My stomach flip flopped when I heard three knocks on the door. My eyes flashed over to the clock on the microwave. 5:59. I straightened out my shirt before walking to the door. I turned the dead bolt and opened it slowly, feeling my toes slightly curl in my flats. Niall's eyes met mine and a smile inched onto his face. "Hi." His voice was like velvet, I could listen to him talk all day.
"H-hi." I stammered, finding it hard not to only talk, but to think straight.
"You ready to go?" He stuffed his hands in his pockets.
"Let me just grab my bag." I turned quickly and retrieved my bag from the counter and met Niall back at the door way. "Let's go." I breathed out with excitement. I locked the door behind me and Niall and I walked down the steps to his car. I let him open the door for me this time and slid in with ease. As he was making his way around, I reached over and unlocked his door and opened it from the inside. He gave me a questionable look as he slid in himself.
"Thanks." Gosh he had the cutest smile I had ever seen. The engine roared to life and the car began to warm up. The radio played some pop song at a low hum, keeping us from sitting in silence. "You look beautiful by the way." Niall snuck a look over at me while we pulled onto a highway.
"You don't look so bad yourself." I grinned over at him. He drove the same way he had the last time I was in the car with him. One hand grasping the wheel and the other on the gear shift. I wanted nothing more than to reach over and place his hand in my own, but I couldn't get my arm to move. I settled for staring at my shoes, the silver tips showing my reflection.
"You're awfully quiet." Niall finally broke the silence. My heart began racing at the sound of his voice.
"Just thinking." I shrugged.
"Penny for your thoughts?"
"Thinking about where we are going." My eyes wandered over to him. "But I like surprises, so I don't mind not knowing."
"You're not like most girls." He chuckled, the corner of his eyes scrunching up.
"How so?" I challenged.
"Most girls don't like not knowing what's going on. They would whine until they were told where they were going."
"Like I said, I like surprises." I shifted my gaze to outside the window and watched the trees fade into one another. A warm feeling washed over my hand and I looked down to see Niall grab my hand and hold the gear shift with it atop of his own. I smiled and looked up at him smiling to himself. That boy had a smile that could cure cancer, I swear.
We drove in silence for a few miles, but neither of us were bothered by it. It wasn't awkward, where we were both searching for something else to say. It was comfortable, and we let the low hum of the radio keep us from feeling like we needed to keep talking.
"Just a little longer." Niall informed me with a little squeeze of my hand. "We'll be there by sunset."
-----
Niall was right, we had reached the boat docks right before the sun began to melt into the sky. He lead me down the wood pier and onto this tiny boat, holding my hand the whole time. "Do you get sea sick?" He asked before helping me on.
"Not that I know of, I've never been on a boat."
"Fingers crossed that you won't up chuck." He laughed. I rolled my eyes and held onto him for support to get on the boat. Once I pulled myself up Niall went to find the captain of the tiny boat. I traipsed over to the metal railing and leaned against it. The water was calm, and a dark dark blue. Honestly, the ocean always fascinated me. On the surface it was calm and pretty, but once you go deep beneath that surface, you see a whole different kind of beautiful; one you couldn't see with just looking at the surface. I believe the same for people.
The boat lurched forward, causing my stomach to drop and my body to stumble sideways. "Oops." Niall grabbed my shoulders to steady me. "Got ya." His voice was right in my ear, sending a warm feeling from my hairline to the tips of my toes.
"Thanks." I smiled up at him. His blonde hair was falling slightly in his eyes, and his perfectly pink lips were turned up into a smile. Niall grabbed my hand and redirected me to the front of the boat! Where there was a blanket on the ground. "What's this?"
"A surprise." His grin reached his eyes. "Wait here. I'll be right back." I nodded at his words and sat down on the blanket, it was soft and warm. Niall didn't keep me waiting too long, he was back with a basket before I could do anything else. He placed the basket in the middle of the blanket and sat cross crossed next to me. "I hope you like it, I just wanted to do something different..." He trailed off.
"I love it." A smile stretched onto my face without warning. "I think it's perfect." Like you, I thought to myself.
"I'm glad." I rested my head on Niall's shoulder and he wrapped his arm around my shoulder as we watched the sun set. I tried to reach for my bag without moving too much, but Niall had let go of my shoulder to let me grab it, leaving it cold. I rifled through my bag before grasping the camera with a triumphant 'aha!' "Do you bring that everywhere?" Niall chuckled next to me. I folded my legs and sat on them for a higher view. I clicked the picture.
"Just everywhere I think I have a memory worth remembering." I redirected the camera to him. "Smile."
"No," he started, reaching for the camera. I handed it to him and he drew me closer. "Say cheese." He put his arm back around me and snapped a picture of the both of us. He took it out, placed the camera between his legs, and slowly shook the picture till it started to develop.
"I love it." I murmured to myself, knowing I actually hated how I looked it the picture, but I wouldn't tell Niall that. Now that I was thinking about it, there were a lot of things I wouldn't tell him. Things I never told anyone, not my mother, not my old friends. But that's why I moved to London, so no one would know me or the rumors people would whisper about me when I walked down the road. In London, no one knew me, and I intended to keep it that way. That was, until Niall had came into the picture. Thoughts were pulsing through my head, but the sound of Niall's voice caused them to all halt.
"Do you want something to eat?" He grabbed the basket and brought it closer to us. I nodded. He opened it and pulled out a variety of food. "For you." He handed me a sandwich and grabbed one for himself.
"Thank you." I unwrapped it from the plastic around it.
"I hope you like ham."
"It's actually my favorite." I big into it with glee. God I hadn't had a ham sandwich in years. We both nibbled on out sandwiched and didn't talk. I broke the silence first. "Niall, can I ask you a question?"
He swallowed before answering. "Course."
"How did you know I worked at the flower shop?" My forehead scrunched up.
"Huh?"
"The flower shop. How did you know I worked there?"
"Oh." A blush colored in his face. "Well, I was driving past, and got stuck in traffic in front of it. When I looked inside, I saw you helping a costumer and figured you worked there." He finished with a sheepish grin.
"Oh." My voice came out low, like a whisper. "I-I'm glad you got stuck in traffic." I met his eyes.
He smiled. "So am I." My eyes flashed down to his lips, then back up at his eyes, then back down. I felt myself starting to lean in slightly, and I think I saw him begin to inch towards me as well. We were still our ways apart when a raindrop hit my nose, causing me to jump back.
"Did you feel that?" I wiped my face.
"Feel wh-" A drop hit Niall on the cheek. "Shit." He swore to himself as he got up to tell the captain to turn back. I gathered up the food and wrappers and shoved them back into the basket and grabbed my bag. I stood up quickly and wrapped the blanket up before sprinting for cover from the cold rain.
----
Last night, Niall had profusely apologized for it raining and left me with a kiss on the cheek on the steps leading up to my flat. I didn't ask him to come up.
I lay in bed, my hair still slightly damp from the shower I took before bed, and stared at the ceiling. Not an fiber in my being was ready to get up and face the day. My alarm was still beeping, but my arms were too limp to reach over and shut it off.
Due to my pure laziness this morning, I was 25 minutes late to work. The rain was still falling lightly,band when I shook out my umbrella before entering the store, I noted that Ava was on the phone. I overheard some of what she was saying, "No she is not in yet, I will have her call you when she gets in. Okay. Have a good one." She hung up the phone and noticed I walked in. "Good morning Kaylie." Her smile was bright and big like it always was.
"I'm so sorry I'm late." I began, but she cut me off.
"No need to worry, just don't let it become a habit." I nodded. "You've gotten two calls this morning, one from a Mr. Green?" Her words made me internally groan. "And a Mr. Horan." My whole mood perked up.
"Would it be alright if I used to phone then?"
"I'm not supposed to let you, but I'm going into the back to make an order, I'll be a while.." She started to slowly back into the back of the store. "But I can't tell you yes." She completely disappeared and left me to my business. God I loved that woman. She was always full of humor and always smiled.
My fingers dialed the number of my landlord and felt my heart racing the entire time. He answered the phone with his normal pitch. "Hi, this is Kaylie Johnson, in flat 200."
"Ah yes, glad to hear back from you."
"Sir, if this is about the rent, I promise you I will have it by the end of this week-" Walter cut me off from babbling.
"I was calling you to confirm that someone else had come to pay your rent this morning." In the background there was a faint sound of typing.
"Um, who paid my rent?"
"He only gave a first name," I could hear him shifting papers. "Niall. He came in this morning and all is done for this month."
"Oh, okay. Thank you sir." I hung up and stood there astounded. Honestly, I didn't know he was serious about paying for my rent. My fingers quickly dialed the number that Niall had written on the business card a few days prior.
"Hello?" His accent was thick through the phone.
"Hi Niall, it's Kaylie." I pulled up a stood and sat down.
"Oh! Hey."
"What are you up to?" My fingers were twitching and my nerves were going crazy. Was this going to happen every time I talked to him?
"Nothing really, what about yourself?"
"I was uh, just calling to, um, thank you." My voice shook and stammered.
"For what?"
"You know what Niall." I lowered my voice when I heard Ava step in front of the counter and straighten the cards and things. I mouthed 'Sorry' but she waved it off.
"Oh that." He paused. "Well, I said I would."
"It really means a lot. Thank you." My eyes flashed to Ava who was jotting something on a card and showing it to me. "Last night, was really great." I read from the card.
"I'm really sorry it rained, I didn't think it would an-" He babbled on the line.
"Niall, it's fine. I had a really great time."
We didn't stay on the phone for too long, I didn't want to neglect my work. The day went by quickly, and I walked home feeling a weight being lifted off my shoulders. I didn't even use my umbrella, I just let the rain soak me. I felt so light, almost like I could fly. A smile stayed with me all the way home. I wrapped my hair in a bun and changed into a large tee shirt that fell half way down my thighs.
---
My arms clung to the bed when I woke up with a jolt. My face felt damp and my mouth was dry. I sighed deeply and tried to dry my face with the back of my hand.
When would these nightmares end?