BRINLEY’S POV
“Your angry or nervous. Is it because of what you said earlier this morning? Because-” Niall cuts me off with a quick kiss to my lips.
“No. It’s not that. I just have some things on my mind, but it’s nothing to be concerned about.” Lies. Lies. Lies. I’ve never seen something like this bug him that much, and it looks like he could go take on the Hulk. The truth will come out eventually but I’m just worried what effect it’ll have on my life.
Niall kisses my knuckles and pulls out of the parking lot, on the way to the hospital. We park in Visitors and I start to climb out.
“Hey I have to make a phone call. Wait for me inside the lobby?” He asks, pulling out his phone.
I nod and walk outside, shoving my hands into my pockets.
NIALL’S POV
I dial Wesley’s dad’s number.
“Hey, we’re coming inside now. Is it alright if you’re waiting outside the door?”
“You’re going to burn in hell.” He replies.
“I’ll see you there.” I hang up on him.
With every second, the guilt weighs heavier and heavier on my shoulders. I don’t know if I can follow through with this. I think. Oh wait, the stupid. Fucking. Oath. Of course I need to do this. WIthout it, the consequences - I can’t even finish the thought. I step outside and into the hotel. I grasp Brinley’s hand in mine and make my way up to the elevator.
“Oh I’m so glad I get to see Wesley again. I mean I know she won’t talk to me, but that’s alright. I was thinking maybe I could watch the Little Mermaid with her again.” Brinley is bouncing on the balls of her feet in the elevator.
I spit out a fake smile towards her, watching as the doors pull apart. Brinley runs down the hallway to Wesley’s room, leaving me behind in her excitement. I round the corner and see Wesley’s family standing outside the door. Here we go.
BRINLEY’S POV
I run down the hallway, excited beyond belief to see Wesley. I’m stopped in my tracks once I see Wesley’s family standing outside her door together, crying. What the hell? I run up to Wesley’s parents, Joseph and Samantha.
“Is Wesley okay? What’s wrong with her?” I ask, hysteria leaking into my voice.
“Wesley, my baby, oh Wesley!” Is all Samantha can say. I turn to Joseph, tears starting to pool in my eyes.
“Tell me what happened right now.”
“Wesley died a few hours ago.” He says. Time seems to go in slow motion. This is worse than realizing that she’ll die soon. This is worse than realizing I’ll never get to talk to her again. This is worse than everything I’ve ever experienced. Wesley’s smile will never grace this world again. I can feel Niall’s arms wrap around me in comfort, but even that doesn’t help.
“Can I go in and see her?” I squeak.
Joseph looks at me and shakes his head no.
“I’m sorry Brinley, but we really just want to see Wesley alone. The doctors are doing some last minute things right now with her.”
I nod as if I understand but I don’t. I know for a fact that Wesley has changed my life for the better, and I hope I did the same for her. Her parents know how much she meant to me. All I want is some closure and they can’t give me that little sliver of happiness left.
“Alright.” I mumble.
“We’ll make sure to tell you about the funeral and those things once we figure them out.” Samantha says through her tears.
I nod, not trusting my voice. Joseph steps forward and engulfs me in his arms.
“I know Wesley loved you Brinley. She’s still here, she hasn’t left.” I wrap my arms around his back but don’t say anything.
Niall grabs my hands in his once I step back. There’s nothing left here at the hospital anymore.
Everything’s gone and nothing matters. I give everyone else a few more hugs before I turn on my heel back down the hallway. Niall and I don’t say anything about Wesley’s death, there’s not much to say.
“Brinley, is there anything you want to do? I just don’t want you to go off and do something dangerous. I want you to stay with me.” Niall’s voice breaks the silence.
“Florida.” I decide. “Let’s go to Florida. We can do all the things Wesley wanted to do.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to just stay home and cuddle? Something a little low-key? It just seems like kind of a big thing to do after Wesley’s death.”
“I want to go.” I say firmly.
“Alright.” He gives in.
Just like that, we hop in his car and start down the highway, on our way to Florida. I shut off my phone, the radio turned off, and our pinkies linked together. I keep replaying memories of Wesley and I together in my mind, each one hurting more than the last.
NIALL’S POV
It feels like I’m carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. Breathing is a struggle and looking at Brinley’s tear stained face doesn’t make it any better. Little does she know, Wes is still struggling to survive. Nearing death, but not consumed by it. Yet. I’m an asshole. I’m an asshole. I’m an asshole. This mantra I keep repeating in my head all the way to Florida.
The mantra stays the same, but the scenery outside changes. Sparse trees eventually turn into a forest. Mountains slowly roll down into slight hills. The temperature gradually rises. We drive down the coast, until we drive to Fort Pierce, where my parents currently reside.
Brinley hasn’t gotten much better, tears still fall down her cheeks silently, which makes it seem worse. I park outside of a grocery store, getting out to stretch our legs from the day and a half drive. I pull up the address of my parents house from the letter, entering it into my phone.
“We’re about fifteen minutes away from my friends house.” I tell Brinley.
She numbly nods and stretches her legs. We climb back inside and start driving down the streets. In between the houses, I can spot the blue ocean. The salt air fills the car as we roll down the windows.
“Wesley would’ve loved this.” Brinley whispers, staring outside. I nod and give her a small smile back.
Here we go, I think as we pull into an unfamiliar driveway. My phone shows us that we’ve reached our destination.
BRINLEY’S POV
The house is white, with a wrap around porch on the bottom level. A balcony juts off of a bedroom on the top floor, right in the view of the ocean. I smile a little, imagining how excited Wesley would’ve been to see this. She would be jumping up and down shrieking, and tugging me inside.
I bite my lip so I don’t cry again, I’ve had enough of that and I haven’t even been to the funeral yet. I’m here for a vacation, not to mourn Wesley. That can all happen when I get back. I lock fingers with Niall, bumping hips with him as we walk up to the front door. He knocks then laces our fingers back together.
NIALL'S POV
“I thought you said your friends were gone?” Brinley asks. “So why are we knocking?”
“There parents are here for the weekend. They’re here because their house flooded. It was supposed to be just the two of us. Are you okay with that?” I quickly lie. It’s starting to scare me how easily a lie can roll of my tongue now.
She nods at me, smiling. The door opens, revealing my parents. I can hear The Beatles blasting in the stereo, meaning that my mom must be cooking. My dad stands in the doorway, wearing bathing suit shorts and a t shirt. He’s got a few more wrinkles on his forehead, and a couple more grey hairs. We look nothing alike, except for the same blue eyes.
“Hi. You must be Niall’s friends’ parents. I’m Brinley, and this is Niall.” Brinley says, shaking my dad’s hand. He looks very confused, but once he sees my look, he goes with it. We walk inside the house, kicking off our shoes before venturing in further.
My phone starts going off and I walk into the other room to answer it.
“Word’s got around that you’re back in town.” Damon says.
Aw fuck.
Please just spend a little bit of your time reading one of the chapters in my new series 'Imagines'. Tell me if you like it or not! Thank you! :)