Let's Play Pretend [Niall Horan AU]

• 9

"Love you baba," she mumbled. From what I knew, baba means father. She must be missing him. I was about to leave the room when I found a letter on the table. I was curious but I didn't want to intrude. I looked back in Alexandria and she was most definitely completely knocked out. I grabbed the wrinkly, old paper and read through it.

My beautiful Eliza,

Our love story started 10 years ago, in our college. I still remember the day you walked in, with you beautiful chocolate coloured hair, whipping around in the winds. What a beauty you were. You captured my eyes the first day I saw you. I wanted to make you mine but I was scared. You were the most popular girl in the class and I was just a lowly outcast. I'd never have a chance with you.

But you, you gave me a chance. A chance to prove myself, to better myself. I wanted to be the best for you and I tried my hardest. One fine day, all of my efforts had been justified.

To hear you say those three words was music to my ears. Hearing you softly whisper your confession to me, gave me life. I knew that, that day onwards I never want to let you go.

We've been through hell and back to make sure our future children have the most beautiful life ever. I can't ever forget all the sleepless nights we spent, trying to earn even the smallest, most measly about of money.

Now with almost 10 years of a beautiful relationship under our belt I still know that you're my person and you forever will be. I love you eternally, my beautiful. I want to ask the most important question I ever would in my whole life.

Eliza Jamilah Naifeh, will you do me the greatest honour of being my wife?

The letter ended with a signature but I couldn't decipher what it said. Who is Eliza? Who's letter is this and why does Alexandria have it? Sitting beside the letter was the ring she was seen wearing, which started all of this mess. It was not what I had expected.

I barely got a glimpse of it in the picture because of how blurry it was. In the picture it seemed like a silver or platinum ring with a massive diamond on it from all the glare but I was so wrong. It was a thin gold band which arched together to hold a small princess cut diamond in the centre. I completely misjudged the ring and its lavishness. It's a very simple ring. Something that couldn't have been more expensive than an iPhone.

I shouldn't be doing any of this but I couldn't help myself but be curious about this. My biggest downfall is this unnecessary need to prod at things. I picked the ring up, twisting it in my hand. Something was written on it but it was too faded and it was dark in her room considering the only source of light was from her bedside lamp. My fingers traced the letters and I could only make out a couple letters. The name ended with a D and had an I in there somewhere but that's all I got. I decided I'd done enough sticking my nose up others business so I put the ring and letter back where it was.

I was about to shut the door behind me when I heard a quiet cry. That startled me quite a bit. I slowly turned around to see Alexandria on her side, clutching the duvet up to her face and quietly crying into it. I walked over to her and bent down over her.

"Mama wh-Why," she mumbled quietly.

And now she's missing her mum. She's dead, isn't she? Okay that sounds cruel even in my head. Mindlessly I put my hand on her head and she slowly halted her cries. My thumb moved in slow circles and her breathing got more steady. Whatever nightmare she was having must've ended. I pushed her hair away from her face and just looked at her.

Her face was red and flushed from all the crying and drinking. Her eyelashes laid on her pinkish cheeks and were soaked wet with her tears. Her lips pouted because of how she had her cheeks pressed to the pillow. A small gentle smile was etched on her face. Her hands, which had now dropped the duvet, were white from how hard she was clenching them. My fingers curled around her fist and slowly unclenched her fingers, the colour coming back quickly and turning her hand a light shade of red.

Her index finger held a thick silver ring. On it were two names written in cursive.

Benjamin
Giovanna

Two hearts separated both names. I didn't know who these two people were but I'm assuming it was someone close to her. Her fingers clenched around my pinky finger. I pulled my hand out of hers and it quickly relaxed.

I'd been here for too long. I came here with one intention and I'd dropped it but why am I still here, taking care of her on top of it? I stepped away from the sleeping girl and turned off her lamp light. I left her room and shut the door behind me. On my way down I noticed how the bottle was half empty. I also saw the bottle cap lying next to it so it seemed like a recently opened bottle. If she had that much vodka she's going to have a raging hangover the next day.

I dug around her cabinets and found her pack of Advil's. I ran back up to her room and set the pack of Advil next to her water bottle. I put the vodka and orange juice back in the fridge and the cup in the sink before leaving.

Why am I doing all this?

I guess I felt some pity for the girl. She looked miserable and like she wanted to die. I mean, girl I understand but you seriously overdid the vodka there. For someone so lightweight and who drank rarely she really went for it. I can't imagine being this sensitive over hate. How bad can it be for her to do this to herself? I've got a thick skin but she's such a fragile person that even an ounce of hate is breaking her.

I truly did pity her.

But also, how pathetic is that? I mean she got into this industry. Did she expect it to be so pretty? She's bound to deal with hate even without it being related to me.

I was back in my house and I was curious about how bad the hate was. Surely people weren't like super fucking pissed or jealous that I'm with someone right? Surely. There's no reason for that. I mean, it would be the stupidest thing to get thick about.

It was three in the morning and what was I doing? Reading hate comments about my fake girlfriend, fiancé, whatever she is to me.

user1 Oh my fuck they're taking this stupid fucking narrative so far. What the fuck is this bullshit?

Well I totally agree with that comment. Super true. What the fuck is this bullshit?

user2 Ew why the fuck is she so ugly? God, whoever made her a model must've been fucking blind.

That's not true at all though. She is very pretty. I don't necessarily like her, I'd go so far as to say I hate her, but I can't deny that she's beautiful. She's a very popular model for Christ's sake.

user3 Bahaha this is such a joke. I don't think Niall would be shagging this model whore.

Oh wow. That's intense. I doubt she's a whore though. I mean she's got too much class to be someone who shags everyone.

user4 New gold digger whore alert!

Not true at all. She hasn't made me spend a penny. I've been getting money from all this actually. Sad reality.

Or happy reality.

user5 Holy fuck. It's a good thing her mother died. If she saw this abomination of a disgusting human her mother would've killed herself anyway. She raised such a slut.

Oh.