Shadows

chapter 13

~ a couple weeks later~

(Nialls POV)

I'm gonna tell her,

I already decided.

I needed to tell someone. I needed to talk to someone about it.

And I wanted that someone to be her...

(Ray's POV)

It was about 1:00 a.m. but I was still awake, scrolling through tumblr.

The bushes outside my window rumbled so I placed my laptop to the side and cautiously got up to check it out.

I gasped and nearly fell back as Niall's silhouette suddenly appeared in the window frame.

'What are you doing?" I whispered as I opened the window for him.

"I wanted to talk," he whispered back.

I looked him in the eyes and I could see that he was...crying? Or at least, he'd been crying and now his eyes were all red. I nodded quickly and let him in.

"So uhm...what did you want to talk about?" I asked after sitting in silence for about a minute.

"Gracie..." he whispered.

"Who-" I started to ask then realized he was talking about the little girl on the swing, "Ohh..."

He looked down at his hands and shook his head. I saw a few tears slip out of his eyes so I moved closer to him and put my hands around his neck. I leaned my forehead against his and tried to comfort him. I don't know what happened to this girl but I could tell whatever it was, wasn't good...

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"I want to," he said sternly. I tensed up a bit at his tone. "I'm sorry," he said and calmed himself down quickly, "its just...I want to talk about it..." I nodded and waited for him to go on.

"Graice is...or uhm," he paused and bit his lip, "or was...my sister."

"What do you mean was?" I whispered.

"she...she was taken," he said and began to silently break down. It was weird seeing Niall like this.

 I wrapped my arms around him and rubbed his back. After a moment we broke away. I backed up a bit on the bed and watched him, quietly. He shook his head and looked down at the ground.

"We...we uhm, went to the park, the three of us, and uhm I said I'd watch her..."

"The three of you?"

"Yeah...Gracie, my mom and I."

"Oh okay..go on."

"Well my mom went to the bathroom and I told her I'd watch her..." Niall paused for a moment to compose himself, "and I turned my back on her for a minute and when I turned back she was out of my view...I ran around the jungle gym and saw her, but she wasn't alone...there was two guys, one took her and the other..." Niall let out a deep breath, "...the other one beat me up so I couldn't save her...after they put her in the car I...I started pounding on the guy that was holding me back...I..I nearly killed him...something just came over me and I took out all my anger on him..." Niall stopped and looked up at me through his watery eyes.

I crept closer to Niall and placed my hands  on the sides of his face, he closed his eyes and held my wrists.

"We looked for her for a whole year after that...but no luck," he whispered with his eyes still closed. I bit my lip and wrapped my arms around Niall. A lump formed in my throat and I knew I was about to cry. I swallowed the lump down and sucked it up, I had to be strong for Niall.

"Things were never the same...life at home was quite and gloomy, my mom and I...we didn't really talk. So, I packed up some stuff and left...haven't seen her in about 2 years now."

I gently touched his cheek with the back of my hand in attempts to soothe him.

"You miss her?" I whispered.

"Gracie-yes. Everyday. And its all my fault she's gone and-"

"I meant your mom," I said cutting him off.

"Oh...well I...I miss the person she used to be...that is before all this mess. Now I feel like she's just glad I'm not around. She probibly thinks its all my fault too, it is-"

"It isn't, it could of happened to anyone, it's not like you didn't try." Niall nodded,

"I know," he said, "but it still feels like it's my fault."

I leaned in to give him another hug and he protectivly wrapped his arm around me. I pulled back a little and kissed his cheek.

"You know...I bet your mother misses you," I started to say. Niall looked down and shook his head. "She already lost one child, I bet you she doesn't want to loose another...she misses you Niall." He slowly looks up at me,

"Do you think she forgives me?" he asked. I nod my head,

"Of course."