Flicker of Hope // NH + HS

18 - Fresh Eyes

I was speechless for at least a full minute.

"Pardon?" I finally manage to form words. 

Niall repeats himself. 

"Come to Ireland and watch my concert. It's a great way for a fresh start, and a break from work," He asks and I'm gobsmacked. 

I've been careful when it has come to Niall/ Too careful if you ask some people. I think it's time that I let my hair down, and start to let him into my life properly if I ever want us to get anywhere. 

"Actually, I will come," I announce down the phone.

"Ya will?" Niall replies, clearly surprised that I am going to come. He obviously didn't think I would say yes. 

"Yeah, it sounds fun! What day?" I ask him and we begin discussing the logistics. The concert is on Thursday so we decide that I'll fly up Thursday morning and go home Sunday as he is flying out to The Masters after this concert.

"Can't wait to see ya Mags," Niall admits, so quietly that I almost didn't hear him and hangs up before I have the chance to respond.

I email my boss to ask for the Thursday and Friday off next week and politely remind him that I haven't taken a single day off since I started in the hopes he takes pity on me, I am meant to give two weeks notice. I book my flight to Dublin leaving Heathrow at 6.50am and am shocked at how cheap flights are around Europe. I should have moved over here a long time ago. Niall has offered to have me stay in his suite with him, there are two bedrooms, but I declined. I am not sure how I would go being so close to him which means I have to book my own room. By the time I have finished organising this, my boss has replied with confirmation that I can have the time off. Ireland, here I come.

*** 

I slept horribly Wednesday night and when my alarm went off at 4 am I groaned. I lay in bed for a few minutes working up the courage to actually leave. I have been filled with nervous excitement leading up to this, and to add to that, I've been massively overthinking. What does Niall expect from me? Has he invited me to Ireland for a certain reason or just as friends? What if I have read thing completely wrong and Hailee is there? I am not sure I would be able to stop myself from punching her square in the nose.

I ponder all this whilst putting the last few items into my carry on bag which are my laptop, iPad, phone charger and a book in case I get bored. Once I'm dressed, I order an Uber which tells me it will be here in 10 minutes and go downstairs to turn everything off. I'm outside in the freezing cold (well it's cold to me but I'm used to the very hot weather) a few minutes before my Uber turns up. The car finally gets here and I am glad to be out of the cold. The ride to Heathrow is quick, not much traffic on the road at 4.30am.

The Uber driver helps me unload my bags once we arrive at the airport and I thank him. I go to the British Airways check-in desk and check all my luggage in. Since I have over an hour before my flight, I go in search of coffee, even though airport coffee is the worst. I find a Costa Coffee, I've seen heaps of these shops around London but have never been in one as I invested in a Nespresso Coffee Machine and had no need to buy coffee. Once I buy my latte, I take my coffee and go sit at the chairs next to my gate, ready for boarding. Before I know it, there are calling boarding for my flight, and I grab my carry on and head towards the air hostess checking tickets. She smiles and says a cheery hello, which I return half-heartedly, it is only 6.30am and I'm not ready to be cheerful. Once she has checked my passport and ticket, she directs me down onto the tarmac and towards the back of the plane, where another hostess shows me up the stairs. At the top of the stairs, there is another hostess and I'm getting a little tired of the constant smiles and greetings, just get me to my seat!