Break the Unbreakable

Chapter Thirty Three

I was getting closer and closer to the deadline where I was supposed to make Harry fall in love with me. And I was miserably failing.

However, in a way, I was glad I was failing. I didn't have to hurt Harry. Because I didn't want to. He is so much more than meets the eye, and I realized how complex he really was. How real he was underneath.

Some girl is going to come along and bring that real side out of him. And it should not be me for this reason.

I was on my way home from school - I had stayed late to work on a project.

"Blake, wait up."

I turned around, surprised to see Harry.

"Hi," I said, smiling. We hadn't left on good terms, but I didn't want to look a gift horse in its mouth. If he wanted to say hi, I wasn't going to fight it.

"Can we talk for a second?"

"Sure," I responded.

"The senior home asked me to ask you if you wanted to perform at their gala," he said. I waited for him to explain. "It's basically a nice dinner they have for the people there, and they get all dressed up, and they wanted me and you to be the live entertainment. They requested it."

"Oh, wow," I said, flattered that they thought about me.

"They remember you singing with me at the piano or whatever."

He was still cold. He was still mad.

The only reason why he was asking me was because he didn't want to explain to the people at the senior home that we were having 'problems.'

"Okay," I said, taking in a deep breath. "Sure, I'd - erm - I'd love to."

"You don't have to do it."

"I'll do it," I replied.

I halted for a moment. This would mean spending more time with him. And I didn't know if I could do it. I didn't want to carry on with this assignment. I wanted to seriously rethink this whole thing.

"Are you sure?" he wondered. "I mean, the people at the senior home really are looking forward to this gala."

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Perfect. Practice tomorrow afternoon?"

"Erm, sure."

I couldn't say no to that. I was just going to have to be very careful. I wasn't going to push him to tell me anything, to commit to me, to tell me he loved me.

This assignment was being put on hold. I had to rearrange my priorities.

*

I saw Niall sitting at a lunch table by himself in the canteen. I didn't want to leave him sitting alone. I wanted to go over and talk to him.

I wanted nothing more than to be able to sit next to him and joke around like we used to.

Why did I have to screw up everything with my stupid assignment?

He deserved an apology from me. He deserved so much more than what I've given him these past couple of weeks.

"Niall," I said, clearing my throat, as I approached the table.

He didn't even look up.

"Niall, please. I...I am so sorry for everything I did."

"I'm sorry too, Blake," he replied. "I'm sorry that you did all that."

He looked up at me, his blue eyes piercing through mine.

"I didn't deserve that, Blake. I don't deserve to be broken up with for feelings you may or may not have for Harry."

"I know," I whispered.

"I trusted you. I took that leap of faith going from friendship to couple. I really thought you were all in."

I couldn't even lie and say I was. I wasn't.

"Niall, you...you have to know that I feel something between us. I do. But, I didn't treat you right. I didn't handle this situation correctly."

"You couldn't just leave us and our friendship alone, could you? You had to act on a stupid impulse you were feeling. That's so typically selfish of you, Blake."

I just took it. I took all his words to heart because they were all true. I was being selfish. So incredibly selfish.

And he didn't even know why.

"Niall," I started. "I am so sorry -"

"Stop apologizing, Blake! Please, all I've heard you say is sorry."

"Well, then what do you want?"

He paused.

"I want you to tell me why you're sorry. I need to know why you thought kissing me was worth ruining our friendship. I need to know why you thought being in a relationship was better for us."

Oh God.

I could lie. I could bullshit some answer to explain why I acted the way I did. I could tell him that I just thought my feelings were too strong to ignore.

But that wouldn't be the truth. Because I was perfectly content with our friendship. And even though I might be feeling more than just friendship for him now, I did it for one sole purpose: to make Harry jealous.

To succeed in my assignment.

"Niall," I said, ever so quietly. "I haven't been completely truthful with you."

"I know."

"I've been...I've been hiding something for weeks now. And I know you're never going to want to talk to me again after I tell you what I've done, but I need to get it out there. You need to know the honest truth. You deserve that."

He was silent for a moment.

"Okay. Go on..." he said, softly, like he was anticipating the worst.

"Well, there was this assignment that Janet gave me weeks ago..."