One Month Headed In One Direction

Chapter 13: Standing In A Bathroom Crying Over Him

[ANNIE’S POV]

“Annie?” Niall’s voice rang out through the door to the small bus bathroom. Besides Nora’s small room it was the only spot on the bus that afforded any real privacy. I suppose I could also find privacy in the bus’ luggage racks, but the bus was currently moving as we traveled to LA. Would it be weird if I asked the driver to stop so I could curl up in there and cry?

“Annie please!” Niall begged again. I could picture him on the other side of the door. He was probably leaning his forehead on the door as he continued to knock. His bright blue eyes closed in frustration as he tried to come up with a way to get me to open the door. “I just want to talk.”

“Well I don’t,” I snapped back as I resumed my pacing in the tiny bathroom. I could feel tears pricking at the edge of my eyes, and I blinked them back. I wasn’t going to cry anymore. I just had to get over him. Obviously I had seen something there that Zayn hadn’t. I just had to look at everything with a clear head.

“Anners?” Niall asked again.

“Quiet Niall! I’m trying to think here!” He fell silent for the time being, but continued to knock heavily on the door. Okay, so the first time things went awry with Zayn was that storage closet. So he pulled me into a closet and told me I would look hot in a wedding dress. Then we had kissed. A lot. Then Nora called interrupting us. Just because a guy says you would look hot in a wedding dress and kisses you doesn’t mean he wants something more.

“Annie,” Niall practically whispered. “I just want to make sure that you’re okay.” I sighed in frustration and jerked the door open pulling him into the bathroom with me. It was a tight squeeze as I shut the door once again.

“I’m fine,” I said as Niall squeezed in next to me. He turned so that we were facing one another with only a few inches of space between us. My mind went back to Zayn and that damn closet where all this had started. “Niall? If I brought up wedding dresses would you want to kiss me right now?”

“Holy hell,” Niall said looking at me strangely. “You’ve seriously flipped your lid.”

“I just really need to know your answer Nialler,” I said suddenly desperate.

“No!” Niall said now blushing. “I wouldn’t have the sudden urge to kiss you no matter what dress you brought up.” He paused. “Don’t get me wrong. You’re a pretty girl but—.”

“Save it,” I said placing a hand over her mouth. “It was just a question. A really stupid question.” I ran my hand through my hair and sighed again. I ignored Niall as I thought about my second encounter with Zayn. Why had he appeared when I was cleaning around my bunk? That time he had most definitely been the one to initiate the kiss. Right? Except I had been the one to close the distance between our lips. But he was the one who pulled me onto my bunk. But I was the one who had accosted him in the bathroom—.”

“Annie, what’s going on?” Niall asked. “You’re obviously not fine.”

“I’m fine Niall.”

“Then why are you crying?” he asked. I lifted up my hand to touch my cheek finding it was wet with my tears. “You were crying when I came to get you earlier too. What’s going on?”

“I told you it was allergies,” I shouted stupidly as Niall wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against his shoulder. I sobbed into his shirt as he whispered soothing sounds in my ear. It was maybe another five minutes before I pulled away having finally gotten control of my tears. I blinked into Niall’s concerned blue eyes and cursed Zayn again. I couldn’t even properly appreciate having Niall Horan holding me close because my mind was still focused on the Bradford bad boy.