(First things first: I'd like to thank you guys so much for 1k reads. It means the absolute world to me that you guys are actually reading my book and hopefully enjoying it.)
Niall's POV
A brunette came running up to Ashley and I. Her hair whipped around as she ran and she had a wild look in her eyes.
"Ashley! Oh my god, I haven't seen you since graduation." The brunette grinned, her eyes sparkling while she talked.
"Oh, sorry Ki, I've been really busy lately." Ashley explained.
"Oh, no. Its fine! I've just missed having out. I mean, you even have a boyfriend now!" She laughed.
Ashley laughed and get face was bright red, as was mine.
"No Kiara, we're not dating." Ashley told her
Okay, her name is Kiara.
"Then why are you holding hands?" She asked, looking at our intertwined hands.
"Friendly gesture?" I tried saying, but it came out as more of a question.
"Oooh, one with an accent! Nice pick, Ash." Kiara winked.
"Ki, do you know who this is?" Ashley asked her.
Kiara looked at me fully this time, and I'm pretty sure she was taking in every inch of my face before she widened her blue eyes.
"Oh my god it's Niall Horan."
Ashley giggled and nodded as I silently prayed that she wouldn't scream or cry.
"Wait, so one of my best friends is dating Niall Horan?"
I wish.
"We're not dating." Ashley clarified for the second time.
"Hmmm... I ship it." She shrugged before saying her goodbyes and leaving Ashley and I.
"She seems..." I started
"Kiara is such a sweetheart, trust me. She only talks like that when she gets really excited and I know that tonight she's going to some concert, so she's excited. Usually she's a lot more chill than that." Ashley explained, moving her hair out of her face with her free hand as we walked.
"So how many friends do you have?" I asked her, swinging our hands back and forth.
"Um, quite a few. I love them all to death. Maybe you'll get to meet some more of them." She said, looking at me and smiling.
We entered the first store and got matching Christmas sweaters, which were half off, considering its the middle of July.
"I have the perfect idea!" She yelled, her eyes twinkling with every move she made.
"Let's throw a Christmas party! We can get red and green balloons and get snowflakes and fake snow and wreaths..." She listed.
"Yes! Then let's invite Harry and Bree. Then we can all party together." I suggested.
Ashley looked over at me, a proud smirk across her face as she lifted up her hand.
I slapped my hand against hers and pretended I didn't feel a thing when really there was a shock going through my body.
"Yes. I like the way you think, Horan." She said, patting my back.
I grabbed her hand for the third time today as a reply and we kept shopping for Christmas decorations.
******************************
Two hours later
Ashley and I walked outside and into the blistering heat of July.
It was 5:30 in the afternoon when we finally got all of the supplies and now we're going to get food.
She hopped in the passenger seat after putting the bags in the trunk.
She buckled her seatbelt and pulled out her phone and stared at it. She then locked it put it down, and she looked at her hands in her lap.
"Ashley, what's wrong?"
She turned and looked at me, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes as she spoke.
"They found me Niall. And they don't like me." She whispered.
"Wait, what are you talking about?" I asked softly
"Us Niall! Someone took pictures of us today and its all over the fucking internet!" She yelled, the tears running down her face.
I didn't know what to say. I don't know what the big deal is..
"The fans."
Oh shit.
"No. Don't believe what they say, Ash. They're just jealous." I said, trying to calm her down.
"I'm trying so hard to believe what you say, but people lie, Niall. People say that they'll come back, then they're never to be seen again. People say that they'll do something for you and it will never be done. Then you have the people who say will never leave you, but do the exact opposite of that and leave you stranded without an answer." She said, her voice cracking slightly toward the end.
Me.
I did that to her.
Will did that to her. I left her when she needed me most.
"Ashley, I promise that what they're saying isn't true." I took her face in my hands and looked at her. "I will never leave you, ever. I promise."
She closed her eyes and more tears fell, but I wiped them away with my thumbs.
"Niall."
"Hm?" I hummed.
"Don't make promises that you can't keep." She said, putting her hands over mine and gently tearing them from her face.
"I will never ever break that promise for as long as I live, Ashley." I spoke up after she calmed down. I continued driving to go get some frozen yogurt because that's what she wanted.
She chuckled slightly and smiled at me, her eyes hopeful.
"I was hoping you'd say that." She said.
"Why?"
"It gives me more hope and... Motivation" she explained, using her hands while she talked.
"Okay, enough about this depressing shit. Let's play a game." She suggested.
"Okay, what game?"
"You have to say the first thing that comes to your mind when its your turn. Whether its embarrassing or not." She said, smiling
"Okay,"
"You go first." She said.
"You're really pretty when you don't wear makeup." I blurted.
Nice, Niall. Now she thinks you're weird.
She blushed and looked down, her hair slightly covering her face.
"Okay, not what I was expecting, but you did follow the rules." She said, smiling.
"Okay, now you."
"I wish you would wear beanies more." She said, not a hint of embarrassment in her voice.
"Really?" I smirked.
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Um, well you look good in them, so I recommend wearing them more." she sputtered.
"I don't think I look good at all in them."
"Well you're lying to yourself because you look fucking adorable, okay."
I looked at her and her hand was clamped over her mouth and she refused to look at me.
"I can't believe I just said that." She mumbled after taking her hand off of her mouth.
I just looked at her from time to time to see her blushing and not looking at me.
I just chuckled and reached across the center console to take her hand.
Her hand fit perfectly in mine and I squeezed hers slightly.
"Don't be embarrassed, love. Its just a game."
She glared at me before starting a new subject.
"So about this party.. What time should it start?"
I pulled into the frozen yogurt parking lot and parked my Range Rover.
"Um, 8?"
"Perfect."
She unbuckled and hopped out of the car with me following.
I opened the door for her and she thanked me and smiled.
We walked in and went to get the cups and toward the machine.
"Here, try this one." Ashley said, holding out her spoon. I tasted it and it might be the best thing I've ever tasted.
"Oh my god. What is that?"
She laughed at me and took her spoon back.
"Cake batter. Its my favorite."
We both ended up getting cake batter and she put whipped cream, cookie dough pieces, and a cherry on hers. I just put whipped cream and a cherry on mine and we went to check out.
"That'll be $13.68." The cashier said in a voice that made me want to throw up. She leaned across the counter and put her hand on my arm.
I shrugged it off and took Ashley's hand, hoping the cashier would get the hint.
Ashley leaned in to my arm and batted her eyelashes at me. She knew what was happening and was helping me.
I smiled at her and kissed her forehead and the cashier handed me my change with a disgusted face.
We walked out of the store and back to my Range Rover so that we weren't bothered.
"Thanks for helping me in there." I said once I finally got situated.
"Oh yeah. Sure, it was no problem. I could see that you were getting really uncomfortable." Ashley said, putting her spoon on her mouth.
I nodded before starting the car and heading back to the hotel.
She was just helping you, Niall. It didn't mean anything.
What about when I kissed her forehead? Was that just an instinct or did I mean it?
Does she like me?
"Niall."
"Yeah?" I asked, looking at her.
"I need you."
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A/N
Ohhh shit
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE EVERYONE!!
Im so excited for tomorrow you have no idea.
But thank you so much for 1k reads. It honestly means the world to me.
I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!
- ashley