Happily (Niall Horan)

Chapter Sixty-Two: Confusion

Niall:
"We've looked everywhere," Louis groans tiredly as we walk down the streets of London. "We're never going to find her."
"We have to," I reply sharply, taking another sip of my coffee. I take a deep breath to try to keep my cool but end up harshly throwing my cup in a trash bin.
"Niall, calm down," Liam instructs me calmly. "She couldn't have gone far."
I exhale, nodding. "Right, right," I mumble and bite my lip harshly.
"Actually she could be anywhere," Louis rolls his eyes. Presley slaps his arm, leaning against Harry.
"Not the time, Lou," Zayn warns him.
"What places have been checked off?" I ask for the millionth time, bouncing my knee with impatience.
"Our house, your house, Simply Sweet, the center, and the mall," Presley repeats, closing her eyes momentarily as she rests her head on Harry's shoulder.
I begin to bite my nails as I think of other locations. "I'm going insane," I laugh halfheartedly to myself when I come up short. 
"It's only because you care," Harry tells me honestly, wrapping an arm around the black-haired girl. "I know you two haven't been talking lately but that doesn't mean she suddenly just left your heart, Ni."
"Harry's right," Pres speaks up. "You and Hayleigh have been each other's world for the past three years."
"Why would she go missing to begin with?"
"I don't know," she admits. "These past few days she hasn't been herself. She's barely eaten and hasn't been as interactive."
"What could've changed her all of a sudden?" Zayn questions curiously.
"She was already hurting because she told me Niall had been avoiding her, but then the night before 1D Day she came to dinner with red eyes," Presley explains.
"She was crying?" I ask softly, guilt tugging at my heart.
"Yeah."
"We're getting distracted," Louis interrupts, pointing to his watch. "We need to find Hayleigh; it's two in the morning."
"He's right, where else could she be?"
I scratch my head, slowly losing hope as we all just look at each other.
"Think of her favorite places," Zayn suggests with his hands in his coat pockets.
"Okay, okay, she likes -um," I blink, my mind going blank. "I don't know."
"Come on, man!"
"Louis," Pres hisses. "Everybody think. Where does Hayleigh like to go, to shop, take pictures-"
"The park!!" I shout suddenly, my eyes widening. "She always goes to the park with her camera to relax when she's stressed." Presley nods, agreeing with me.

"Okay, let's go."

When we arrive, we're the only people in eyesight. "Let's split up," I tell them. "We'll cover more ground that way."

"Good idea, Ni," Liam pats my back and I sigh, knowing in my gut she is here somewhere. "Zayn, Louis and I will go towards the playground, Harry and Presley will check towards the ponds and fountains and you look in the picnic areas." We all nod before dispersing quickly.

I dig my hands in my pockets, my thoughts running wild of her being hurt and all alone. "This is all my fault," I mumble under my breath before calling her name. Silence is what I get for a response before I remember the tree we always used to sit under when we had days off.

I strum my guitar, closing my eyes as Hayleigh softly sings along. She's resting her head on my legs, her stunning brown eyes gazing up at the white clouds in the sky to try to find shapes. She sits up suddenly, making me stop playing and stare at her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she sighs with a captivating smile on her lips. She shuffles her body around until she's in between my legs, and lays her back against my stomach. I set my guitar on the ground, and wrap my arms around her to keep her close. My heart skips a beat when she grasps on to my arms, causing me for some reason to place a light kiss between her eyes. "Today is such a good day, wouldn't you agree?"

"Definitely," I respond softly, being completely honest. Days like these were my favorite; when it was just me and her. No jobs or bandmates there to ruin the blissfulness; my heart trying to break out of my rib cage as I see how content and happy she was, making me want to make this day repeat over and over in a loop.