Happily (Niall Horan)

Chapter Sixty-One: Missing

Tuesday, November 26, 2013:
Niall:
"Babe," I feel someone gently push me. "Niall, come on wake up." Suddenly a pair of lips land on mine, allowing me to kiss back immediately before they pull away. I hear her familiar laugh causing me to slowly open my eyes.
"Morning," I say to Zoe happily, sitting up to see her fully dressed with her phone in hand.
"Good morning, Nialler," she replies to me cheerfully. "You were cuddling your pillow again; someone missed me."

There's a pang in my heart when I hear the nickname; making me think of Hayleigh, and how sad she looked three days ago when I ignored her. Shutting my eyes briefly, I run my hands down my face in attempt to wipe away my tiredness and guilt.

"You ready for the date you promised me?"

I smile lazily at her, tired from celebrating the release of Midnight Memories last night and lean forward to grasp her hand. "Of course, sweetheart. Let me get dressed and I'll meet you downstairs."
She grins, pecking my cheek. "Perfect." I stare after her as she leaves, watching the door close before falling back on to my bed. A groan escapes my lips as I'm swamped with thoughts about the girl that I'm not even in a relationship with.

Seeing Hayleigh after I've been avoiding her for a couple weeks felt, I don't even know how. She looked as beautiful as ever but something was off.  She was sick; I could tell by the eyes and the coughing but it was something else, behind the eyes. I've only seen that look three times in the timespan of knowing her.
Once was when she was swarmed by paparazzi and attacked, the other two when I was told of Gracie and when Becca fell into a coma.
There was a nagging in my head as I quickly get dressed, begging me to call Hayleigh and ask what's wrong but I shook it off.
If something was wrong, she'd tell me. Would she? You've been avoiding her, Niall. What makes you think she'll just tell you everything?
The only reason I've been avoiding her is because Zoe thought something was going on between us, after Hay forgave me for missing out movie marathon. I realize it's a jerk move to just stop talking to her but I needed to assure Zoe.
But seeing Hayleigh after so long just made my heart skip a beat.

I grab my phone and wallet before running down the steps, glancing at the pictures on the wall...of course seeing the drawing Presley did of Hay and me, causing butterflies to flutter in my stomach.

"Ready?" Zoe stands up from the couch with her signature smile.

"Ready," I answer her, intertwining our fingers as soon as we're close enough.

"I like your shirt," she comments as we walk out of the house and towards my car. I look down because honestly I didn't know what I was wearing. My football jersey, that Hayleigh gave me last year; shit. "Where'd you get it?"

"My birthday," I say as I open the car door for her, not giving any more details. I start driving towards downtown as she wanted to wander around until lunch.

"Oh I love this song," she squeals, making me chuckle as she turns it up.
"I won't give up, on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love and still looking up," Jason Mraz sings, and automatically my grip on the steering tightens. Of fucking course it has to be Hayleigh's favorite song.
My brain sends me to the day when she was dancing around her room while I sat on her bed, admiring her before she had collapsed on top of me, full of bubbly giggles.
"Don't you just love that song?" Hayleigh had asked after it was over, staring up at me.
"Yeah," I answer, not really paying attention to the question but to her. Her brown hair was sprawled around her head, her smile radiating as she slightly laughed at my response.
"Did you even hear what I said?" She questioned as she sat up. Her T-shirt slipped off of her shoulder, revealing her small birthmark. Hay ran her fingers through her hair, making me breathless.
"Uh, w-what was the question?" I stuttered, completely captivated as I stared into her light brown eyes. She smiled again, shaking her head at me while holding out her hand.
"Never mind, let's go get some lunch. I'm starving." I gulped and slipped my fingers into hers, wondering how in the world I got so lucky to be best friends with her.