Looking Through Stain Glass Hearts || Nial Horan Fic

Chapter 39

Everything was coming to a head today. It had been two days since I called her, I heeded John's warning but my fingers wretched ever so slightly every time I looked at my phone. It almost like he was egging me on by simply telling me to back off. I felt challenged and like I had given up, let the gauntlet drop and walked away. It was weakness that was building up inside me. I was undermined and stomped on so in retaliation I texted her a quick "hello."

I didn't want her thinking I was backing down because I wasn't. The day I back off is the day she says to me she refuses to speak with me and she is tired of my calls. When that day comes I pack up and go back to Mullingar. I have been absent from her life for a year and a half, I am not being wiped off the face of this earth by some French pretty boy. Especially one who sounds like a washed up soap opera actor who needs to be on the Bachelor.

I glance at the clock in the airport and look to Louis. Eleanor will be arriving any minute and he looks like he is about to throw up. Or maybe pass out, either way he doesn't look thrilled. Then a shrill resounded the corridor so I darted my gaze to the cause and there is Eleanor running towards Lou, who is unmoved. My shoulder collides with his to wake him up so he will give some sort of reaction but instead he just stands there with the most unenthusiastic expression ever.

"Oh Louis, I missed you so much," Eleanor squealed while wrapping her frail limbs around his torso. At first Louis stood his ground until finally returning the favor, however it looked so forced as if I was holding a gun to his back.

"Nice to see you to El, ready to go drop off your things," Louis spoke up, and pulled back to give Eleanor a peck on the cheek, however she turned her face last second so it landed in her lips and she pulled at his neck to deepen, but out of pure discomfort I cleared my throat. This allowed Louis an excuse to back away from her and head towards the exit.

As we are walking Eleanor seems to have an idea pop into her head and decides to stop mid stride with her arm still latched around Lou's hip, so then he almost trips.

"Actually, can I go see where you have been working all this time?" she smiles so sweetly the malice was excellently sugar coated. To me, it seemed obvious that she just wanted to see Sadie. Yet, maliciously or for curiosity, Louis obliged and we began walking towards the bar. All the while the two 'love birds' are chatting away.

Louis was talking about all the sights and Eleanor about their future. Those two weren't on different pages, they were reading different books. Oddly enough, I found myself jealous that he at least had girl so infatuated with him she didn't realize how uninterested he was. I guess loneliness was getting the best of me, I was jealous of my best friend's dysfunctional relationship. Looking both ways we crossed the final street before reaching our final destination.

Opening the door I peered in and notice, by pure coincidence Sadie and Daniel are front and center flirting, her sat up on a table while he is standing before her whispering sweet mornings quietly in her ear. He makes me sick. Eleanor walks in and loudly announces how rustic the place seems breaking up Saniel, or Dadie, from there little love trance. I then turn to help Louis carry in some of Eleanor's bags while she gets acquainted with everyone.

Once all her stuff was hidden in the back among the numerous cardboard boxes, Louis and I join in with Zayn and Harry who has his arms securly tied around Bonnie's waist for all to see. I had to admit, even as a guy those two plastered a smile on my face. Bonnie looked so relaxed and content resting in his arms, while Harry had this protective, yet gleeful tint to his emerald eyes. Though I was pulled from my stalkerish staring by the world war three of arguments.

"Why is she here?" Sadie started out, hopping off the table. The menacing look in her eye would have scared me off but Louis and Eleanor stayed put. Although for a little dig, Eleanor slipped her arms arms around Louis to emphasize possession.

"My girlfriend has very right to come visit me. Some of us got tired of watching you and Dannyboy so we needed our own fix," Louis shouts back and admittedly it sounded harsh. He made Eleanor sound like just someone to pass time with. It is the first time I saw Eleanor retreat from Louis' form and take shelter on the wall.

"Daniel works here, he has every right to be here unlike you. You forced yourself to be hired, you are on thin ice which isn't the place where you make demands," Sadie bit back not noticing how everyone in the room was slowly backing away from the pair.

"Daniel has a right to work here, not snog you in front of every single staff member!" Louis yells in frustration the adds, "you know, when I was gutted after our break up, Eleanor was the first to begin picking up the pieces. Sure the lads were there for me, but we were all individual wrecks I needed someone to be there, to be my safety net, and that was Eleanor!"

This seemed like Eleanor's cue to rejoin Louis' side, only this time Louis reciprocated her actions and wrapped his own arms around her in thanks.

"If you two are so in love why were you so devastated over me, huh? You obviously didn't need much time to get over me," Sadie spat back taking a defensive stance.

"What about you? I hear things, you got together with Daniel two weeks after breaking up with me, how do you think that makes me feel? No, I'll tell you, it makes me feel worthless!" Louis breaks out from Eleanor's embrace and Sadie was fuming. I could've sworn steam was evaporating from her skin.

"Because I couldn't stand breaking! I don't break, I am the strong one and while Keigan was broken I needed to be put together and instead of busting out the super glue and dealing with it I grabbed some Scotch tape and did a quick patch job! You think I like seeing you waltz in here everyday with those suspenders and a goofy grin?" she screams at him, tears brimming her eyes.

It all came together. Sadie put all her problems to the side to help everyone else and now they have been uncovered. Daniel was now the one against the wall, I would be too if I found out I was the Scotch tape to someone you have feelings for instead of the super glue.

No one spoke, air was still. Sadie then ran in the direction of the bathroom with Lila and Bonnie in tow. That's when I took note Samantha was gone and with another quick scan of the room Liam was also notably missing. I began searchg the room with my eyes until Eleanor's voice broke my concentration.

"What do you want Louis? I don't want to be the other girl in this, alright? What am I to you?" she asked with some hope in her eyes and fingers twitching as if they had a mind of their own. She wanted to pinch him with a hug at that moment with the anticipation of a positive answer.

"I want to be me, and I can't to that without knowing who I am when I'm single," Louis started and just like that all the hope in her eyes diminished and her fingers became complacent. "And to know who I am single, I need to be single, so..."

"No worries, um I'll just head back to the airport I guess," she smiled but the water welling in her eyes was the tell-tale sign she wasn't fine. Louis went in for a hug, but she held up her hand and focused her stare to the floor. Zayn and I offered to help with her bags but she refused our advances and politely asked to use the phone to call for a cab. We, of course, complied, and she awkwardly weaves through the maze of tables to the phone, called, gathered her things, and exited our lives.

"You, alright, man?" Zayn questioned while squeezing Louis' shoulder. Lou responded with a smile, but it didn't seem as genuine as it could've been. Then the doors to the bar burst open and the dreary atmosphere was filled with out of place laughter. Liam and Sam had finally shown back up on the grid and then quieted down when their mood noticeably didn't match the room's.

They looked at each other innocently before Liam asked, "what happened?"

We looked at each other as if that would audibly say 'not it.' I decided to avoid it by walking out to got get the mail. I walked over to the metal half cylinder and pulled out the ten envelopes and sifted through them as I walked back to the bar. Then I came across a postcard from Denver. I flipped over and saw it was addressed to the girls from Keigan.