Recluse

Chapter 29

"He wouldn't tell me why." I state emotionlessly, staring at Brett's ceiling.

Brett is silent as he lays next to me, also staring at the ceiling.

"What reason would he have to end it?" I whisper, biting my lip, deep in thought.

We've been laying like this on the floor of his room for several hours, talking about my breakup, and about his confusing relationship with a boy who has a girlfriend.

"Maybe when he looked at you he could only think of Jeff." Brett blurts hesitantly, eyeing me cautiously.

He expects me to freak out at that, but I don't. After all, it's logical. "Maybe. Or maybe he cheated on me."

Brett shakes his head, "There's no way. Between today and the last time he saw you, he's only been in the hospital."

"I know... I know," I sigh, "I just wish he told me himself why he ended it. It hurts a thousand times worse because I don't know what I did wrong. I'll never get to know why it didn't work out. It's just going to be some loose end for the rest of my life, some unfinished fairy tale." The second the words leave my mouth, I cringe. Fairy tale? More like a horror story.

"Get him to explain himself." He says simply.

I snort, rolling my eyes, "How the fuck would I do that? Go to the hospital and beg him? Oh, Niall, it's killing me, please tell me why you dumped me after I saved your life and fell so in love with you! No, I will not give him that satisfaction. If he doesn't think I'm worthy of an explanation, I will not let him see me beg."

"Begging is not what I had in mind."

"Then what did you have in mind?" I turn my head to him, raising my eyebrows.

Brett flashes me a devilish smirk, "Zayn."

"What about Zayn?" Now I'm just confused. I have no idea where he's going with this.

"Zayn is head over heels for you, Madi. He likes you so much. I saw it at the hospital. It's so obvious." Brett explains, continuing to smirk.

I shake my head vigorously, "No, really, we're just friends. We literally used to talk about how much I wanted Niall to wake up. We're just friends."

"He likes you, Madi. Whether you want him to or not. I watched the way he looked at you, the way he did anything you asked him to even while he was literally working." He's grinning wildly now. I watch his eyes light up as a plan forms together in his mind, like the pieces of a puzzle colliding.

"Even if he does like me, how does that information help me find out why Niall dumped me?" I'm lost.

"You pretend to date Zayn. He works at the hospital, Niall will see it happening every single day. It will destroy him. It will make him talk to you. I know it will."

I consider his plan for a moment before shaking my head, "It won't destroy him. He's the one that ended things between us. He wouldn't care if I dated someone else."

"Yes, he would. He loves you, Madi. He didn't end it because he doesn't love you, because me and you both know that he does." Brett preaches, squeezing my hand

His words finally break the barrier guarding my emotions. Salty tears begin to pool in my eyes. I grit my teeth and growl through quivering lips, "If he loved me, he wouldn't have done this."

"You're wrong. I know I'm right about this. And if you make him jealous with Zayn, he'll tell you himself why he ended it. He's a super jealous person, remember? He hated me before he knew I was gay, because you hang out with me a lot. This is going to work, Madi."

"Isn't it wrong, though? He'll get the idea that I never loved him if he sees me dating another guy several days after our breakup." I voice my concerns.

"He didn't seem to consider your feelings that carefully when he dumped you without explaining why." Brett states dryly, "if he didn't follow the rules, then why should you?"

"I can't argue with that." I agree blandly.

We're silent for several minutes.

"Do you think Zayn would agree to fake date me?"

"Yes. He'd love to date you, if its not particularly real dating." He winks at me and I giggle.

I sigh defeatedly, "Maybe your plan's not so bad."

"Not so bad?! My plan is fucking rad." He yells, eyes twinkling with mischief.

I chuckle darkly, "You're so confident about this."

"Because I'm a fucking genius. This is going to work, Madi." Brett repeats himself, flashing me his charmingly crooked smile.

All I can say in response is, "Dear god, I hope so."

At that moment, we hear a faint knocking sound from downstairs. Brett sits up, listening. "I think someone's here."

He stands up, ready to go downstairs and answer the door, when we both hear a high pitched greeting.

He sits back down, "One of my sisters must've answered it."

"Must've." I mumble. But my heart is racing. A foolish part of me hopes that the visitor is somehow Niall. Even though he literally doesn't have a leg and that's probably impossible...

"Brett!" We hear a small voice bouncing up the stairs.

His little sister, whom I can't remember the name of in this moment, chirps, "Hey Brett, there's a guy here for you."

"Who is it?"

"Harry Styles."

The way his eyes light up with both nervousness and excitement sends a stab of joy through my heart, mixed with a tinge of jealousy. Things are about to work out between him and Harry, and I envy that. Things between me and Niall have always been complex, and always will be.

Brett flashes me a small smile, "Wish me luck."

I nod at him, smiling weakly.
He leaves the room and I'm left with the depressing company of myself.

I can't be happy until I figure out why Niall dumped me. I can't. I'm not good at not knowing things. When I'm presented with any kind of mystery, I have to uncover it. Just like when I first saw Niall in that cemetery with his guitar. I couldn't ignore my aching curiosity then, and I sure as hell cant ignore it now.

As much as I hate to pretend to date Zayn to achieve my goals, I can see no other option.

I stand up and grab my bag, leaving Brett's room. I trudge down the stairs, pausing in my tracks when my eyes land on Brett and Harry through the open doorway.

They're making out against the side of the house. I chuckle in amusement, sliding past them and walking towards my car.

They don't even notice me leaving, they're so busy sucking eachother's faces off.

I climb into my car and drive off towards the hospital to ask Zayn my odd favor.

(Sorry this chapter isn't that good but hey, at least it's something. Comment what you think!

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