want him to step out?” 

Before she was even finished asking the question, I blurted out, “Stay!” I looked up at him and said, “That is, if you would...please.” 

“When are you gonna get it through your head?” He grinned, making his eyes sparkle. “I'm not going anywhere.” 

They determined that my leg would need stitches, which made me cringe. I'd never had them before, but I found I could tolerate the discomfort by holding Louis' hand. I'm sure I squeezed the hell out of it, but he didn't complain. They also performed a detailed physical exam, which was a little uncomfortable, physically and emotionally, but Louis stayed with me, looking only at my face and not paying attention to anything else. 

When the exams and stitches were finished, we found that a police officer and a rape counselor were waiting outside the room to speak with me. Again, I refused to let Louis out of my sight. Some of the questions were very detailed and it was somewhat embarrassing to have to answer them, but it went quickly.

Once the report was filed, the nurse came and gave Louis instructions on how to take care of my wounds. It felt fairly normal to have someone other than my parents receiving the discharge instructions. My nanny always took me to my doctor and dentist appointments. Once, though, when I was really little, Daddy took me to the emergency room himself because I had a high fever. It turned out that I had pneumonia.  On the way home, he made our limo driver stop and go into a store and get me Cherry 7-Up because it was my favorite.

When we arrived home, Louis asked, “Where do you want to go?” 

“Your place,” I said immediately. Although I could walk by myself,  he opened the car door and lifted me up like a princess, carrying me all the way to his apartment. 

He set me gently on his bed and went to heat the blankets up again. Then he asked, “What would you like for dinner? Anything! You name it!” Now I was feeling a little spoiled, but it was nice to have him doting on me. 

“I don't know. What do you usually eat when you're alone?” 

He shrugged. “Mac and cheese, salad, soup, microwave stuff. Whatever's easy, I guess. But I can cook, remember, so you don't have to limit me. Oh, I know! How about hamburgers?” 

I giggled a little at his enthusiasm. “You sure seem excited about hamburgers!” 

“That's because I make the best!” He said. 

“Oh, right. You worked at Burger King. Geez, I was such a bitch when you were telling us about that at my pool party.” 

“Mmm, yeah, maybe you were,” he smirked. “But I didn't learn to make burgers at Burger King. This is my dad's secret recipe, and I happen to have the ingredients here.” 

He fluffed the pillow, making sure I was comfortable, and then he left to get dinner started. 

I scrolled through my phone and found a few texts from my mother, demanding to know where I was. 

I quickly sent her a text in return. Sick in bed. I knew that would keep her away. Then I realized that Danielle had no idea where I was. I got out of bed carefully and went out to the kitchen. 

“Louis?” I asked, startling him. 

“Hey, get back in bed,” he said. He came over and made me lie down again. 

“I was just wondering if Danielle knows about this.” 

“Not yet, but I can ask her to come down. Are you planning to tell your parents at all?” 

“No,” I said coldly. Although, I kind of wanted to tell my father. But I knew he would worry, and he might just kill Richard. 

“Do you think they'll find out from the Bannings?” He asked. 

“Not a chance. Richard's parents will do everything in their power to make sure no one knows about this scandal. It will be top secret unless he actually goes to prison."

“I just don't want you to have to go through this alone,” he said. 

I smiled at him gratefully. “I'm not alone, Lou. Besides, my mother isn't exactly the nurturing type, in case you hadn't noticed. I know she'd find a way to make it my fault.” 

“Well, I'll call Danielle,” he said, standing up to check on dinner. 

I laid back on the pillows and dozed for a while. The pain medications were definitely doing the trick. I was emotionally exhausted, too. 

A while later, I felt someone climb onto the bed. I opened my eyes groggily and saw Danielle with such pity in her eyes. “Hey,” I said, giving her a weak smile. 

“What happened to you?!”

“Richard.” 

Danielle let out a string of curses that would make a sailor blush. “I hope you're going to have his ass thrown in prison!” 

“I filed a police report when I was at the hospital.” 

She looked at me like I was a little lost orphan. “The hospital? Are you okay? Is anything broken?” 

“No, but I have some stitches on my leg. Not sure how I'm going to hide that from my parents,” I sighed. 

“You're not going to tell your parents?”  

“Would you tell my mother?” I asked. 

“Are you kidding? She's scary as hell!” 

It felt good to just let go and laugh. “They don't need to know. They don't care anyway,” I finally said. 

She hugged me tightly. “I'll take care of you,” she said. “And Louis will, too.” 

“Preston definitely will, too,” I laughed, telling her how he smashed a window to rescue me. Then I told her about the whole attack and she said, “It's a damn good thing I don't know where he lives!” 

“Me, too,” Louis said, walking in with a double-stacked burger. “You need the protein and iron, so eat it all,” he instructed me. 

“Yes, Dr. Tomlinson,” I said, happily grabbing the burger and taking a gigantic bite. Louis and Danielle grabbed burgers as well, and they ate with me on the bed.

That night, Louis surrounded me with his body again, holding me so close that it felt like nothing could ever hurt me. He pulled my hair away from my ear and kissed it. “You're going to be okay,” he assured me. 

“Yeah, I think I am. I can't believe it's only been 24 hours since it happened, but I'm already feeling better.” 

“That's because you have people on your side. The hospital staff and police know that you were telling the truth. Danielle and I would both slit Richard's throat if we could, and Preston is just a bad-ass.” 

I laughed, making him squeeze me tighter. But then I thought about it a little more and it began to bother me. “I always trusted Richard. In all these years, he never tried to hurt me, but then he just turned on me. It was terrifying.” 

“I'm sure it was,” he said, caressing my cheek and running his hands through my hair. “The fact that he snapped like that isn't normal. I don't know what's going on with him, but he's not mentally stable. Even if he was before, he's not now. Most sane people don't pull a Jekyll and Hyde like that.” 

I nodded, still feeling unsettled. 

“You can trust me, Ash,” he said, finally kissing my lips. “And I'm really sorry about the other night in the car.” 

“What are you talking about?” I asked. 

“When we were kissing, I let my hands wander a bit, but that probably wasn't the best thing for me to do. I never want you to feel like I am going to push you too far, you know?” 

“Louis Tomlinson,” I said, turning his head to face me. “I'll never be afraid of you. And you can let your hands wander wherever they want.” I gave him a silly grin and then we went to sleep.

Louis had to work during the day, so Danielle came to keep me company. Sometimes, I didn't want to talk at all. Sometimes I just wanted to sleep. And sometimes, I wanted to hash out every single detail of what happened and all the trust I'd given to Richard over the years. And of course, sometimes I just wanted to gush about the fabulous Louis Tomlinson who had turned my world upside down in just a few months. 

I checked my phone regularly to see if my parents were trying to find me. Not one single text from either of them. I almost wanted to tell my mother about the attack, just so she would feel guilty about neglecting me. But I doubted that she would accept any of the blame. She'd probably just yell at me for not telling her sooner. 

My father was another story, but it was complicated. He was always there for me, but I didn't want him to get angry with Richard, for some twisted reason. Maybe because I didn't want my dad in prison, because he would likely confront Richard with a baseball bat or a golf club. 

As I thought about my mother's lack of concern for me, I wandered through my childhood in my mind, wondering how I made it. I remember actively choosing to close off some emotions because they were too hard to deal with, and my mother simply wouldn't accept them. I think that's the reason it was so easy to become a callous witch like she was – because I stifled many of my emotions. 

I wasn't clear on how to move on. It was easy to be kind to Louis and Danielle because they were kind to me and I genuinely liked them. But I still had that tendency to snap into bitch mode at the drop of a hat. I wondered if I could change that, or if Louis would eventually get sick of it and dump me. 

After a few days in isolation, Louis convinced me to call Veronica. When I told her briefly that Richard had attacked me, she practically broke my ear drums by screaming, “What the actual fuck?!” I heard her mother say something in the background, probably telling her to watch her language, like that would ever work. 

She arrived at Louis' apartment within minutes. She came in and hugged me fiercely and then began rambling. “Tell me everything! Are you going to press charges? You should file a restraining order, too. What did your mom say? How did you get away?” 

I laughed and told her, “Stop with the rapid-fire questions.” 

Then I told her the story, and she followed along intently. When I told her that Preston had broken the window with a rock, she said, “Preston is my new hero.” 

When I finished, she asked, “So, is he in jail?” 

“I haven't heard anything yet. I guess I need to contact a lawyer who has no connections with our family so my parents don't find out.” 

Oddly enough, while Veronica and I were talking, Richard called. She saw the caller ID and her eyes filled with venom. “Give me that!” She demanded. 

“No,” I insisted. “I want to see what he has to say for himself.” 

“Put it on speaker,” she said, which I did. 

“Hello?” I said, my voice shaky. 

“Ashten, please don't hang up!” He said desperately. 

“Why would I hang up?” I asked sarcastically. “Oh, yeah, maybe because you attacked me!” 

Louis appeared in the doorway upon hearing Richard's voice. By the look on his face, I knew he was livid, hearing that Richard had the guts to call me. 

He lunged for the phone, but I held my hand up. I wanted to hear what Richard had to say. 

“I'm so, so sorry,” he said, his voice cracking. “I...I don't know what happened. I just...can you please forgive me?” 

“No, Richard, what you did was unforgivable!” I was surprised I had so much composure talking to the man who had attacked me two nights earlier. “Why aren't you in jail anyway?” 

“I was arrested and questioned, but I was released on bail. I'm meeting with my lawyer tomorrow. I know I fucked up and I'm taking responsibility for it, I promise. I admitted everything to the police. I just don't think I can live with myself if you don't forgive me.” 

“You might have to,” I said flatly. 

“Can we please talk?” He asked. Louis and Veronica both shook their heads violently. 

“We're talking right now,” I said, again with no emotion in my voice. 

His voice cracked again. “I want to see you.” 

“No fucking way!” Veronica seethed. “There is no way I'm letting her come near you, you dirty, disgusting pervert! I'll fucking castrate you before I let you come within ten feet of her!” She was screaming so loudly that Louis had to put a hand over her mouth to restrain her. 

“I didn't know other people were listening,” he said. 

“Do you blame me?” I asked, the sarcasm returning to my voice. 

“I guess not. But can I still meet with you to talk. I promise I will never do anything like that again.” 

“You can meet with her lawy-” Veronica started yelling, but Louis restrained her again. 

“I will meet with you, but not alone. I'm going to bring Veronica and some of my servants. Maybe even a bodyguard.” 

Louis was furious, but I knew he didn't want to reveal that he was in the room with me. 

“Don't you think that's a little excessive?” Richard asked. 

“No. Not at all,” I said, holding my chin up. “You tried to hurt me and I will never trust you again.” 

“Fine,” he relented. “Fine.” 

When I hung up, Louis snapped. “No! You're not going to meet him! What the hell are you thinking?!” 

“Lou, I'll be fine if you're with me. And Veronica will come with me, won't you?” 

“Of course. And we're bringing Preston, the hero. Liam's in town, too. He could kick Richard's ass in a New York minute!"  

“No, because she's not going!” Louis insisted. 

“I'll be safe if you're with me,” I said to him. “What if we meet in a public place?” 

“Fine,” Louis said, handing me my phone. “Call him and tell him we'll meet him in Central Park.” 

I tried Richard's number, but there was no answer. I hung up and assured Louis I'd try again in a while. Richard wanted to meet me the following day, so I still had time to contact him. 

Veronica eventually left and assured me that she and Liam would be by my side.

I laid back and rested, my head getting foggy. “I'm sorry, Lou. I know this is upsetting to you, but I'll be fine. He won't try anything in public.” 

“You didn't think he'd try anything at home either,” he reminded me. 

I sighed. “I just want an explanation. And closure.”  

He was sitting next to me on the bed, so he leaned over and kissed me. “Fine, but I'm not letting you out of my sight. And I'm calling Zayn."

"Why Zayn?"

"Because he has a fifth degree black belt."

"Aah, that makes sense."

When Louis left the room to get dinner ready, I tried Richard's number again. This time, I was surprised by a woman's voice. “Hello?” She answered in a heavy accent. 

“Oh, I'm sorry, I must have dialed the wrong number,” I said. “Sorry about that.” 

I was about to hang up when I heard her ask, “Who are you looking for?” 

“I'm looking for Richard Banning, but you're not him, so-” 

“This is Richard's phone,” she said, sounding kind of irritated. I was trying to figure out her accent while she spoke.

“May I speak to him, please?” I asked politely. 

“Who is this?” She demanded.

Her accent was definitely Hispanic, but that didn't narrow it down much. “This is his...my name is Ashten. Ashten Norwood.” 

“May I ask what this is regarding?” She asked suspiciously. 

Oh, for heaven's sake!  

“I just need to talk to him briefly.” 

“He's not here.” 

It would have saved a lot of time if she'd told me that in the first place. I knew he didn't have any Hispanic servants, and I knew he hadn't left New York since the attack, so I was trying to piece together what was going on. Finally, it hit me. “Um, if you don't mind my asking, are you from Chile? Richard has told me about you,” I lied. 

“Oh, yes. This is Martina,” she said, her voice sounding more relaxed now. 

“Hello, Martina. Are you a friend of Richard's?” 

“I'm his fiancée,” she said. 

His WHAT now?

My mind began racing a thousand miles a second. What on earth was Richard up to and what else was he hiding? I was completely dumbstruck, but I had to say something. I was sorely tempted to say, Well, this is his ex-fiance as of about two weeks ago, and by the way, he tried to rape me just the other day!

But I held my tongue and instead I simply said, “Well, Martina, would you please keep this phone call a secret? Richard is an old friend of mine, and I want to surprise him.” 

She agreed and we hung up. I whipped my phone across the room and screeched in fury. 

Louis came racing in. “What? What happened?!” 

I told him everything that I'd just learned and his nostrils flared in anger. “That son of a bitch! I'm going to kill him!” 

We both had to calm down and come up with a reasonable plan to catch him in his lies. I knew now that I had no option. I had to talk with him and I had to know the truth behind all these lies. 

And I knew Louis would have my back.