strange love - n.h.

28. Life is full of Ups and Downs and Misconceptions

"Well you can help me, if you're happy. And I believe you're happy when you're with Niall," he lifted my head with a finger under my chin and stared into my eyes, "as long as you're happy -I... I'm gonna be fine."

He sent me a little smile, "please?"

My heart sunk to the bottom of my belly - or at least that was what it felt like, as I had understood his request. He chose to put his own misery aside merely to make sure I would stay happy, "but Zayn..." I wanted to tell him to be selfish - to punish me instead of himself. To make me take the fall.

"Please no 'but'," he told me firmly, "please just do this - do this for me?" He pleaded.

He was simply begging me to not interrupt, as he would keep on torturing himself - and there was nothing I could do. To follow his wish was the least I could do for him.

"I'm so sorry," I murmured as I pulled him into a hug not even sure if that was a good idea either, "I'm so sorry Zayn."

"Don't worry about me - just be happy," he mumled into my shoulder. We stayed like that for seconds - but it felt more like hours, as was it going to be the last time I would be there for him. Like I was going to let go off him in some weird sense.

"That should do it," Zayn smiled, as he had just pressed the sent button of his tweet. I had snapped the photo of a playfully sad Zayn in his ripped shirt, and he had quickly added the text to the picture; if everybody had stayed calm there would've been no problem guys! Next time #staycalm & #staysafe please!

"Yeah, well hopefully they'll understand that destroying people's t-shirts won't do any good!" We grinned, as we both heard two knocks on the door.

NIALL's POV

I had just knocked the door of her hotel room and was waiting for someone to answer it. I wasn't quite sure what I had expected, but it was definitely not the politely smiling face of Zayn, as he opened the door for me.

"Hey mate," Zayn greeted a rather surprised me, as I entered the room. I looked further into the room - and there she was. The sunshine of my own little world. She saw me and sent a careful smile my way, but she didn't move an inch from her cross-legged position on the bed.

My heart sunk a little and my smile fainted; it was true. She'd had enough of me and my popstar life. She'd reached the edge - otherwise why would she stay in place on the bed not having seen each other all day? It had been a bad idea to take her with me to NYC. Definitely. What had I been thinking? What had I done!

"I was just on my way out anyway. Gotta get a new shirt anyway so..." Zayn mumbled interrupting my thoughts, as he sneaked around me and continued out through the door closing it behind him.

I looked back at Molly, but she still hadn't moved. She was just sitting there, staring at her hands with sadness written all over her.

"Are you... are you okay?" I asked and settled at the end of the bed. Even though my heart was screaming of me to reach out and hold her in my arms, I kept the distance, not wanting to hurt her further.