Crimes and Punishments [N.H.] (AU) #Wattys2022

XXIV

Twenty four
Song Selection:
'Cross Your Mind' Niall Horan
'Irgendwie, Irgendwo, Irgendwann' Nena
'Still' Niall Horan

'Through error you come to the truth! I am a man because I err! You never reach any truth without making fourteen mistakes and very likely a hundred and fourteen.'

'I now pronounce this the class of 2026,' the president of the university announced and everyone cheered. Once everyone was out, the group finally managed to find each other. Delilah ran up to Roisin and they hugged.

'Has Jonas found us yet,' Roisin asked and Delilah shrugged while Roisin looked around. Then, a familiar figure tapped her shoulder and she turned to see Niall. Her eyes widened. He was impeccable in his yellow, short sleeve button up shirt and navy blue pinstriped trousers. Even his black dress shoes had shine to them.

He looked like he hadn't aged a day. He thought the same about her. She was still as beautiful as ever. She also wanted to know what he was doing here.

'Congratulations, petal,' he smiled. She almost wanted to cry just from hearing him call her petal again. 'I got you a gift.'

'You-you didn't have to do that, Niall.' He shook his head as he gave her the box.

'No, I want you to have it, for good this time.' She looked at him with confusion until she opened the box and saw what she thought she'd never see again...the Irish Sea glass necklace. She gasped and looked up at him.

'Niall, I—' She wanted to object or say thank you, something, but she was interrupted, by the sound of Jonas calling her name. The box snapped shut with a pop.

'Roisin, congratulations! Hey, your parents want to see you.' Jonas looked over at Niall. 'Hey, what's up? You know, Ro?' Niall nodded and Jonas held out his hand. 'My name is Jonas Hamlin, her fiancé.' Niall smiled, but it didn't meet his eyes.

Of course she had a fiancé, who was he kidding? Her being single? She was beautiful, too beautiful to be single, but the question is, does she actually love him? Niall shook his hand.

'Niall Horan, a friend of hers who graduated here, six years back.' He wasn't going to mention that he was her ex. What purpose would that serve? Other than arguing or possibly getting punched in the face...Maybe even jealousy on Jonas's part to the extent of not letting Roisin around him.

Why should he stay longer now? Now that she's engaged, there's no point in trying to get her back. Or maybe there is...at the point in which Jonas introduced himself as her fiancé, Roisin's happiness faulted. Was she not happy?

'I, um, got to go, but we need to catch up, Niall. We're all going out to eat tonight and you should come with.' Roisin grinned and Niall smiled as he nodded. They looked and Jonas disappeared again.

'Sure, my number has actually changed. So, let me give you my new one.' Roisin handed him her phone from her dress pocket.

'Why did you get your number changed?' She never actually called Niall, no matter how many times she hovered over the call button. But now, she's glad she didn't, because it would've been a fruitless endeavour.

'Amanda kept calling me from jail. She said she needed me, because her parents disowned her and that guy she supposedly dumped me for found someone who was not in jail for drugs. Then, she had the baby which died soon after. I gave her money for when she gets out and what she decides to do with it, is on her.

'I want nothing to do with her anymore. She'd ruined my life with you and so, I got my number changed. I also told the university that if she calls, do not tell her where I am.' He proceeds to type in the new number after he deleted the old one within the contact.