In Other Words (Niall Fanfic)

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty 

Niall’s POV

“I know it’s a lot to take in.” I said to the camera, for the third time. I heard water turn off and the rings of the shower curtain slide along the rod. “Well, sorry to say I’ve got to be goin’ now. We have dinner reservations.”  The bathroom door opened, and Roxy walked out in her towel. I held up my index finger, not wanting her to come into the shot. “I’ll have Roxy call you tomorrow, yeah? Take a look at those pictures I just emailed you. G’nite!” I waved at the camera and closed her laptop.

“How’d that go?” She said, leaning against the bathroom door frame.

“Weird.” I said. “Maybe you can call your brother in a bit and have him check in with them?”

“Sure. That’s a good idea.” She combed her fingers through her wet hair, and laid her head back against the wall, her eyes closed.

“Psst.” I whispered. She opened one eye. “I know what you’re doing.”

“Hmm?”

“No thinking.” I said, taking her by the hips and turning her toward the bedroom. I swatted her lightly on the arse. “Get dressed! I’m calling the lads.”

Roxy’s POV

I tugged on the hem of my dress and sat down next to Liam on the couch. I could hear Niall on the phone in his bedroom, his voice echoing off the high ceilings in his apartment. Yeah man, like fifteen minutes. Let me just pull my trousers on and we’ll head off.  Liam looked down at his watch.

“I’m a little nervous, Li.” I said softly. As close as Niall and Liam were, I hadn’t quite figured him out. It’s not that things were uncomfortable between us, I just didn’t feel as relaxed as I did with Lou, or Harry even. Zayn, of course, was a wild card.

“Are ya, babe?” Liam said. “It’ll be fine. It’s like a band-aid, ya know? Best just to yank it off quickly.”  He placed his hand on my knee and rose to his feet. “And delete your Twitter.”

I thought perhaps I should have avoided that particular topic with him. I laid my head back on the couch. “Niiiial. What’s taking you so long?” I said, loud enough for him to hear.  He walked out of the bedroom fastening his belt. He was wearing black slacks and a fresh white shirt with a grey sweater. For Niall, this is ‘dressed-up’. 

“Did you make reservations?” Liam asked.

“Of course, father.” Niall responded, checking his reflection in the mirror near the door, ruffling his hair a bit. “We need to hurry, though. The car should be waiting.”

I had zoned out while staring at him. “Ay, Roxy.” He said, snapping his fingers. I shook my head. “Sorry. What car?” He took my hands and pulled me off the couch. Liam clicked off the t.v. and tossed the remote to the table.

“It’s our debut, Rox. We have to ride in style.” He said, and with a flick of his hand at the switch on the wall, the apartment went dark and we headed out.

“The Wolseley.” He said to the driver as the three of us got situated in the seat.

Niall’s POV

The table was quiet as we all contemplated what to order. Roxy kept peeking over the top of her menu at me, and I pretended not to notice.  She was totally unaware of the fact that other people in this restaurant had come here this evening with the sole purpose of spotting a celebrity or two.  I thought about the ten minutes I’d spent lying motionless in my bed this morning, just after waking up, my plan for the day forming loosely in my brain. Today didn’t go at all as I had planned. But for once, I felt no anxiety over it.