Messy Nights and Modest Fights - Larry Stylinson Short Story

Chapter 19 - Wasting all my precious time

‘Good Thing’ – Sam Smith

Wasting all my precious time

Niall watches the police car screech past, his heart nearly stops when he see’s Louis’ ass out the window. People laugh and cheer and he stifles his own laughter, too drunk to worry about the legal ramifications of such an idiotic move. Richard would kill them, Niall knew that much. He watched the car disappear around the corner of the boulevard and his hands return to his head as he searches the crowd. 

Liam was passed out in the Limo, Richard had text him and Zayn was upstairs with a stripper no doubt bent over a table so Niall pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He searched for the long legs and soulful eyes of Dakota. Her brunette hair that cascaded like liquid chocolate down her shoulders but she was gone. 

Niall was confused and overwhelmed, one minute he was helping her and his hands on her skin as soft as velvet. Then he told her she was beautiful, why? Because to him she was breathtaking. But he didn’t get the reaction he expected. I put everything out there and I got nothing at all.  

Her voice rattled in his head as he lit the cigarette, his eyes focused on the burning embers and smoke that spiralled into the night air. “Don’t say things like that,” her voice unsteady and her eyes never meeting his. 

Niall felt like every time he took two steps closer to Dakota she pushed him ten steps backwards. She was always pushing, always. 

Zayn was right, “Too much of a good thing won’t be good for long.” Wasn’t he? Niall was wracked with confusion. His feelings for Dakota were a mess, like pulling christmas lights from the attic after twelve months and then slowly untangling each light. His mind was a mess, he couldn’t watch Porter break up with Dakota in fear she’d cry. If she cried it meant she loved him, not Niall. Niall didn’t want that reality check. 

He shoved dollar bills into the bra of a pretty blonde with a blank expression and hungry hands, she climbed onto him and as he closed his eyes the music brushed his thoughts away. Every stroke, each touch she lay on his tight body thrust Dakota from his reverie. He was in a trance as the stripper gyrated her hips and made the blood swell between his thighs. Emotional he pushed Dakota away, just like she pushed him and with what little self control he had he began kissing the blonde. 

Kissing her was hard, it was like a betrayal to his heart but he shoved the unease aside and avoided opening his eyes – for fear Dakota’s big baby blues would be staring at him, judging him. If she doesn’t want me, I don’t want her. He had resigned to forgetting her and the feel of her fingers in his, casting the engagement party as a mistake and a drunken confession.

Then she was hitting the stripper with the fiery hair and the shrill scream, he found his feet without thought and as she lay on the ground covered in glass, ice and blood his arms were around her. He gravitated towards Dakota like a magnetic forced he couldn’t control, he glared at Porter as he carried Dakota and her head rested on his shoulder. Her breath on his neck sent a shudder down his spine, his heart was racing as he took her to the separate room. 

Immediately, she brushed him off with a string of ‘It’s fine’ and ‘I’m fine’ but he needed to see for himself. His hands frantically searched her skin, eyes scanning her face for imperfections or injuries. Only when he saw her perfect face was still intact did his breathing slow, his heart subside from hammering erratically in his chest. 

For a moment I believed you loved me too, he looked into her eyes and his breath hitched, her piercing blue eyes stared back as the world fell away. “You’re beautiful,” he said again behind a timid smile. She craned her head, her hand slowly raising to his face then it fell away… she always fell away. 

He saw the bruises on her skin, the swelling of her shoulder and it was aged. The colour of settled blood from a beating that took place before the stripper fists connected with Dakota’s face. He looked at her with an incredulous stare, a heavy weight resided in the pit of his stomach. Who hit her? Who the fuck would touch her?

“It’s nothing,” she swore. 

He spoke, voice disbelieving. “Who did this?” 

“I can’t be in here with you,” She snapped. 

Niall swallowed as his shoulders drooped, “What?”

“I can’t.”

Then she was gone and Niall felt the colour drain from his face, it felt like she had slapped him as he stood up and walked mindlessly down the stairs. He blinked breaking from the daydream, the cigarette perched between his lips when someone said his name. “Niall.”

Porter was standing with blue stains down his shirt, he offered a small smile. 

“Hey.”

“You okay?” Porter asked, inhaling on the filter of the cigarette and the smoke swirled around him in a haze.

Niall shrugged, “She’s gone.”

“She does that a lot.”

Niall raised an eyebrow, turning to Porter, “What?”

“Runs.”

“Why?”

Porter sighed, “She’s broken.”

“How did she take it?” Niall asked, hinting at the break up.

Porter grimaced, “Fine.”

“Really?”

“Really…” Porter turned to face Niall. “You know,” He flicked the burning cigarette on the ground and stamped it out with his foot. “I think she was relieved.”

Niall stared ahead. 

“You should go after her,” Porter held up the room key.

Niall saw it from the corner of his eye but felt his body tense. “No.”

“No?”

“She doesn’t see me that way,” He lied. 

Porter laughed, “Really, Niall?”

“Really.”

Porter was silent, he flicked the key card between his fingers as he stared at the busy street. No one noticed them, Niall was drowning in his own turmoil and Porter was lost. Porter swayed on his feet, opening his mouth several times but silenced, unsure what to say. 

Niall blew out smoke between his thin lips, his entire body was filled with tension. 

“She told me–“

Niall raised a hand, “Don’t do that!”

“What?”

“Don’t fill my head with what you think I want to hear,” he snapped. 

“I’m not filling your head with anything,” Porter replied. 

Niall clenched his jaw, silent. 

“She’s in love with you,” Porter quickly said and then flinched waiting for Niall to hit him. 

Niall froze. 

The limousine pulled up opposite them, Niall was still silent as Porter put the key in Niall’s open palm and closed his fingers around it. “It’s your choice,” Porter sighed. “But no matter how far she runs, she’s still in love with you.”

“What if she–“

“Pushes you away?” Porter asked, he smiled as he opened the door of the Limo and Liam was asleep, arms folded along the seats. “Niall,” Porter smiled. “You broke down more walls with her then I ever did.”

“I–“

“Go to her,” Porter said as he climbed in and slumped next to Liam. 

The limousine pulled away and Niall watched it go, the key in his hand like a heavy weight.