The Project

Chapter 75

I pace the room and I try to come up with a solid answer. Should I take Liam's advice and call him? Or keep ignoring him? I mean, I can't punish him any more than I already have. Do I do it? Do I not do it?

I stare at my phone and make my decision after ten minutes of critical thinking and questioning. I shakily dial his number and press my phone to my ear. It rings a few times before that familiar accent answers.

"Marley?" He croaks. "Hi" I whisper, not knowing what to say already. "Marley is that really you?" He asks, his voice more clearer this time. "Yeah, it is" I say, looking down. "I almost didn't recognize your voice" he says in a shocked tone. "Why?" I ask. "You sound so, um, sad" he corrects himself. "Yeah that kind of happens when you don't have any emotion left in you" I say.

"I don't mean to sound rude but, why are you calling?" He asks shyly. "I, um, well, I was told that you weren't doing so good either and I wanted to make sure you were okay" I say, biting my lip. "Really? Wow uh, thank you for thinking of me" he says. I've been think about you for the past 10 days. "Yeah, listen I need to tell you something" I say. "Can I go first? I need to get this off my chest" he says. "Sure, yeah go ahead" I say.

"Marley, I've been such an ass this past week and I really want to say from the bottom of my heart that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. The cheating, the cancellation, all of it. I know I hurt you so much and I wish I could go back and prevent this from happening. I'm so, so sorry" he says, his voice cracking at the end of it. "I should've told you when I ended the contract but I kept putting it off, out of fear and the wrong moment. And I didn't have the balls to face you and say it because you're just so beautiful. Inside and out. I never wanted to hurt you. I never wanted to damage you. I never wanted any of this. I'm sorry Mar" he cries.

Tears fill my eyes and I smile at his apology. It was almost everything I wanted, minus the begging on his knees in front of me, but that's good enough. "Niall" I say. "Please don't leave me Marley. I love you so damn much this has been hell for me" he whines. "I'm not leaving you" I say without much thought. "Y-You're not?" He stutters. "No, of course not. Why would I?" I ask. Which I'm sure I already know his answer.

"Because I was a dickhead and only cared about myself" he mumbles. "That's true, but that's not why I'm not leaving you" I say. "Then why? If I were you I would leave me" he says. "Because I, I" I start to say but stop. Should I really tell him this? "You what?" He asks. "I still lo-love you" I whisper. The line is silent and I begin to worry. "Niall, are you there?" I ask nervously. "I'm here" he says.

"So, um yeah that's why" I say. "Can I see you?" He asks, hope in his voice. Should I see him? Will this mess with me? Will this mess with him?

"Yes" I say. "I could use a friend Ni, not a boyfriend. A friend" I say. "Of course, I'm on my way. Thank you so much" he says. "Yeah I'll see you in a bit" I say, hanging up. I breathe out and it feels like some weight has been lifted off my chest. I jump off my bed and walk upstairs to Zayn and Perrie to break the news.

"Hey there you are!" Zayn smiles as he walks toward me. "Hi" I smile. "We were just discussing what to eat for lunch" Perrie says, looking at a series of take out menus. "Chinese or Pizza sound good to you?" She asks. "Listen can I tell you guys something?" I ask, putting my hands in the pockets of my sweats. "Sure, what is it?" Zayn asks. "Well I just spoke to Niall" I say. They both look at me with wide eyes and dropped jaws.

"How did that go?" Perrie asks. "Um, okay I guess. Really awkward as expected" I say, scratching the back of my neck. A habit I've gotten from Niall long ago. "I can assume so" Zayn says. "And well, he's on his way over right now" I say, not making any eye contact with any of them. "He's what?!" They both say. "Yeah he said all these things and I had a moment of weakness and next thing I know he's coming over" I say.

"Marley are you crazy?" Perrie asks, standing up. "Do you seriously want to ask me that question right now?" I say, making her shut up. "Mar you have to think of yourself right now. What will this do to you, to him?" Zayn asks. "You don't think I thought about that before saying yes?" I say to him. "Marley, is this a good idea? I'm on your side but I just don't want you getting hurt" Perrie says. "I know that and I'm being careful about this. I wasn't going to even call him until I thought of Liam's.." I say but shut my mouth quickly.

"But Liam's what" Zayn asks. "Uh nothing it wasn't Liam" I say. "Marley" he says. "When you sent him over the other day he gave me a talking to. Made me realize that I can't just sit in the dark forever I need to face this head on and talk to him. Zayn, he told me about Niall. Things that you haven't told me" I say, pointing a finger at him. "Like what" he says. "That he's been drinking more than he should be and that he's eating less. Why didn't you tell me that?" I ask.

"Because if I did you would've been hurt even more" he says. "He's right Marley, even if you didn't care for Niall, you still would have that instinct to make sure he's okay" Perrie says. I breathe out and I run my hands through my greasy hair. Ew, I need a shower.

"Listen, I appreciate everything you two have done for me these past 10 days. I'm forever grateful but I need to do this. I won't live on unless I do something. Now he's probably almost here and I would really like it if you two would give us privacy" I say, looking at Zayn at my last comment. He groans and looks at Perrie who wears the same look as him. She nods and he looks back at me.

"Fine we'll go upstairs and won't say a word. But if things get out of hand" he says. "I got it. Okay, I'm a grown up now" I say. He and Perrie walk up the stairs and go to their room, locking the door behind them. I quickly run back downstairs and look at myself in the mirror. I looked horrible. My hair was greasy and flat, my eyes were bloodshot, I had bags under my eyes from the lack of sleep I've had, and my clothes were dirty as hell.

I grab a pair of leggings and a large sweater, then I jump in the shower to clean this break up filth off of me. I get out a few minutes later and I put my hair into my signature pony tail and I grab my phone. I head upstairs and I hear a knock on the door. Here we go. This is it, the moment of truth.