The Exchange Student / English Version

67. The Offer

At the Styles

Anne had asked for a break. Everyone was still in shock. Niall has lost control in public for the first time. The memory, pain and plight of his sister simply overwhelmed him.

Anne has put her arm around Harry and keeps pressing kisses on her son's cheeks. Tears are streaming down her face. "I shouldn't have let that happen, Harry." She blames herself the most. "Mama, everything is fine. My head hurts a bit and my nose is bleeding. Niall hit me on the cheeks. He knew what he was doing. He left out the sensitive areas on my head," he snorts and dabs his nose dry.

Niall turns around, looks at Anne and Harry. "I had half a mind to beat you up badly, Styles. But what would that get me? Another one with a mental disability? Isn't my sister's suffering enough? I don't want to blame myself for something like that the rest of my life." He says that contemptuously and with a look filled with hatred. The blond stands up and leaves the room. Harry understood Niall's words very well. He'll have to blame himself all his life for Rose being mentally handicaped. Was it his fault? Was it the fault of others? Who is to blame? "Mother, let me talk to Gemma for a moment." Harry stands up and runs to the window. Gemma stands rigid, pale and struggling with tears. When she sees Harry, she waves him closer to her.

"Harry, I thought he was going to kill you right then. I won't forgive Robin for that."  "Gem, Robin didn't do anything wrong, I deserve it and Niall deserved this chance too. It was like his coup, which will give him back the air to breathe, you know?" She looks at him totally blankly and nods. "I was wondering if it might makes sense..." He interrupts his sentence and plays with his fingers. "What did you have in mind? So what's your point?" With a serious face he says: "Zayn won't come back, Gem. I... I've been thinking..." He stops again. "Hazza, speak up!" She is impatient. "I'll get engaged with Rose." He looks at his sister with his heart beating fast. "What are you saying? Have you gone mad ?" she shouts. Louis and Liam look in her direction, startled. Gemma grabs her brother by the shoulders, trying to talk some sense into him. "Stop it, Harry! Do you know what you're saying?" Gemma is stunned and upset. "Yes, I know that. It's best for Rose. I owe it to her, you know?" "No, you owe her not an engagement! Let's not talk about this anymore." she screams in horror. " Zayn will not come back. Okay. But that shouldn't be the way out. You are disappointed, Haz, because Zayn left you. An engagement to Rose doesn't change that!"

Maria comes in with a tray. She brings sandwiches and beverages. "Please, eat something to get your strength back. This night was long and exhausting." Nobody has an appetite. The food remains untouched on the table.

Robin and Anne come back to the dining room. Niall also calmed down. Harry's wondering if he should make Niall an offer to get engaged to his sister after all. He doesn't love Rose anymore. He'd only feelings of friendship for her. He loves Zayn. Gemma looks restlessly at her brother. She is afraid that he'll pronounce it. The Irishman would immediately accept it. But Harry doesn't say anything. He is silent."

Robin takes the floor again. "Anne and I have already given some thoughts to how we can support Rose. We hope, Niall you will support this proposal." Everyone is now gazing spellbound at the Styles to hear their suggestion.

"Niall, first of all, we formally apologize to you and Rose for not having acted sooner. You know we didn't know anything about all this. Rose is family, so to speak. But we didn't care at the time that the contact broke off so abruptly. We were so busy with ourselves. We just accepted and ignored it." Niall's eyes are expressionless. This apology means nothing to him. It doesn't heal his sister from her suffering and it doesn't change their situation. "Get to the point, Mr. Styles," he says. Robin nods. "What I want to say is Niall...we are grateful you didn't go to the police for whatever reason. You wanted to find your own way to regulate the accident. In the end you also made yourself liable to prosecution." Harry's father breathes deeply. Niall is alert. His eyebrows are pinched. "What are you trying to say?" he asks, contrite. "We know that you." He interrupts his speech again and looks at his son. "Well, we know you did this to Zayn." There is dead silence in the room. "You did that to him?" The curly head jumps up and is stunned. His fists are clenched. "You beat up Zayn and almost raped him? You, you...I could feel it. I suspected it! You bastard!" Anne also rises from her place. "Harry! Sit down, now!", grumbles Robin. "I'm not finished yet," he adds. "So Niall. What I actually want to tell you. We also can drop the charges." His wife interferes in the conversation. "Robin, finally make him our offer," she says calmly. He nods.

"We want to support you and Rose in everyday life. You're supposed to be able to lead a teenage life again, finish college properly. We would appreciate it if Rose would live with us. Here she would have company. We can take care of her - including Harry. We've grown very fond of her. She's family. You are always welcome." All eyes now turn to the blond young man. "Think carefully about it, Niall. We don't do that out of pity. It is an offer of friendship and it comes from the heart. We know that we cannot undo anything of it, but we trying to make amends." Anne adds. "Think about it. That's what we can offer you and Rose. You don't have to make up your mind right now." Harry's father rises.

 "It's getting late. We should continue tomorrow. Everyone agrees. The tiredness can be seen on their faces. They are exhausted.

It's just before midnight and the dining room is empty and dark. Harry sits huddled on the floor and cries. >Where are you Zayn?< he thinks. His longing for him has worn him down. His limbs hurt and his head is pounding. >I deserve it. I deserve all the hatred in the world. The wonderful Zayn has made the right decision. I am a nothing, a nobody, a criminal. I don't deserve him.<

Harry doesn't notice in his pain and self-criticism the door opens. In the dark, two heavy black boots suddenly stand beside him. The hands are clenched in fists. The stranger coughs.