Harry Fitzgerald was a laid-back type of guy – happy-go-lucky, you could say. He didn't really care what anyone thought – he'd do anything just to get any attention, good or bad.

So when he answered the phone, the first thing he said was, 'Y'ello?'

'Hazard?' The voice was slight and scared – like a little kid who'd been kicked too many times.

Harry frowned. 'Ashlee?'

'Oh my God.' There was a sigh of relief on the other end. 'Hazard, oh God, you have to help me.'

Harry sat upright in his desk chair. 'Ash, what's wrong? Is it Zoe?'

'I wish.' There was coughing on her end and then, 'Nasty.'

'What?'

'Nothing. Look, Hazard, oh God…'

'Ash, please tell me what's wrong.' Harry was starting to get scared by this time.

'I…I…' Ashlee could be heard crying on the other end. '…Brad…he…Hazard, he's hurting Nate.'

'What do you mean?'

'I can't tell you over the phone – but please, Hazard, just come to the St George Hotel and open the trunk of the six-seater out front. I was locked in there…they're hurting him, Hazard, just call Jake or something and get me out –' The phone cut out and Harry looked at the screen of his cell and saw Call Ended he got scared.

But he knew what to do. So he rang Jake.

Ashlee leant against the cold metal of the trunk. 'Come on, Harry…' That was the first time she'd used his real name in a long time.

As if on cue, there was knocking on the other side. She lifted her head hopefully. 'Harry?'

'Ash, you in there?'

'Hazard…oh thank God…' Ashlee said, the slightest smile coming to her face. However, the pain shooting through her body and the thought of Nate quickly erased it.

There was some scuffling and then the door opened easily, the light from the hotel lamps making her squint. 'Hazard…Jake…' Ashlee crawled out and they both grabbed her arms.

'Ash, what happened?' Jake said, keeping a constant and firm grip on her arms. 'Why are you all bloody?'

'I…Brad…he…' Ashlee's eyes widened. 'Nate!'

'Nate? What's he got to do with this?' Jake's eyes burned with anger – he obviously thought Nate had hurt her.

'Nate…he…he tried to help me…they're hurting him…'

'Ashlee.' Harry said, turning the small girl towards him. 'Who are they?'

'Brad and his friends.' She looked away, ashamed.

'Brad?' Jake looked at her in disbelief. 'I know Brad's protective, but are you sure it was him?'

'No, I thought I'd just blame my beloved boyfriend in a sick and twisted way of breaking up with him.' Ashlee said sarcastically.

'Well, I dunno. He just doesn't seem the type of guy to do that.' Jake looked at Harry. 'Hazard? What do you think?'

'Actually, have you noticed how he never seems to help when Zoe hurts Ash? And how he just sits there and smiles?' He looked very sincere, which was a rarity when it came to Harry.

'So you think she's telling the truth?'

'Hello, still here.' Ashlee looked up at the window where Nate's room was. 'I need to get to him.'

'Ash…' Before either could blink, she ran inside the hotel and up the stairs, even though her whole body was hurting so much she thought she was going to faint.

She could faintly hear Jake and Harry running after her and yelling at her to stop. She slowed so that she could read the door number – she'd only been to his room once. She turned round when Harry got to her. 'Ash, you don't know what you're doing.'

'Yes I do, Hazard. I have to help him.' She kept walking as Jake came running up to them. 'Here it is – 228.' She took a hold of the handle and tried turning it, but it wouldn't budge. 'Oh God…' There was a groan from the other side, and her eyes widened. 'Nate…'

Harry bit his lip and breathed deeply. 'Here, let me.' He grabbed hold of the door handle and positioned himself. He gave a rough shove and the door gave way.

Ashlee ran in, touching Harry's arm as thanks. 'Ah, Ashlee…you brought friends.' Brad glanced down at Nate, and Ashlee's eyes followed his gaze.

'Oh my God…' she whispered, crashing to the floor beside him. 'Nate, wake up. Please. Oh God…' The tears cascaded down her cheeks in waterfalls as she looked up at Harry and Jake. 'Call an ambulance!' she yelled, holding Nate's head. He was unconscious, sporting two black eyes, blood everywhere, a stab wound in his lower abdomen and more that she couldn't even look at.

Jake ran off without a word, and Harry walked towards Brad. 'What the fuck did you do to him?'

Brad glanced at Ashlee, waiting for her to scold Harry for swearing. 'He stole my girl.'

Ashlee let out a sob – was this all her fault? She grabbed Nate's hand and kissed it, crying into the smeared blood. 'I'm so sorry, Nate…' she mumbled into the skin, kissing it again.

'Is that it? He stole your girl?'

'Nobody steals my girl.'

'Oh my God, that's low – even for you.' Harry said, stepping forward.

'Yeah, well –' Brad was cut off by Harry punching him round the face. He retaliated by punching him back. However, the cronies standing around just stood there – they'd been told that Nate had their money, not that he'd stolen Brad's girlfriend.

Harry overpowered Brad easily – he pinned him down and then signalled to them to help while he crawled over to Ashlee. 'Ash…is he breathing?'

She weakly nodded, keeping a tight grip on Nate's hand. Harry could see the tears falling down her face and wrapped an arm round her and hugged her. 'He's gonna be alright.'

'How do you know that?' she whispered, curling into him. 'He might die.'

'He's not gonna die, alright? He's gonna be just fine, and he's gonna wake up and tell you that he loves you as much as you love him.' Ashlee looked up at him, her vision blurring.

'What did you say?' She looked up at him, trying to keep her vision straight.

'You love him, he loves you. Neither of you know it. Simple.'

Ashlee smiled slightly. 'Yeah…' She glanced out the door and upon not seeing any sign of Jake or paramedics, she started to get up.

Bad move.

Her lack of control and balance made her fall and hit her head on the coffee table. Harry got up and ran over. 'Ash!' He turned her over and checked her pulse. As his cold fingers touched her neck, her eyes opened.

'Ow.'

'Oh jeez, I thought I was gonna have two unconscious teens on my hands.'

'I don't think you're far off that…' she mumbled, holding her head. Her vision was blackening at the edge and making her head spin.

Just at that time, Jake ran back with 4 paramedics in tow and 2 policemen. Ashlee glanced at Nate in the hopes that they would treat him before she blacked out, faintly managing to hear Harry's and Jake's yells of her name.

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