Break the Unbreakable

Chapter Twenty Eight

"Wait...what?" Niall stood there in shock.

"I've said it three times," I told him, laughing.

"I know, I know. But...are you sure? I hope you didn't feel pressured to make this decision because of me."

"I didn't!"

"Because you know, I feel bad about pressuring you."

"You were right. I had to make a decision."

"Yeah, but I don't want to rush you. I want you to know in your heart that for sure it's me. That you don't want it to be Harry."

Oh God. The assignment. It has to be Harry. I needed it to be Harry. But, with that aside, did I want it to be Harry? Or did I want it to be Niall?

"Yes I want it to be you." I tried to say that with confidence, but I couldn't help but feel like I was lying. I didn't know. I hadn't made up my mind at all.

"And why is that? Why the sudden turn around, Blake?" he wondered, folding his arms.

He needed proof. And how could I blame him?

"I just realized that...as much as I wanted to believe that he had changed, that he had stopped all his games and playing with girls, he really hadn't. He was still the same. He just got good at hiding it."

"Okay..." he replied. "But, Blake, that may all be true but have your feelings changed for him? I know he's still the jerk you knew before, but that doesn't change how you feel. Do you not like him anymore?"

"I like you, Niall." I didn't want to tell him that I didn't like Harry anymore, because I just might. I might still like him, even though he was awful to me.

"Blake -"

"Niall, I like you. I choose you," I silenced him.

I stepped in closer, and I could tell his thoughts were melting away. He wasn't fighting back my feelings.

"But what about Harry?"

"He doesn't matter now," I told him, taking another step closer. He was inches away.

"Promise?"

I didn't want to answer that. I really just wanted him to stop asking me things I couldn't answer honestly. It made me feel too terrible. It made me feel like I was a bad person, when I kept telling myself over and over again that I was doing this for a greater cause.

I didn't respond.

I just kissed him, and he didn't stop me.

*

I was walking in the corridor at school, holding hands with Niall. This was new for people - they weren't used to us showing affection.

Louis and Zayn were leaning against their lockers, and once they saw that - they widened their eyes.

I made my choice. That's what they knew.

I was staring at them, and I wasn't looking where I was going. All I heard was Niall say, "Blake, look out!"

Liam came slamming into me, by accident. He was looking the other way, and his books and pages flew everywhere. I fell to the floor, and as did he. He looked over at me in surprise.

Niall helped pick up the things that were on the ground, and I scrambled to do the same.

"No, no it's okay. I've got it," Liam mumbled.

"No, I'll help," I insisted. He was still mad at me. I had told him that Niall was my date to the dance and that's why I turned him down, but then he saw me saying yes to Harry. It did look shady.

"I'll save you a seat in class okay, hun?" Niall said. I nodded, blushing.

Liam raised his eyebrow.

"Hun?" he wondered. "Are you two together?"

"Erm," I stuttered, picking up the pages on the floor, focusing on only them. "Yeah, we are."

"You are?" he asked in utter disbelief.

"Yeah, I am."

"Or is that a lie?"

"What? Why would I be lying?" I asked, taken aback.

"Because I've caught you lying so many times, Blake! Telling me you're not dating Harry, but you really are. Telling me couldn't go to the dance with me because your'e going with Niall, and then I see you saying yes to Harry! And now you're dating someone else. It just doesn't add up!"

"Liam, I like Niall, okay? Stop getting on my case about this!" I raised my voice. I didn't owe him any explanation.

"You're just different, Blake. I felt like I could trust you before, when we were dating. But now...you just seem so full of lies all the time!"

"I'm sorry about the dance thing," I told him, apologetically. "But I really was going with Niall -"

"Then, why did you switch to Harry? What's going on? You would never have backed out on any commitment before!"

"Before what?"

"Before you started seeing Harry! I don't get it Blake," he said, shaking his head. "I really don't. You used to not be able to stand him, and now all of a sudden, I see you're giving him a chance when you know he's nothing but trouble!"

"I'm with Niall now! I chose him, not Harry! I know Niall's reliable. Doesn't that show you what a good judge of character I have?"

"No! Because you never would have even looked at Harry that way if he pulled those moves he did before. And all of a sudden, his charm started working on you? What the hell is that all about?"

"Everyone deserves a chance!" I felt like I was defending Harry.

Actually defending him, even though he made me so angry sometimes. Because I felt like no one really knew him. No one gave him a chance to be real. He didn't let anyone give him a chance.

"Well, some people don't," he responded.

"Liam, stop, okay? You're not my boyfriend anymore. You don't get a say."

"I still thought we were friends," he answered quietly. So quietly that I instantly felt guilty for being such a jerk.

Liam didn't know I was doing this for an assignment. He had no context. I would be worried to if the roles were reversed.

"I thought we still cared about one another."

"Liam -"

"No, forget it," he stopped me. "Just forget it."

He walked away, picking up the remainder of his things, and I watched him leave. I sighed, feeling horrible, until I heard one voice behind me.

"You're dating Niall?" Harry asked. I turned around to see his face.

"Yeah."

"You chose him." His voice was ever so quiet.

The only thing I could think of to say was, "I'm sorry."

"But why?" His voice cracked slightly.

"Because...because he likes me enough to stop seeing any other girl. He likes me enough to not make me jealous but actually tell me how he really feels. He likes me and that's it. No one else, no other excuses. It's that simple."

And just when I thought Harry would tell me how pathetic that sounded, he didn't. He just wallowed in silence, turned on his heel, and walked away.

He didn't even try to mask the hurt. He didn't even try to mask how genuinely shocked and upset he was.

Of course not. Because under that hard exterior, there was a real human being with actual feelings. There was something beneath that jerk facade. And I knew that.

Was I really going to break the only part of him that made him real?