corporate affairs [Niall Horan AU]

S E V E N

"Please don't start trouble. Please just except this for what it is. I really... like him." I mumble, my cheeks burning. There was a shame to my voice that I couldn't explain. 

"Well, Elouise, I don't know what to say. I didn't think you were one of those girls." He moves away from me towards the door, giving me one last disdainful look before leaving, and a few seconds later I hear the front door slam shut. Could've been worse, I grumble to myself as I push more jackets and scarves into my hardcase. 

"I take it that didn't go as well as it could've." Katherine murmurs from the doorway, another full glass of wine in her hand.

"Not entirely," I sigh, zipping the bag shut. "He doesn't like your best friend much, though."

"Why?" 

"Something about Niall rubs Zayn the wrong way. Niall feels the same too, I know it." I flop down on my bed at pat the spot beside me, inviting Katherine to join. "Niall and I have so much to work out." I mutter thoughtlessly, forgetting that Katherine doesn't know about our arrangement. Which brings me to the question I'd been dying to ask her about. "What did you mean this morning, when you apologized?"

She turns her head to gaze at me for a few seconds, her expression guarded. "I was apolozing about the prostitute. It's been all over the news. You and Niall were together for that, right? He cheated on you--"

"Yeah, but..." I search for the right words to say. "It's all behind us now, stupid mistake. We're hoping that the..." I stop myself just in time to reword my thoughts, "announcement of our engagement will put that story to rest." 

"Oh, Elouise, you're such a nice girl." She breathes a big puff of air towards the cieling. "I don't know how I could forgive someone I love for doing that to me. You're brave." I knot my eyebrows at her. "The media's going to tear into it. You've got to be strong." She squeezes my hand and smiles, licking her lips before continuing. "But I can already tell that you are. Ni's family is going to love you."

"Tell me about them," I whisper quietly, trying to soothe the lump in my throat. I have no idea why I am so emotional now, but I can feel tears pricking the back of my eyes. 

"Oh, they're all so nice... there's Maura, Niall's mum, she's just about the nicest person in the world. And Greg, Niall's brother, right chap, just got married to Denise, and they've got a son, Theo. He looks just like Niall if you ask me." She goes on for a while about Niall's family. Cousins, aunts, uncles, grandmothers, the whole time smiling gently. As I watch her, I grow more and more upset. It's evident that Katherine's in love with Niall, and here I am, not even loving him, taking everything away from her. Taking him when he isn't even mine to take. I sit up in the middle of a story about teaching Theo to walk and strap on my shoes. 

"I'm so sorry Katherine, this is shit of me, but I have to go. I just--I have to talk to Niall about something." 

"Have I upset you?" She asks as I slide my arms into my jacket. 

"No, of course not. You're--you're my only friend right now." She smiles at that, and my heart drops lower into my stomach. "This is crap timing, but it's important." 

"Am I free to stay?"

"If you'd like. Zayn will be back soon, I promise he doesn't bite." She laughs at that and gives me a slight wave that I return before turning on my heel and fly down the stairs, slamming the front door behind me. As I get into a taxi I text Niall for his address, relaying the message to the taxi driver as we take off down the dark city streets, my little apartment disappearing behind me. 

***

The elevator dings at the top floor and the shiny metal doors slide open, revealing Niall sitting on a brown leather couch, his legs shoved into a pair of skinny jeans that look quite good on him. His apartment is quite large, with a staircase visible from the corner of my eye, and the large kitchen peeking out from behind a cracked door way.