Burn // NH

29. Pretty Girl

"April, I have no idea what's going on with her." I sighed through the line, tilting back in my leather chair.

Today was Saturday, also known as Christmas Eve, but for some unknown, obsessive work–aholic reason I was trapped inside my lovely office.

"Niall," April sighed. "You have to just give her some time and space right now. Trust me on this."

"Time and space for what, though?" I groaned and sat up straight. My elbows slammed down onto my desk before my hands shot through my already-disheveled hair.

Due to the fact that it was Christmas Eve, Ellison and I had (barely) worked out a plan to hit each of our Christmas' together in an orderly fashion, yet now that it was time to do that, all I was getting were mixed signals and distant responses to everything. Every time I had tried to bring it up in the past three days, she'd get pissed off about the subject. But if I didn't bring it up, then she'd get pissed off with me. It was like she wanted a part in all the decisions, yet she wasn't listening to anything being laid out on the table. She was one large ball of negative energy and it was becoming highly irritating by the hours.

She came up with this idea of going to her grandparent's house on Christmas Eve for their family tradition, then waking up at her parent's home and doing Christmas morning there. After that, we'd take off that night and fly out to Michigan to celebrate her biological father's Christmas and then from there head to Ireland to go do my family's. And since we were missing Christmas Day with my family, (after several hours of arguing) we made a compromise to stay through New Years. But as the dates drew closer, it was like her brain had unwired and was now just a mess of flaring neurotransmitters.

"Wait, she hasn't told you, yet?" April's unsure voice rang through the line once more.

"Told me what?" She then sighed. "April, what am I missing here?"

"Listen, Niall, it's not necessarily my place to tell you anything, but all I can say is that right now, and especially through the rest of the holiday season, you need to just give her space and have an open shoulder. She'll come out of this funk soon enough, but for the time being, please just try to keep in mind that she is going to be very sensitive."

I groaned and closed my eyes. I thought Wednesday night was bad. However, for the past three days, it's only been getting worse. Ellison doesn't move from her bed unless if it's to use the restroom, she hasn't eaten anything in at least forty eight hours. She barely even talks if she is awake, and when she does, it's obvious that she hasn't been listing to a damn word that anyone's been saying. Hell, trying to get her to pack her bag for the crazy week ahead was like trying to teach a pig how to eat with a fork— nearly impossible. I thought that it was just her period, but hearing this from April made me realize that maybe it was much more than just simple hormones.

"April, I don't understand any of this. She does not even talk to me anymore, she's just constantly mad."

"Ellison has a very hard time opening up to people. She's the type of person who will only let you know what she wants you to know about her or her life. Just give her some space and let her come to you. If you stop pushing, she'll stop fighting."

"But I'm not pushing."

"But you are, Niall. You may not be forcing her into anything, but you're giving her very limited options."

I sighed. "I'm just trying to make sure that gets to do everything that she wants to this break. I don't want her missing out on opportunities."

"Niall," April sighed, sounding just as distressed as I was, "Ellison does what Ellison wants. You may be the wealthiest guy that has entered her life, but money is not going to get you anywhere with her. Matter of fact, she hates the value of a dollar." I remembered her yelling at me a few months ago about spending money on her, but I didn't know that it extended even as far as just making sure that she gets to go home to see her family...