Strictly Professional

16: Blind Trust

ELLE
Issues-Julia Michaels

I woke up the next morning in Niall's bed, something I never expected would actually happen. But after everything that took place last night and all the emotional weight we both had to deal with, he asked me to stay. I couldn't say no, and I honestly didn't want to. I just couldn't stay away from him, no matter how much I kept telling myself I probably should.

I had the perfect opportunity to end it last night. And maybe I should have, but I couldn't. And that was the problem. I had fallen into a trap of wanting to get close to him, to know all his hurt and help him heal when I knew he could cause me just as much hurt if he suddenly decided he had enough of me.

But for the first time, he was vulnerable and he opened up to me like never before. I finally knew something about his past, managing to put the pieces together and solve the riddles of which he always spoke. I could finally humanize him and push aside the image he had created of himself. In my head, he was no longer just an arrogant celebrity. He was a man that's been through heartbreak and was still dealing with it after so many years, but doing so in the wrong way.

This, whatever it was that we had, I didn't want it to end. It would at some point, I was sure of that, but not yet. I wasn't ready for it to be over. I had to know him more, and I wanted him to get to know me. Maybe it was idiotic for me to cling onto the idea of us, because I wasn't even sure that I'd want something more from him. I knew his issues, and he knew mine. We wouldn't work, yet I still chose to stay.

I found myself staring at him as I laid on my side, taking in every little detail of his while he slept on his stomach. Long, brown eyelashes falling over his sunkissed, slightly rosy cheeks. Light, cool brown strands of messy hair falling over his forehead and tangling with eachother. Thin lips slightly parted as he kept a steady breathing pattern and snored ever so softly, the small golden hoop earring he always wore shining as it reflected the light of the morning sun creeping through the cream linen curtains of the window. With his arm curled under the pillow to support his head, I felt the urge to trace my fingers over the soft skin of his tricep. But I held myself back, worried that somehow the gesture would cause him to wake up and question why I felt the need to do such thing.

Instead, I decided to get up and head for a shower, assuming he wouldn't mind and hoping he'd be up by the time I'd be done to provide me with a towel. I still had no idea about what time it was, but I didn't really care. Judging by his peaceful sleep, neither did he.

I entered the bathroom connected to his room, taking in the large double vanity with the white marble countertop. I slightly chuckled, finding it ironic that he had two sinks in his bathroom. It was obvious he only ever used the one on the right side, since all his belonging and toiletries cluttered that end of the counterspace, leaving the other half in pristine condition. So I took the liberty to use that side, running my fingers through my hair to get the knots out before gathering it up, pulling the hair elastic from around my wrist to tie it into a low bun.

I splashed my face with some cold water to help me wake up before heading to the fogged glass shower, finding two shower heads there too and a tile bench seat. The room of the shower could easily fit five people, if not more and the tab had at least four different settings for the water. It took me a while to configurate it and settle on a pressure point and temperature for the water. Giving up on trying to salvage my hair, I untied it and put the elastic back around my wrist before stepping completely into the water that fell like rain over me.

With it intruding into my hearing, and the combination of my own thoughts I was unable to take notice of the presence of someone else, only doing so when a cool gust of air hit me from the shower door being creaked open. I looked over my shoulder, my eyes meeting the man that's been messing with my head for weeks. He stood behind me, joining me under the water as his arms wrapped around my waist.