Winter Air (Sequel to Night Air)

Chapter 21

Her face contorted and looked rather shocked. "Did you just call me 'babe'?"

Now my face contorted. "Yeah?"

Her face fell as she grabbed the bottle from my hands. I rolled my eyes as she threw in a "hmm," as if to say she was okay with it. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry." She threw her head back to take a drink and then stared at me in silence like she was lost with what I had just said. "I mean for earlier." I grabbed the beer from her then turned to my right and placed the bottle out of reach so it was basically in Zayn's area. He looked down and noticed it, but didn't say anything and just continued to be engaged in conversation with the rest of the people at the table.

I rose to my feet and I could tell Alyssa was caught off guard as she sat taller in her chair. "We'll be back," I said to Harry as he was the only one who had looked away from the conversation. He nodded his head and then tuned himself back in. Meanwhile, I held my hand out for Alyssa to grab. She stared at it for only a moment before grabbing it and letting me pull her up and then through the crowd. Alyssa hadn't drank a whole lot at that point, but I had already figured out that her tolerance was not high at all so it felt like she was already somewhere on the edge of losing her sobriety.

After having many difficulties pulling Alyssa through a crowd of drunk and uncoordinated celebrities, I found a small sitting area that wasn't too crowded or loud. There was a purple love-seat in the corner of the room far away from everyone else. I decided that was as good a spot as any and led her in the direction. She sat down on one cushion and I sat down on the cushion adjacent to hers. Then, I started. "I didn't mean for what I said to come out the way it did and-"

"Which time?" She spoke up.

I sighed with my frustration levels rising and sat back into the cushion behind me. "You know, it's really hard to apologize when-"

"I know, I know." She slouched in her seat and crossed her legs. "Sorry. Continue, please."

"As I was saying, I know I don't always know the right thing to say at the right times, but I'm working on it and I'm sorry if I upset you earlier. To be honest, I'm also shit at apologies. So sorry if this apology sucks ass."

That earned a small smile from her and it got her to actually look me in the eye for the first time since she came back from the bathroom. "It's not that big of a deal." Her smile didn't falter which made me believe her. She even threw in a shrug to show indifference. "I get it. I know I'm not the typical girl or involvement you're used to."

I felt ashamed for her to say it out loud, but I knew she was right- again, she usually was. But I didn't want it to be true. It was never a secret to me that every other girl from the past was meaningless, but deep down I always knew I wanted something more- something real. Sure, Alyssa was new to the physical stuff, but I was new to the emotional stuff and I wished I wasn't.

"I'm sorry," I told her quietly. "Did something happen between you and Eleanor?" Immediately, the smile that I managed to put on her face was now being brought down as if weights were tied to it. "I only ask because you two have seemed quiet since you got back."

"Oh." She seemed displeased. Whatever it was, I knew she would hide from me which didn't make me feel very happy. We had just gotten over all I hid from her, I couldn't handle her doing it to me now. "It's nothing, really. We just talked."

I raised an eyebrow and shifted so I was facing her better on the small purple sofa. "May I know what about? Did it involve me?"

Alyssa rolled her eyes like she was the teenager and I was the parent asking about the plastic baggy found under her bed. "Don't worry about it, Niall. It's nothing."