Backfire (Niall Horan)

Chapter 16 ~ Awkward

Chapter 16 ― Awkward

    I was period free and nothing could feel more beautiful. I felt like myself again, no more pills, no more needy girl, no more tears for stupid reasons. Ladies and gentlemen, Alexia Porter was back!

We were heading to our next destination in the tour bus, just the lads and us. Phebs was in a better mood, the same as I. After my conversation with Zayn things had been a tad complicated. I avoided Niall, of course, I couldn’t look him in the eyes and not want to cry or ask him for an explanation. I didn’t want to talk to Zayn either because I thought he just pitied me and I didn’t need him for that. So I spent my time with the girls, trying to cheer Phebs up whilst Danielle was with Liam.

Since then, it had been four days.

“Are you hungry, beloved wife?” Louis asked sitting next to me who was playing Solitaire on my phone.

“That’s not the question to ask, Louis. You know I’m always hungry. You have to ask: can you handle your hunger?” I replied not taking my eyes away from my game.

“Well, can you handle your hunger? Because I can’t, I’m dying here.” I kept my eyes glued on my game and soon Louis was demanding my attention. “Please, Alex, please! Make something to eat!” he begged.

“Let me win this shit and I’ll cook something. If you don’t let me finish this I’ll throw you out of the bus. Got it, husband?”

“C’mon! You can win! Go, Alex, go!” he cheered me and I was about to hit him but I decided to focus on my game until I won.

“Has anyone told you how annoying you can be?” I asked him as I stood up and went to the little kitchen to prepare something. “Sweet or salty?” I asked him.

“Yes, a lot of people have told me that. Sweet, please,” replied Louis and I just rolled my eyes as I gathered the ingredients to make a fruit salad. It was healthy and quick to prepare. A win-win situation.

“I want food, too!” An Irish accent demanded and I held my breath till I felt him next to me watching over my shoulder to see what I was preparing. “Would you make something for me too?” he asked but I kept my eyes fixed on the knife in my hand. I wasn’t going to meet his eyes so my heart would skip a beat. I was trying to get over him, but it wasn’t easy when he tried to get closer all the time, when he saw me with those puppy eyes, or his sweet smile. It was bloody difficult to try to forget about a person when he was next to you all the time and you were in a damn tour bus. You definitely didn’t have many places to hide.

“Sure,” I mumbled half-heartedly still avoiding him, I even moved slightly to my right.

“Is there something wrong?” Niall asked grabbing my wrist but I shook it off quickly because his touch sent electric jolts through my body.

“Nope. Nothing at all. Everything’s perfect,” I replied moving farther from him again, but he stepped closer.

“Liar,” stated Niall surprising me, and Louis too. I heard him gasp. “I know you and you’re avoiding me, Alex. Why? What did I do now?” I could feel his frustration when he grabbed me again and made me turn so I could face him. “Tell me what’s happening, Alex. Please,” his tone was subsided, low and his eyes were begging me but I couldn’t tell him the reasons, I couldn’t tell him that I was acting like that because he didn’t feel the way I did and that was killing me inside, seeing him everyday knowing that my feelings were unilateral made me want to scream. I just couldn’t tell him that.

“I swear, it’s nothing important. You don’t have to worry, Niall.” Right there I saw Zayn standing a few feet away watching the scene with what could only be described as a guilty expression. “Right, Zayn?” I talked loudly meeting his brown eyes. “Niall is overreacting.”