In Other Words (Niall Fanfic)

Chapter Fifty-Eight

“Yo.” He said.

“Yo?” I laughed, looking through the fogged-over glass to see him fully dressed, but not in his usual jeans and t shirt ensemble. “You look nice.” I had a feeling in the pit of my stomach that my plans for the day were already going to be fucked.

“Going with Bobby for a bit of brunch and to work on my swing at the driving range.” He said. “Just came to say goodbye.”

Shit. I needed the car. “Oh. Okay.” I said, trying to hide my tiny moment of panic. He popped open the shower door and poked his head inside.

“Hey hey.” He smiled, reaching his fingertips toward me. I quickly jumped away from his touch.

“Niall!” I squealed. “Get out of here.”

“Give me a kiss and I’ll go.” He said.

I knew damned well if I got close enough he would pull something, and I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction, considering he’d thrown a wrench into my morning. I crept my toes along the tile until I was close enough to lean in and purse my lips, waiting, the majority of my body safely out of his reach.

“Really?” he smirked.

“Mmmhmm.” I sounded, lips still at the ready. He kissed me sweetly, his hands behind his back to show he intended to behave. As he pulled back, I reached up and rubbed my wet palm over his face, playfully.

“Jerk.” He muttered, blinking away the water droplets before heading out the door.

“Bye!” I shouted, quickly finishing up and wrapping a towel around me as I rushed to find my phone.

—

“’Ello?” he said, clearing his throat.

“Harry.” I said sweetly, drawing out the r’s in his name.

“Roxy.” He replied.

“How are you?” I said, knowing he was probably fully aware that I wasn’t just calling to chat.

“Well, thank you.” He said. “What is it that you need?”

“A favor.” I quickly explained that I was going to go car shopping today, but Niall had taken the Range Rover.

“So Niall doesn’t know you’re buying a car?” he said after I’d finished my overly-dramatic tale.

“Nope.” I smiled.

Harry sighed into the phone. I had made up my mind that I was going to do this, and I was glad when he didn’t try to put up a fight. “I’ll be around in about an hour.” He said.

“Perfect.” I felt a sense of relief already. “Thank you.”

He hung up the phone and I quickly text Ryan to let him know he was off the hook.

__

I am sure he was thinking this was all very silly. He gripped the steering wheel checked his blind spot as we made our way to the dealership. To me, this was a big deal. When I was in my apartment, it was easy to go without a car. I could just jump on the train, or borrow Niall’s car whenever I needed. Now that we were settled into the house, sharing the car between us was often a hassle.

I didn’t want to admit it, but I sort of felt myself getting lost in his life. As much as I felt like our home was ours, it was actually his. His car. His career. His friends.

And as fortunate and as happy as I was, I just needed to convince myself that I was still me, still independent. I had been saving my pennies since the day I finally got on my feet in London, socking them away in case I needed to get back home; in case things didn’t work out. As time went on, that fear had become less and less and now it stands just a faded memory. I was where I needed to be, where I wanted to be.