Niall's P.O.V.
Despite the numerous efforts I took to avoid dragging myself any further into Aubrey's binder, they all proved to be more than fruitless. I found myself sat at the edge of the hotel's king size bed, blankly staring at the white plastic item. It was hard to concentrate on anything that wasn't related to that damn binder. Each edge of the many sheets, clipped inside, increased my curiosity by ten fold. After reading the first line, I honestly couldn't predict what was lying ahead of me to read. Knowing Aubrey and her passion for writing, the contents of the writing was definitely going to blow me away. But whether it was for better or worse was the burning question eating away at my mind.
Eight o'clock in the evening, nearly five hours after acquiring the binder, and I still couldn't bring myself to read past the first line. It wasn't that I didn't want to, but I just couldn't bare the idea of triggering my past with her. Earlier, during our argument, my heart wanted nothing more than to run up to her and envelop her in my arms. Contrary to my beating heart, my brain halted any further feelings of affection towards her because I was reminded of the constant and evident hurt that was buried within me.
"For god's sake," I sighed out loud before pushing my self off of the soft mattress and made my way towards the table I had thrown the binder on. With shaky hands, I grabbed it, took a seat on one of the red velvet colored leather chairs, and glued my eyes to the first page.
Fairy tales were always something that I never saw as attainable, but Niall Horan managed to make me happier than any fairy tale princess. My kingdom was anywhere he was. Niall brought such a positive aura of happiness and life anywhere he went; one of the many admirable characteristics he held. He was more than capable of turning a horrible and heart breaking moment into one of pure joy and compassion. Never once did I witness him put himself before others, rather he was the most self-less person I had ever gotten the pleasure of meeting.
"Selfless," I breathed out as my finger mindlessly drew invisible lines under the word. For some reason that portion caught my attention the most, not that the other parts didn't, but I felt a few tugs at my heart strings. Being selfish was definitely not anything I associated myself with, but I never would have gone far enough to say I was selfless. Apparently, Aubrey knew me better than I knew myself. Then again this could all be a giant fabrication of lies. Shaking those thoughts from my head, I continued reading.
Growing up, my life was a series of up and downs, to put it simply. I had to endure the unfortunate loss of my mother at the mere age of ten. It sucked more than I could ever describe. My brother was less than a year old, my dad was caught up juggling work, a home, a family, and the tragic loss of his beloved wife- my mother. I remember a few weeks following my mother's death, I ran up to him after finishing my math homework while he was sat at the kitchen table blankly staring at the ceiling.
"Daddy?" I had asked, a little confused as to why he seemed to be in a completely different realm.
"Yes sweetheart?" My question snapped him out of his trance.
"Why do the best people die?" I asked, walking closer to him. He had let out a deep sigh before pulling me in to sit on his lap.
"When you're in a garden, which flowers do you pick?" My dad asked me, his eyes beginning to transform into their familiar glistening state.
"The most beautiful ones," I automatically replied.
"Exactly, your mom was the most beautiful flower in the world's garden." And it was in that moment I realized how deeply in love my dad was with my mom. From that day onward, I noticed more and more how much he loved her. Years later, I found myself in my father's footsteps. I met someone who had literally stolen my heart. It took me a whole hell lot of a time to realize it, but I finally realized. Too bad I was too late.
My eyes were welling up with tears as I reached the end of that page. Even though Aubrey had poured her entire heart out to me during her low points, I never once was aware of the finer details. Everything was being displayed to me in a completely different perspective than the one I previously had ingrained into my head. Pangs of hurt and sadness surged throughout my body. Not only because of Aubrey's heart wrenching anecdote, but the fact she said she was too late.
She was never too late, she just didn't know how to use her head properly. Dwelling on the past, though, would do nothing for the either of us. More pictures of us were scattered across the next few pages. A flood of memories rushed into my mind with each look.
There was one in particular that caught my eye as I continued to flip through the pages. Aubrey's hands were awkwardly placed around my neck, while mine seemed to have a firm grip around each side of her waist. Mint green- how could I ever forget the first time I realized my feelings for her? Someone at Louis and El's bachelorette party must have taken that then given it to her. We barely could stand each other at the time, yet we had managed to grow closer than ever together. A few more pictures followed before I was greeted, yet again, with the curly squiggles and loops of her hand writing.
Losing someone near and dear to your heart is never easy. It's ten times harder when you lose yet another person extremely close to you within a close time frame. With the death of both parents at age seventeen, my mind was at a standstill. I didn't know what to do or who to go to, in all honesty. That all changed three years later when I was assigned to write this article. Both Niall and I had suffered great losses, but in Niall's case it wasn't as apparent as one would think.
Upon first meeting Niall, I never wanted anything more than just being civil with the man. I didn't like the way he carried himself around others, although that was before I really got to know him. With each passing day, I found out new and interesting things about him. I found out how much he loved his four best friends/band mates. He was such a family and friend oriented person, again contributing to his ever growing selfless-ness.
His passion for music was at a whole another level. Sometimes, while I was touring with the band, I could literally see all the admiration he held for music. There was a specific glint in his eyes that would shine out against all the bright lights in the stadium. Other times I noticed how much he enjoyed being on stage and bringing out the wide grins and loud cheers of the crowd. No doubt about it, Niall Horan was born to be a musician.
"Damn right I was," I chuckled. I couldn't help but smile at the past two pages I had just read. Aubrey truly did have a way with words. She poured her entire heart and soul into her writing. It was the driving force behind the credibility she was re-establishing with me. I wanted to be able to believe her words again. Paranoia overtook my mind every time she would say something. For all I knew lies could be leaving her mouth without me realizing.
After reading a good portion, I was getting a little more comfortable with continuing. I could actually feel myself growing more and more attached to her writing. Maybe it was because it was the closest piece of her that I currently had access to. I don't know. Everything in my mind was in too much of a haze. Any feelings I had for Aubrey, I could usually suppress without much effort. Now I was finding it harder and harder to push those feelings away. All of these reminders weren't making it any easier.
Before Niall and I ever became romantically involved, we had to establish some sort of friendship, right? Hardest thing of my life, but definitely the most life changing. At first Niall and I never saw eye to eye. Frustration, annoyance,and anger would gradually build up within me with each encounter of ours. I thought I had properly perceived Niall based on the few instances I had encountered. But things in life don't work out that way, do they?
Niall was an amazing friend to say the least. As we got to know more and more about each other each day, I started seeing someone that represented the complete opposite of the depiction I had stored up in my head. He was beyond understanding, extremely generous, hilariously funny and sarcastic, incredibly honest, and not to mention a little bit of a flirt. There was a complete other side to Niall that I had failed to find.
Once I found that side, I knew that I never wanted Niall out of my life. No matter what. We had become such great friends in such a short amount of time that I thought there was something wrong with him. I mean we were total opposites. He loved swearing every five words, while I swore every five months. That's just one instance that illustrated how different we were from each other. Then again, opposites attract.
There was no doubt that I had tears rolling down the bumps of my cheeks right now. With every passing word, I became more and more reluctant to continue. I knew she was condensing all of our times together in a heart felt summary, but I knew what was going to follow. As I stared at more photos that followed the page I had just finished, I felt my heart crumbling more and more. We were both so happy with each other. Just by looking at the way her eyes shined and her wide smile, I could see how happy she was with me. And it was for that reason, I was still baffled by the actions she took.
Over the course of the few months I was living in London, I learned a lot. Not only did I learn the different types of slang used here in opposition to the typical American sayings, but I was taught to enjoy life. Niall was one of the few people I had opened up to about my parents' death. He was there to comfort me and wipe the tears running down my cheeks. I cried so many times in front of him, it's actually pathetic.
"No it's not," I breathed out as if she could hear me. That was one of my favorite things. I loved being there for her, to comfort her, to be the person she could confide in.
And I was beyond happy I could do the same for him. Niall was a celebrity, yes, but that didn't necessarily imply his life was all rainbows and riches. It was actually quite the opposite. All the money in the world couldn't bring back a loved one; it was impossible. Nothing brought more satisfaction to comforting Niall because I, too, was in the same exact position.
Our late night talks or early breakfasts helped in more ways than one. A small smile would creep up on my face every time I managed to elicit a laugh from him. The more time I spent with Niall, the more I came closer and closer to a conclusion about his coping mechanisms. He didn't let one low point in his life define him. Of course he was sad and heart broken, but that's natural human instinct. After all, he was a human being with feelings just like me and everyone else in the world.
Sadness and melancholy were soon beginning to be replaced with happiness and laughter. I noticed how Niall let himself progress instead of being suppressed by the evils of death. That was another thing I greatly admired about Niall. He never gave up nor did he let anyone down. If he truly put his mind towards something, he had every capability of doing it as well as every intention of completing it.
I even remember him thanking me for helping him get better. Not going to lie, that moment put me on a level higher than cloud nine. Although, it wasn't necessarily my presence in Niall's life that got him better. Niall's perseverance and feelings of optimism is exactly what got him better. Maybe I contributed a bit, but it definitely wasn't enough to make him turn a complete one-eighty. Nonetheless, seeing Niall in such a state was more than enough to bring a smile to my face.
"Holy shit, Aubrey." In a matter of about a hundred pages, she had managed to get inside not only my heart, but my head too. As if a light bulb went off in my head, I started to become aware that her feelings for me were never lies. They weren't staged acts just to get information out of me. Aubrey held so many intense feelings for me, it was actually hard to comprehend. If she held so much of this admiration and love for me, what would drive her to the point of betrayal?
Obviously more pictures followed, only adding to the growing strain in my heart.
Often times I look back at my life and realize I had gone through so much that it all seemed to be a prerequisite for my future. When my mother died, I saw the sorrow and heart break clearly present in my father's eyes. Some years later, I came to the conclusion that love requires sacrifice. Always. No matter the extent or severity of the sacrifice, there was always going to be some sort of sacrifice.
Falling in love with Niall was something out of this world. There was never a day where he failed to make me happy. Niall would go through so many extremes just to get a smile out of me. My heart probably melted nine out of ten times a day due to his sweetness. Thoughtful, caring, compassionate, silly, understanding, the list could go on and on. Niall was everything I could ever ask for in a guy. I often found myself asking myself how did I ever get so lucky?
I was an ordinary girl and Niall was an extraordinary man. As cliche as it sounds, he treated me like a princess. Better than a princess, at that. Showering me with compliments resulting in that hideous deep shade of red against my cheeks, surprising me with fun-filled dates, holding me against his warm chest at night- it was every girl's dream.
And for at least the next twenty pages, Aubrey wrote about the dates I took her on, how happy she would get seeing me perform on stage, her love for our random conversations, basically our entire relationship in a nutshell. None of this was in the final article that was produced, though, which only added more confusion to my mind. All that was stated was Aubrey and I were extremely close "friends." At the time I was glad that's how it was phrased, but now I was wishing this was what said instead. It offered so much insight into both mine and Aubrey's personality. This was the god honest truth.
Snapping me out of my thoughts, my phone began vibrating against my pocket. Carefully, I fished it out my pocket before looking at the caller I.D. It was none other than Mia. My eyebrows furrowed together as I stared at my vibrating phone. Nearly two in the morning in London, and Mia was calling me. What the hell did she want from me? I didn't want to answer, but of course my conscience managed to make me feel guilty and answer her.
"Ello?" I answered, running a hand through my hair, still staring at Aubrey's last few sentences.
"Hi baby," Mia's voice slurred out. Great, she drunk dialed me. I could only hope for the best.
"Mia, yer drunk. Go home an' rest, then call me in the mornin'," I suggested in hopes she would take my advice. I assumed she was out at a club with her friends, but I couldn't hear any background noise or the loud roar of the usual buzzed crowd.
"No Niall, I'm tired of taking orders from you," she yelled back at me, her tone a little off since she was drunk.
"I'm just sayin' t' do what's right," I defended myself. A loud gasp could be heard on the other line before Mia let out a small cough.
"What's right, huh?" She let out a sarcastic laugh, although I wasn't sure if she was giggling due to the effects of the alcohol. "What's right would be for you to actually treat me with care instead of just fucking me whenever you need to get your mind off of that slut," she cried.
"Mia, stop," I sternly said.
"No, you stop Niall! I fucking love you so much but it sucks wanna know why? Because you'll always love her! I want to hate you so much, but I can't bring myself to it." Mia's cries filled my phone's speaker. Her cries sounded a bit muffled as if she threw her phone to the side. Speechless would be an understatement right now. I began to rack my mind for some sort of answer, but I couldn't think of anything in response.
"I just can't. It really sucks you'll never me see the way I want you to," she continued to sob out. Guilt ridden, I let out a deep sigh. So much was on my mind right now, I just wanted to erase it all out of my life.
"Mia, babe, go sleep, okay? We can talk when I get home in a few days, yeah?" I tried in an attempt to calm her down for a bit. Mia's sobs slowed down a bit before I heard her let out a few sniffles.
"Okay Ni, love you," she sniffled out. I couldn't bare to hear anymore so I immediately hung up on her. Whenever Mia and I got drunk together, we would both end up in the bedroom, nothing else. No words or feelings were exchanged. That was the deal in the first place. Not wanting to think about this any further right now, I trailed my eyes back to the next page in the binder.
In the back of my mind, though, I had the constant and heavy burden of the guilt. I hated harboring anything away from Niall, but I guess in my own selfish state I didn't want to lose him. We had such amazing and memorable times- I never wanted to give any of that up. Most importantly, I never wanted to lose the man that picked up every shattered piece I left behind and made endless efforts to put me back together.
Niall brought out all the good and bad in me, as I did the same for him. That's exactly what kept us so close together. We were so comfortable and happy with each other, anything that came our way was no sweat. Two lovers in a world with endless opportunities. Sadly, all good things must come to an end despite our own personal wishes and preferences.
Selfish as it seemed, there was no way I could bring myself to break Niall's heart. He meant everything to me, he was all I had left besides my aunt and brother. Niall accepted and loved me for me, Aubrey Simmons, a city girl who knew very little about the world. I was forever in debt to Niall for making me happier than I could have ever imagined. For that reason I couldn't bring myself to willingly lose him. I tried so hard to avoid the burning obstacle that was threatening to tear the two of us apart.
Unfortunately all my efforts proved to be futile. All the time I had left with Niall, I made sure to make the most of it. My time with him was limited and I wanted it to be unlimited, too bad I never got that. Niall meant so much to me, I was more than willing to lie to him and keep him in my life than say goodbye to him so early.
Every time I tried to say goodbye, I couldn't bring myself to it. I loved him so much, that it physically pained me to even think about hurting him. The battle I was putting up against my heart and head didn't seem like it was going to end well, and sadly it didn't. I lost the only person that ever understood me for who I was, the person who loved me unconditionally, the person who was willing to take a bullet for me. I lost Niall James Horan.
At this point I couldn't read anymore. There wasn't much left, maybe a few pages, but I noticed picture edges poking out. Most likely the last few pages were more pictures of us. In my current emotional state, I felt so shocked with everything that my eyes had just come across. Aubrey basically handed me an explanation for her actions over three years ago. That was all I ever wanted, but after getting exactly that I still felt something was missing.
Moreover, I could feel the stinging of hurt lurking within me. Except this time I couldn't pin point the exact reason for my hurt. Remorse came to me as I continued to stare at her writing. Boggled up with all of her deep words, my mind momentarily stopped to process everything. Aubrey's words were getting under my skin and I could feel a familiar feeling of longing bubbling up within me. Although, my heart and mind were wanting two different scenarios of the same thing. Aubrey.
Aubrey's P.O.V.
Weekends were a gift from the heavens, hands down. A long, stressful, and tear stained week, I really needed to relax. Tomorrow was Saturday, and I don't think I've ever been more excited. So many unexpected events rolled out in the past few days that I was actually starting to think I wasn't in reality anymore. Everything played out as if it were a bad dream or some sort of illusion. To my dismay, it was all happening in real time, causing my insides to do a few flips due to my ever growing anxiety.
Things at work have been picking up, thankfully. I felt so relieved to incorporate more details just as my supervisor had asked. Upon review of the adjustments I added, I couldn't help the small grin playing at my lips. Going to work everyday never seemed like an obligation, rather I very much looked forward to entering my office every morning. New York's beautiful skyline greeted me while behind me, I had some of the best co-workers I could ever ask for. Best of all, I was living my dream and I honestly couldn't ask for anything more.
Maybe Niall's forgiveness, though, but I knew that was virtually impossible. When he randomly showed up outside my office, saying I was shocked would be a complete understatement. His eyes held some sort of fury that I couldn't exactly pin point. Regardless, I sensed something was fueling that fire burning within him. I knew for a fact that our little encounter in the morning had a huge effect on his state.
Another unexpected turn of events led to the reveal of the binder I had kept to myself all these years. No one knew about this except me, and I had planned to keep it that way forever. With the way Niall was talking to me, I couldn't hold in the overfilling frustration inside me. I wanted him to know the truth, my exact thoughts and feelings at the time. Giving him that binder was the only way he would ever even begin to understand what was going through my head at the time. I really hoped that he would see where I was coming from or else I was all out of ideas to earn any sort of forgiveness on his end.
I knew I didn't deserve to be forgiven, but I still cared for Niall. He was such a huge part of my life, such a huge part I couldn't just push it away from my memory. We had gone through too much for me to forget any of that. All I wanted was things to be okay between us, nothing else. I was beyond tired of feeling horrible and horrible about what I did with each passing day, even though it's been over three years.
"Aubrey!" Pete's booming, loud voice throughout his apartment. Tonight, he had decided to hasten the invitation and invite Lauren and Ryan just to hang out. I will admit it had been a while since the four of us all hung out. Plus I was a little more than excited to see my best friend than just a few hours , like our earlier morning meeting.
"What?" I yelled back as I finished unloading the groceries onto the kitchen counter. After dropping off Adam at his friend Logan's house for a team sleepover, I stopped by at the nearby grocery store to pick up a few snacks. Pete was so forgetful sometimes, he even forgot food was important.
"Can you come here for a sec?" He yelled back causing me to roll my eyes at him. Walking out into the familiar corridor, my feet padded against the soft carpet of his sleek living room, followed by the dining room that led into another hallway where the other two bedrooms were.
"Yes?" I raised an eyebrow as I poked my head through the half opened door of his bedroom.
"I can't find my white polo, the one you got me for Christmas," he started as he continued to stare at the pile of different colored shirts in front of him. Pete stood shirtless and confused as he lifted his gaze back up into his drawers. He bit the bottom of his lip before averting his gaze over to me.
"You're just going to sit there and stare at me all day?" He raised an eyebrow at me before fully turning around to face, folding his arms over his tan and toned chest.
"I like my view," I cooly replied, winking at him. In my opinion, Pete was always an attractive guy. His chestnut colored hair was a few inches over his head, looking soft as ever. Honey brown eyes that could send a heart melting. Toned body, too, he was definitely a looker, and I was extremely lucky to call him mine.
"Yeah?" He smirked.
"Mhm," I hummed in response before leaping over the cluttered mess on the floor. Within seconds, Pete's arms found themselves wrapped around my waist, bringing us to a very close proximity. My hands instinctively placed themselves against his upper chest, feeling a bit of his body's warmth radiate off to my own.
"You're so beautiful, did you know that?" Pete's warm breath fanned the skin on my neck as he let the words escape his lips. Even with Pete, I had a hard time accepting compliments. It wasn't that I was insecure about myself, more so I felt that I didn't deserve all of this attention.
"No, but thank you for reminding me on a daily basis," I sweetly replied, leaving a light kiss against his cheek. Pete's infectious smile over took his face following my response. He leaned his closer to mine, leaving a few small kisses against my jaw, trailing down my neck. I could feel his nose nudging against my collar bones that were protruding out from my v-neck. While he continued to explore my neck, his hands began roaming south, all the way to the small of my back.
"Pete, stop, we have guests coming over soon. Not now," I let out as he continued to leave feathery kisses against my skin. A small groan erupted from him before he pulled away from me and faced me.
"You're such a tease, you know that?" He whined like a little kid.
"I've been told that once or twice," I winked at him.
"Help me find my shirt now," Pete said, pulling at my wrist and dragging me onto the floor in search of his polo. After a throwing a few shirts at each other, tickle fights, and endless laughter, we had found his shirt. Currently, I was chopping the fresh celery I had bought earlier as a side for the wings that had just arrived minutes ago. While I got all of the sides prepared, Pete was setting the table. As I chopped away at the green stalks, I couldn't help but think about how much has changed in the last few years.
Lauren was coming to visit me and my boyfriend, from high school, with her husband. Just thinking about it seemed so surreal. A few years back I would have never expected myself to be in this position. Life had a weird way of working out. It was even crazier to think that Niall and I would ever talk or see each other in person ever again. Yet this morning started out with us reuniting the same way we first met.
The loud buzzing of Pete's doorbell snapped me out of my reflection. Lauren's familiar voice soon filled the living room followed by Ryan's, obviously. I waited until their chatter mixed in with a few loud laughs died down before I put down the knife and washed my hands in the sink. Paper towel in hand, I dried off my hands before I headed off in the direction of the living room.
"She's actually right there," Pete pointed at me, making both Ryan and Lauren to turn around in order to face me.
"Aubrey!" Lauren screeched, running over to me and enveloping me into a giant hug. Immediately, I tightly wrapped my arms around her, bumping the tip of my head against the top of her ear lobe.
"They act like they haven't seen each other in years," Ryan snorted before him and Pete burst into laughter.
"That's the same way you two will act when I cut both your balls off and you'll be begging," Lauren retorted as she pulled away from me. Both Pete and Ryan's jaws nearly dropped to the ground at her response, while I tried my best to keep a straight face. In all honesty, I just wanted to burst into fits of laughter.
"Holy shit, she's your wife?" Pete remarked as we took a seat against the looping black leather couch he had recently gotten.
"I'm afraid so," Ryan pouted in a playful manner. "But I love her," he quickly added before sending Lauren an air kiss.
"Aren't you guys cute?" I cooed at them. They really were adorable, and it made me so happy to see my best friend was with a guy who was truly worthy of her love and affection.
"Speak for yourself," Lauren teased back. I let out a small laugh before dragging her back into the kitchen with me.
"You're looking really tense right now," Lauren said as she leaned against the marble counter top across from me.
"No, I'm just really hungry so you're going to help me get everything out," I stated as I handed the white platter that had the celery sticks arranged around the bowl of ranch in the center. In my own hands, I held the platter of wings, which definitely was making my mouth water.
"Aubrey, you're so full of bullshit. What's really going on?" Lauren seemed so insistent on prying into my mind. Then again, I didn't blame her since she was professional psychologist. I guess she never really left her job.
Placing the bowl back on top of the counter, I leaned back against the fridge, letting out a deep sigh. "After I left the coffee shop this morning, Pete let me drive his car and a bit afterwards I ended up bumping into the car in front of me," I wasn't even able to finish the rest of my little story before Lauren was running over to me.
"Shit Aubrey, why didn't you guys call Ryan or I? We would have come immediately. Are you two alright?" All the concern in her voice warmed my heart.
"Yeah, we're fine," I reassured her. "Just bumped into someone unexpected," I murmured, but it was loud enough for Lauren to hear it.
"Who?" She questioned.
"Niall," I whispered as my gaze went to the floor.
"No fucking way," she breathed out.
"Exactly what Pete said," I joked. Lauren's eyes were wide for a bit before they readjusted back to normal size. This was all a bit of shock to everyone in a way.
"What happened after that?" Lauren followed up.
"Obviously they were both on edge, and were practically about to go at each other's throats, but Pete said something about dismissing the case or something. Then I just walked to work and Pete took the car to the repair shop," I explained.
"And what about Niall?"
"I don't know or care," I shot back.
"Liar," Lauren fired back.
"Lauren, he can't be in my life anymore. There's nothing left for us. As much as I miss him, I can't do anything to undo everything I put him through," I let out, choking back a sob. There was no way I could cry again, especially with Pete here. I didn't want to start anything unnecessary.
"Come here," Lauren softy said before opening her arms for me. It took me no time to run into the arms of my best friend Burying my head into her shoulder, I felt her hands soothe over my shoulder blades in an attempt to relax me.
"Everything will be okay, Aubs," she cooed.
"I really hope so. I hate feeling like this every single day," I cried out, allowing a few tears to escape the crevices of my eyes. Sometimes as hard as I tried, I had to let down a few of my walls. My feelings needed to be released some how. Most often, though, I ended up crying as a coping mechanism because that's all seemed to be associated with Niall these days. Pure and utter sadness.
-
Once I cleared my face of any signs of crying, Lauren and I finished bringing out the various snacks I had prepared. We all had an enjoyable time with each other. Just catching up with one another took my mind off of the million and one other things roaming around in my head. Jokes and laughter filled the remainder of our night, leading up to the four of us getting exhausted.
Almost midnight, I found myself clearing the center living room table after Lauren and Ryan's departure. Not too much of a mess was made, but if I left it there, it would annoy me to now end. This was definitely a side of my mother I had inherited. Being a clean freak was an inborn trait within me. As I placed the last cup in the dishwasher, I closed it up before heaving a sigh of relief.
"Aubrey, baby, you didn't need to clean up all by yourself. I could have helped," Pete said as he took a seat at the kitchen table.
"It's fine, I was bored," I said, shrugging.
"Did you have a good time tonight?" He asked me as I took a seat across from him. I nodded in response before pulling out my phone out of my back pocket to see if I had any messages from Adam. None, well at least I knew he was in good hands.
"Aubrey, can I ask you something?" Pete asked after a moment of silence.
"You just did," I said, holding back a laugh. Instead of laughing along with me, Pete rolled his eyes at me before going back to his serious expression. Again, I nodded my head as a confirmation for him to ask whatever he needed.
"When you saw Niall today, that wasn't your first time seeing him since you guys broke up, right?" His question put my entire mind at a standstill. I didn't know how to respond to that. Actually, I didn't even know if I wanted to respond. My throat felt extremely dry, making me struggle to muster out something remotely coherent.
"No, it wasn't," I answered in honesty. There was no point in lying to him, he was bound to find out some other way knowing him. Better to get it out now than later.
"Is that why you went to London to see him?" He countered.
"Excuse me?" I snapped back. Shocked he would even resort to such accusations, I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion at him.
"Don't play stupid with me Aubrey, I saw the way he was looking at you like a fucking lost puppy," Pete fired back, his voice full of certainty.
"That's his own problem. I can't control the way he looks at me. And for your information I went to London for my job, I am the head editor of People Magazine if you had forgotten that," I defended myself.
"But you somehow ended up seeing Niall too?" He continued to question me.
"Yes, Peter, I saw him at the fashion show because every fucking celebrity was invited to it," I yelled, beyond frustrated with the tone he was using with me. I thought of Pete a lot better than this. He wasn't the type to accuse me of such things; we trusted one another. "I don't know why you're getting so worked up over something as stupid as this," I muttered.
"Because I know you still have feelings for him. I'm not blind, Aubrey, I saw how you looked at him too. Who knows what the hell you two did when you were in London," he trailed off. This was the straw that broke the camel's back.
"Are you kidding me right now? Do you actually think I would cheat?" I yelled out, tears stinging my eyes.
"Aubrey, I'm not saying that. I just lost it when I saw him looking at you like that, and it killed me to figure out that wasn't the first time you two saw each other," he explained.
"I don't care what you thought or saw, you should know I would never stoop low enough to cheat. I know what it feels like to be cheated on, you of all people should know that. Don't get me started Peter," I fumed. Beyond angry couldn't even begin to describe my mood right now. Wet droplets began leaving my eyes, slowly making their way down my face. Pete must have noticed, since he immediately got out of his chair and ran over to me.
"Get the fuck away from me," I cried, pushing myself out of the chair and into the corner of the kitchen.
"Baby, I'm sorry," Pete began, an expression of regret written across his face.
"No you're not, leave me alone. I can't look at you right now," I sobbed. Pete was supposed to trust me to no end considering how much he loved me. It was unbelievable he would ever think that I would cheat on him. His assumptions were ridiculous too; there was no clear evidence behind them. At my words, Pete looked defeated. I knew he had more to say, but I hit him hard back. Of all people, I would be the last person to cheat because getting cheated on fucking sucks.
"I'll sleep on the couch tonight, blankets and everything else are in the room. Good night, I love you Aubs," he said before he walked out of the kitchen. My body shivered as the last four words left his mouth. So much hurt was swarming all throughout my body. I was tired of crying, but it was all I knew how to do.
Catching my attention, my phone's bright glow in the dim lit kitchen brought me back to the table. One new text message from an unknown number. Some of the numbers seemed familiar, but in my current state, I couldn't think hard enough to match up the number with someone. Unlocking my phone, I opened up my messages to read it.
You are an extraordinary and beautiful girl, while I'm just an ordinary man. You had it backwards.
A/N: GUYS WHAT THE ***** #1 IN FANFICTION?! HOW DOES THAT EVEN HAPPEN?! LIKE I SAID BEFORE I NEVER THOUGHT THIS STORY WOULD EVER GET RANKED, LET ALONE REACH #1!!! YOU GUYS ARE HANDS DOWN THE BEST READERS AND SUPPORTERS A GIRL COULD EVER ASK FOR.
I really wanted to update sooner as a thank you for bringing me to such an amazing point, but with my schedule it's so hard. Juggling college, homework, a job, a social life, and most importantly sleep is rough. it's no excuse, but I want you guys to know that I'm always thinking about updating sooner! If could update everyday, I would. thanks so much for being extremely patient with me as well as amazingly supportive, love you all so so so much!
I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter! I was really excited to show you guys what Aubrey really wrote about Niall. I actually shed a few tears writing this, so I apologize if you did too. Naubrey is just too cute, haha. As always please vote and comment tons and tons because I love all your feedback! Enjoy the chapter! Love you all so much ❤️❤️