My Brother's Best Friend [HS, 1D]

Chapter 18: Hiatus

Niall nodded back and soon everyone was heading towards their rooms. As we walked Niall was soon at my side, we both looked at each other, and when we got to his room, he nodded his toward the door and I followed him.

The silence was so loud, but I knew at some point this conversation would happen. It needed too. The fans were noticing Niall's distance from me, and with Zayn not being present it just fueled tabloid drama.

"Did you pay for Macie's first year? At NYU?" He said before I even had a chance to sit on the small couch in the room.

I looked down at my feet and took a deep breath, "Yeah. I felt like I ruined everything, I wasn't going to ruin her future."

I looked up at him and he nodded, "I'll pay you back, I was going to still pay, I just....I needed to get my head out of my ass."

"It's fine, you pay the rest, don't worry about it." I swallowed and ran my hands over my face, "Niall, I'm sorry mate. It just, it got complicated really fast. She didn't want to tell you because of the tour, and Zayn already being an issue."

Niall bit his lip and looked away from me, "When did it start?"

"Uh, I think, it started happening during the break before this tour."

"You think?" Niall raised an eyebrow at me.

"Ni, we came back, and Macie...she was, different. I really was over the girls. And the hook ups. And what started as me just hanging back to avoid that, turned into my hanging back to be with Macie. It wasn't intentional. I didn't intentionally try and make something happen, we just spent so much time together. One night everything just shifted. She felt it too, and we tried. Niall, we tried to avoid it, but it's tiring."

"Hazza, she's my little sister. You kno—I know. I have been the most respectful about everything. The moment I knew I had feelings for her I double downed on not going out. I didn't go on that double date that she insisted I went on with you, because I was already in too deep with my feelings for her. Niall, I love your sister. I'm in love with her, mate. She's changed me for the better, she really has. I can't get enough of her. I purposely got sick when she got sick so I could be with her. I'm insane."

Niall chuckled a bit and looked down, he held his gaze there for a while, "If you hurt her mate, you and me, never the same."

"I won't hurt her. I could never." I said and he finally looked at me, "I care about you both. About your family. I would never betray her. Ever. I want to be with her Niall."

He swallowed and took a deep breath, "Let's get through these last shows. We'll talk then."

I nodded and we both just sat in our silence for a long while.

—

I sat watching the entertainment channel with my mum, I couldn't stop shaking my head in disbelief.

Zayn Malik has left One Direction in a lengthy post announcing his departure from the band.

My mom sat next to me on the couch, and placed her hand over her lips, "Oh dear, those poor boys."

"Have you talked to Niall?" I turned to her and she shook her head.

"I think they need space." She smiled small at me and I nodded.

I looked down at my phone, I had the group chat with the boys open, and I didn't know what to write or what to send. I just quickly sent a heart, keeping Zayn in the message. I didn't know what happened, but my love went out to all of them.

—

Harry's POV

We all sat in the living room of our suite together watching the announcement. Everything just felt off, it didn't feel real. We had decided after the album release we would go on a break, a hiatus. None of us were happy with it, but we felt management pushing for it.

I looked down at my phone as it went off, seeing Macie's message to all of us. I looked up at the boys, Niall's gaze of course catching mine. I took a deep breath and excused myself, walking out of the suite into the hall.

I paced up and down biting my lip, before calling her. I didn't know what I was going to say, or if she would answer, but I needed to hear her voice.

"Hello." She answered, her voice soft, almost as if filled with caution.

"Hi Mace." I said, my voice cracking softly as I fought back the tears.

"You okay?" She said softly, and I couldn't hold back the tears.

"I feel like a mug. We tried so hard, for Zayn. We just," I couldn't finish my sentence, the tears just came.

"I'm sorry Hazza. I'm so sorry."

She knew this was my fear, she knew I was scared of everything that was happening. I had felt it coming, almost felt like I had jinxed it.

"Mace, we are going on a hiatus, announcing it after the album drops I believe." I said through my tears, wiping my face.

"What?"

"Yeah, management kinda pushed it, but we probably need it." I leaned against the wall and slid down to sit, "I think we all just need a break."

"Maybe. Was it really mental health with Zayn?"

"He didn't even say bye to us Mace. He did it all through management."

I heard her take a deep breath, and before she said anything, the words just came out, "I really miss you."

She was silent for a moment, before finally speaking, "I really miss you too, Harry."

I closed my eyes and bit my lip. I knew that's all we would be doing if Niall didn't change his mind. Missing each other.

"I should go. The boys will start wondering where I went."

"Right. Bye Harry."

"Bye Mace."