The Gay Twin (Niam)

Chapter 23

It didn't take long for my thoughts to be even more constricted. Liam. His face when he saw those photos. Liam. The way he ran off and didn't wait for me. Liam. The way that he told me to leave him alone, that this was all my fault. Liam. The way everything had happened a month ago. It all hurt and I curled up as tight as I could into a ball.

~

"Niall! Niall, listen to me! Breathe. In and out. Come on. Niall!" Was the first thing that I heard. I must have blacked out or something. And that voice didn't belong to Louis, or Harry. No, that was Nick's. I thought he hated me, I was sure he did. Why was he here? Why was he helping me? "Niall!" I heard his voice again and I gasped in a breath, before rolling on to my side and coughing furiously for several minutes. I still couldn't breath but when my coughing had slightly subsided I had Nick pressing my face against his neck with my body in his arms. I could hear his heartbeat. And his breathing. And Nick talking in my ear.

I think that was the longest break down I've ever had. When I finally could breathe again and I managed to open my eyes, it was nearly six at night. And my lungs hurt so bad from how little I had been breathing and I broke out in a bout of coughing again as I stayed curled up in Nick's arms, my hands clutching the front of his shirt as he held me in his arms. i was surprised that he was still there. I was waiting for him to leave as well.

To my surprise, he didn't leave. He was still there an hour later when I let him help me drink some water, and he was still there an hour after that when I started crying again, and he held me and wiped my tears for me. And he was still there an hour later when I started drifting off. My head was aching and I was exhausted but as soon as I focused enough on something other than Nick's breathing that I was matching my own to, I thought of Liam and it was impossible to stop myself from crying. I loved him. And now Liam was back to hating me again.

I rolled into Nick's arms and squeezed my eyes shut tightly, trying my hardest not to let the last words that Liam had sent to me play over and over in my mind. He was all that I could think about and I ended up sitting, and reaching for my phone. feeling Nick sit up beside me and try to stop me but I already had the phone in my hands and dialling Liam's number.

I sat there, my breathing beginning to lose its rhythm again as it rung, and rung, and rung, before finally Liam answered. "What, Niall?" Was the first thing that he said and I let out a soft sniffle before turning my face into Nick's chest and clutching on tightly. "I-... Li.. I'm sorry..." I whimpered weakly, my voice starting to crack as Liam's tone and attitude towards me was already harsh, as harsh as it had been that whole month ago.

"You ruined this all Niall. It's everywhere! Everyone knows! The school called my parents because of the bloody pictures, and because I left. Why did this have to happen Niall? This is all your fault. You did this to me! Because of you my dad is going to come up to my room any second now and he'll hate me because you made me this way!" Liam half yelled, half anxiously stated into my ear as I laid there trembling, my cheeks damp with tears. He hated me. I could tell that much just from how he was talking to me. If I could go back and have not kissed him in that moment this morning then maybe we wouldn't be in this situation. Yet the thought that he had kissed me first still managed to pass through my mind. I didn't want to further anger him though, so I stayed silent.

Nick managed to pry the phone from my limp and trembling hands, hanging up on Liam before holding me tighter as I cried silently. I was not panicked anymore. I was just hurt and my chest ached with some unknown feeling. I had lost someone, but I had gotten someone else back. I had missed Nick's calming presence in my life so much. I hadn't realised how much I relied on him until now when I needed him the most and he was there.

~

I think I cried myself to sleep. Because I woke up to the sound of something knocking on the window. I was still curled up in Nick's arms but there was a blanket over us and the lights were out. There was still a knocking on the window. Tiredly I sat up and rubbed my eyes tiredly before looking over to try and find out what was making that sound. I looked over at the window just in time to see a rock bounce off of it. I frowned and slowly climbed out of the bed, walking over to investigate further.