CHAPTER SIXTY FOUR- Mysterious Perfection.
I shifted in my seat folding my legs up underneath me, the leather sofa against my bare legs was cool and made my skin slightly saw but I savoured the feel nonetheless. I was going to miss this old leather sofa that had been so good to us, the nights we slept on it, the make out sessions we had on it, and the general times we had just sat here being ourselves. That was needless to say that I wasn’t excited though, more like buzzing, and even that was an understatement. I rolled my gaze across the room at all the boxes stacked neatly around the room, and the whole house. It was a surreal thing to think that all of these boxes contained our life. Or at least most of it. We had taken the audacity to leave the boys a very nice holiday snap of us from Ireland. And Niall had even taken the gratitude to nail it up on the wall right above the mantel piece so they could look at us every time they sat in the living room. And of course, we had taken the time to have it framed and blown up to canvas size as well. So generous.
“So that really happened and he really did all that?”
Justin clarified through the speaker of my phone that I had clamped to my ear. I knew he wouldn’t hold a grudge against me forever the same as I wouldn’t against him. It was like an unspoken rule between us that we would never leave our bickers lingering forever even if we never resumed our friendship to what it used to be. And even though it was going to be brief and maybe more distant now that I was permanently living in London it was still nice to know we were back on decent terms again, well, almost anyway.
Vacantly I rolled my gaze around the room taking in all the smiling faces pinned onto the walls staring back at me. There were so many pictures, so many memories etched onto the crisp white walls and yet there were so many things that weren’t. It was needless to say that there was pretty much reminders that Niall and I spent a lot of time here together in pretty much every room. Our abstract painting in the long laminate hall on the left wing of the house, the little notes we left for each other that never seemed to get chucked away and you’d find one straddling in the bottom of a drawer, the top of the fridge. There were so many more, too many to list. A smile twitched at my lips as the provisional opportunities spread their neat works throughout my brain at how new, yet exciting this was going to be for us. A warm feeling fizzed in my gut and I was finding it harder and harder to suppress the ever growing grin playing across my lips.
“Yes, it did. But it was my fault. Of course he did, he cares Justin, he really isn’t an asshole like some guys you know, he’s really sweet.”
Examining my nails I took a self-conscious glance behind me to check nobody was stood there listening to my conversation. That seemed to happen way too often at the worst of times. When they weren’t I smiled satisfied with the agenda for today and the next few weeks as I ran my thumb nail over the one of my ring finger therefore chipping the nail polish that apparently hadn’t dried yet. Sighing to myself I kept my phone pressed between my shoulder and ear leaning forward I dipped the brush into the Peach fresh nail lacquer. Spreading the bristles across my nail as it coated it in the thick liquid a sudden cool breath of air floated past me. Furrowing my brow I screwed the cap back onto the polish and placed it onto the coffee table and got up with my phone still clamped in between my shoulder and ear.
My feet were silent as I padded across the tiles; the smooth surface was cool through my socked feet and made them feel slightly numb with how cold they were. Rolling my eyes as I realised somebody had left the fridge open I leant forward sniffing in order to locate any pungent smells that would suggest something had gone off. But there were none so I shut the door making the whole fridge shake slightly.
“I didn’t say he was…I’m just surprised that’s all. But I’m happy for you, you both I mean. Hey…Is he there?”
Justin asked and I ran my gaze around the room again and leant forward in my seat the sofa cushions squeaking as I did so. Straining my neck to look out the window I noted that no, they still weren’t back yet. But they weren’t supposed to be and not a lot was going to ruin my good mood so I continued to smile as I pressed my back against the sofa the surface warm and pampered.
“No. They’ve been at the studio all day.”
“Oh,” He said. “Well can you tell him when you next see him that I’m you know, sorry for a few months ago?”
He inquired. Smiling properly at this I crossed my legs up as I ran my fingertips over the smooth metal of the necklace. The chain was rough with little indents but the metal itself was smooth and sleek like it had only just finished being moulded but it wasn’t, it was almost two years old and it’d had been through a lot. No matter how many times I showered, bathed, swam with it on it never gained a speck of rust. No matter how many times I dropped it, got it stuck somewhere, lost it, it never accumulated a single scratch, chip or gash. It was like it was indestructible. And maybe it was. However cliché and cheesy it sounded some things really are indestructible, you just have to look for the right ones.
“Of course I can.”
I mused outputting a quaint breath of air onto the last nail that was almost dry. A cool breeze returned floating in the air it nipped at my bare skin. I followed it back to the kitchen my phone still snuggled in between my shoulder and ear as I did so. The fridge was open again. What even? Taking an anxious look around me I could see nothing out of place, all while running my glance around the radius of the room I shut it again and rattled the door a bit. But it didn’t seem particularly loose, quite stiff actually. Brushing this off I closed the kitchen door behind me this time as I retreated to my space on the sofa. Noting the silence I leaned forward and switched on the radio which was muffling out the top forty.
“Great. I really am sorry you know. It was just kind of…Shocking you know?”
“I know,” I shrugged as I rearranged the various items on the coffee table in front of me. “It’s fine. I understand and I’m sure Niall will too.”
“Cool. So you’re gonna have to come visit New York sometime…And bring them all with you this time?”
He chuckled and I rolled my eye playfully at this remark. Stretching my feet out in front of me I curled my toes around the edge of the coffee table before sliding them on and resting my forearm on my knees. I was thinking about getting tea started soon, since they weren’t gonna be back for a few more hours and it was already breaching five o’ clock and Niall and I were due to officially move in by nine tonight. At this thought I made a mental note to turn the oven on in a few minutes or so.
“Mmm why does that not surprise me? It’ll be a few months though. Maybe in the summer? I guess we’re gonna need a few months to get settled and all.”
I quipped as I took another apprehensive glance around the room. Something didn’t feel right. There was almost an uneasy chill in the air despite the fact that I had put the heating on at a low temperature, but a temperature nonetheless. Brushing this off I pulled my cardigan tighter around my torso doing up the bottom button as so to keep it there.
“Of course, settled in your lovely big house with your lovelier pop star boyfriend.”
He said lacing his tone neatly with blatant teasing sarcasm. I rolled my eyes at his words and how he makes my life out to be the one of a superstar. When it’s really far from it. Money doesn’t make your life instantly glam, my family just likes to think so. After all, why bother with love and compassion if money makes the world go around and gives you more of a reward? I was taught the same, not that I ever believed it, I didn’t believe anything. It’s strange how many things suddenly cleared from cloud to be blatant when I met Niall.
“You make everything sound so high class Justin.”
I mused scrunching my nose up I noted the time as now 5:08 and got up waving my hand that reposed of my wet nail around a bit and blowing on it to make sure it was dry. Flinging the kitchen door open I didn’t hesitate to shoot my eyes straight to the fridge, which was, open. Frowning I made my way over and peered inside the icy cupboard to see if anything had been moved, taken etc. but it hadn’t. Rolling my eyes at this I slammed it shut and pressed my back against it as to make sure it was shut properly.
“Because you are high class? Here, I’ll type your name in Google and I bet you’ll have a Wikipedia page; all the high class people have them. I’ll enlighten you about yourself.”
Setting the phone on speaker as I placed it on the worktop I squatted down turning on the oven. There were so many dials and buttons I always had to think a bit before I made any attempts. I hoped the oven was simple at our new house. After twisting a few and pressing a few wrong buttons the light came on followed by a low hum and I smiled satisfied with myself as I made my way over to the cupboards.
“I won’t have a Wiki page Justin, I’m not a celebrity.”
“Oh the contrary Miss Dawson.”
“I don’t have one. You are shitting me.”
I shook my head at this as I sub-consciously opened the fridge and picked up a few fillets of chicken that hadn’t been cooked the last time we ate chicken. Which was probably cooked by me since the boys are always too busy to cook now so I end up doing it. Which didn’t really bother me; after all, it was the least I could do for them letting me stay there with them.
“Oh look here we go, it’s not that much but you should be proud: Miss Ashley Jessica Dawson was born to Madeline and Michael Dawson on the 14th of November 1994. Sister to teen pop sensation Ellie Dawson Ashley often appeared in public appearances and the media regularly for her relations to her sister and family. Daughter of Michael Dawson leading music producer Ashley was a very pronounced personality in the eye of the media and takes an interest in Photography and Fashion design. In the early months of 2012 she was announced to be dating British-Irish boy band member, Niall Horan, this followed in a split the following September and they are rumoured to have renewed their relationship some when around a year afterwards. She is set to become ever growing in the fashion industry after working for ColorfulSecrets&Co in New York.”
I rolled my eyes at this as I chucked the chicken onto the chopping board the sliminess of it coating my fingertips.
“Whatever Justin. It hardly says a lot.”
“It says about your sister…You know, you don’t really look that much like her. Apart from the hair, I mean…Oh and the eyes.”
I raised my eye-brows although he could not see me. I suppose this was true, my sister and I weren’t exactly alike. You could put two and two together in a small crowd, but we weren’t an immediate match. We were highly differing in personality too, she was outgoing, witty, confident and a major risk taker, and I was more quiet, shy around intimidating people and not extremely confident. But it had always been like this. It went without saying that I was more academic than her, I grew up in the world of intellect, she grew up in the world of music, dance and singing. It’s strange how you can live in the same house as someone, with the same people and experience the same events, and then lead such a different lifestyle and be such a different person. But even though there were a lot of annoying bickering’s and habits my sister and I had growing up, there was one thing we would not do under any circumstances, and that was copy each other. Because we didn’t want to. We didn’t want to be like each other, we didn’t understand each other and how the other lived that way and held those interests. But sometimes, it makes it all the more worthwhile to hold relation to someone completely different to you. It’s nice to step outside of the box, the comfort zone and explore other principles of life.
“We’ve always been different…Listen I’ve gotta go so I’ll text you later, yeah? Maybe if you’ll lucky, you’ll get a picture.”
“Maybe? You mean I will.”
“Whatever, I’ll speak to you soon.”
I giggled my finger already hovering over the button to end the call. Snapping my gaze up to the window as I swore I saw something move I furrowed my brow leaning out to look, but there seemed to be nothing. I shrugged it off pinning to just be a bird or something.
“Uh huh, have fun at your new house with Mr Pop star babe.”
“I sure will babe.”
I mimicked rolling my eyes I jabbed my finger against the indurate touch screen hearing the concluding click as I ended the call. Slitting the meat into chunks I whacked the gas on the oven and dropped the several chunks of chicken into the pan watching as they crackled and sizzled before me spitting out their pungent juices.
Heaving a sigh I placed the chopping board by the dishwasher and proceeded to the utility room where the boxes of food that didn’t fit in the kitchen were stored and plucked a chocolate bar from the cardboard box to the right. I was having a particularly hungry day today. Delicately my fingertips worked the red plastic wrapper ripping it slack from the chocolaty treat I bit into the sugar ridden biscuit my teeth sinking into the crumbling sweet as I bit some off.
With my sweet still in play I made my way back to the kitchen amiably running my fingers across the surface of the worktop. I scooped up some crumbs of bread that hadn’t been cleaned up from this morning and tipped them into the bin watching them tumble through the gaps in between my fingers before hitting the black plastic liner. Closing the lid with a bang I padded back across the kitchen rounding the corner wall that half separated it into two halves.
I froze as I realised the fridge door was swinging in it’s open state again. Starting to get a little freaked out I looked around me as if someone was going to be staring right back at me, and when they weren’t I frowned suddenly feeling very cold. For what felt like the millionth time I slammed it shut but it was only as I peered a little further to the left that I now realise the back door was swinging open too. Now, seriously determined I violently slammed my chocolate bar down onto the worktop and marched straight through the open door the warm evening air greeting me. Nothing.
“Hello?”
I yelled feebly. Slightly embarrassed by the absence of reply I got I took another step out onto the patio the stone cold against my thinly socked feet.
“Guys if that’s one of you then that isn’t fucking funny and I’m locking you out!”
I hollered and waited a few seconds expecting to hear a masculine giggle or for one of them to emerge from behind the hedges. Nothing. Frowning to myself and feeling my heart speed up a little bit I made my way back into the kitchen. Extending upwards on my tiptoes I plucked the key from the wooden noticeboard and slid it into the lock twisting it twice until I heard it click and then I rattled the handle in conclusion that it was locked. I ran my fingers through my hair pushing it from my face as I returned my attention to the chicken that was still sizzling mid-fry in the pan. Sighing I slid onto the stall by the island and looked up at the clock watching the seconds tick by. The second hand moved swiftly in pointed immaculate curves as it covered the radius of the disc passing the simple font of black numbers it was rimmed with. One more hour. One more hour alone here.
-
“I’m just saying,” Zayn said with a mouthful of salad and chicken. “That it was probably just the wind. That’s all.”
He shrugged stabbing his fork into one of his final pieces. I rolled my eyes. Over the hour since it had happened I had managed to convince myself that it was not just a trick of nature, coincidence or any kind of witty concealing. It was just something freaky. I had come to two conclusions: Either somebody thought it would be funny to freak the easily scared teenager out while she was alone in a big house. Or, this house was haunted. I didn’t know which one I believed more. I didn’t want to believe any of them.
“No. What I think is you should call in Ghost Buster’s or something cus this place is freaking haunted.”
I scoffed slipping my last piece of chicken in between my lips as I relished the feel of the soft meat bursting flavour onto my amiable taste buds. For effect I gave a pointed glace to the kitchen door which was open a crack only just showing the dim light that was left inside of there.
“I’ll second that,” Harry chimed in as he finished his dinner placing his plate down onto the coffee table. “One time, I came down in the middle of the night to get a drink and the door slammed on me just like that!” He exclaimed slapping his palm against the coffee table for emphasis making me jump slightly. “I don’t know man, I just really think Ashley’s right, we should call in Ghost busters.”
He shrugged sinking back into his seat and running an uneasy hand through his curls, the dark locks drooping into his eyes as a result. Liam threw his hands up as if this was pure insanity. And to be honest, I thought pure insanity was not calling them in.
“Seriously guys? You’re overeating. So what a door slammed and the fringe swung open a few times…and maybe lights go out sometimes? It’s just coincidence. There’s no such things as ghosts. We don’t need no Ghostbusters.”
He announced triumphantly as he crossed his knife and fork in the very polite manner that he was.
“Liam dear,” I mused leaning forward in my seat I placed a hand on his shoulder. “The ghost busters are your friends, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
He just looked at me quirking an eye-brow as Zayn burst out into loud laughter throwing his head back.
“Yeah Liam, nothing to be afraid of mate.”
Zayn chuckled and Liam rolled his eyes. In all honesty it just seemed better for me to convince myself this was paranormal and not physical. After all, something paranormal was easier to deal with than the reality that someone else might have been here, watching me again.
“I’m not the one being a scaredy cat over a few mishappenings.”
He scoffed smirking at us. I did not find this a smirk worthy situation.
“Don’t insult Ashley.”
Niall frowned wrapping his arms around me and pressing a kiss to the top of my head. I smiled as I rested my head on his chest as Liam rolled his eyes.
“I wasn’t insulting her.”
He protested and Harry rolled his eyes.
“Yes you were, and the ghost busters too. Don’t worry Liam; they’re only your friend.”
He smirked giving him a pat on the shoulder. I smiled but I wasn’t’ exaggerating, something was wrong. Light joking aside, that wasn’t just coincidence.
-
I ran my fingers through her smooth and slightly curly locks. Sighing I took a vacant look around the room that I had been so used to seeing lately. But I didn’t doubt that she was just as sick of it as me. I had no idea what was going on inside that brain of hers, and maybe I didn’t want to. But it was intruding all the same. I had never known someone who was in a coma so getting the distraught news that your own sister is in one is quite the bit unbelievable. I suppose it’s needless to say I can’t get my head around it however hard I try. Sucking in another sharp intake of the thick air pungent with chemicals and hollow hope I gave her hand a squeeze her fingers frail in between mine. Her hands were slightly bigger than mine, since everything about me had always been fairly dainty, but she had definitely lost weight since…The accident. I still couldn’t get over it. Or over the fact that the one who caused the crash still hadn’t been imprisoned or anything. Which was why in the course of the rest of the year I was going to be paying many visits to courts. I hated getting things involved with the police, the courts, and the law in general, but for my sister I was determined to fight just as much as my Dad was for her case to get some justice. It was needless to say my yearnings to get justice for other people that I cared about were a lot stronger than my own. I hated the messy aftermath, the constant phone calls, meetings, interviews; I just couldn’t be bothered with it. But I would be for her.
A few tears spilt over the rims of my eyes trailing down my skin making it feel sticky. But I wiped them away; I wasn’t going to cry when I only had a few minutes left. And when I was in such a good mood, not now, not ever. I had to be strong for her, even if it felt like I didn’t even have it in me.
“Things are really changing huh? I can’t imagine what it must be like to just skip so long out of the world. To come back and for everything to be different, for everyone to be different. But maybe it’d be interesting to do that. To reinvent yourself, your life. I guess that’s a bit different though, I mean it’s not like you’ve been forgotten, I promise. Nobody’s going to forget you. Or stop coming to see you, or stop caring. Because you just don’t do that.”
I knew this. I knew this was how things worked, and yet this was one of the most hypocritical statements I had made. The principal was so dark, the past was dark, sinister and hollow, and I wanted to forget it. But I would never be able to live with the guilt and I can’t now. You don’t just stop caring. I didn’t do this, I always cared and always would and never stopped, but it wasn’t what was on the inside that mattered, it was the outside. What I actually did. Making it out like I didn’t care when it was the complete opposite. White lies are supposed to make everything better, but for some reason it just made everything worse. Figures. You never do quite know which way the cookie’s going to crumble, but you can damn bet it won’t be the way you want it to.
“You know the other day you were trending on twitter for four days straight? See, everyone still cares, a lot. And that includes me…”
I was about to say that it included the boys too but then a nurse was ushering me out. And maybe I was kind of glad since I didn’t know how I felt by telling her that Louis cared. In all honesty I didn’t know how I felt about Louis, or my sister. But she didn’t need that piled on top of her right now. I was well aware she was at fault too and when things returned to normal I would be quick to address this, assertively. It wasn’t the fact that I never got told; it’s the fact that they were stupid enough to do it in the first place. I just didn’t understand.
“Miss our visiting hours are finished now so everyone is being asked to leave for the night. It’s just gone eight thirty.”
A dark skinned young nurse told me as she leant against the white painted door frame. Somewhere the sound of wheels squealing along the forlorn hallways was sounding, and somewhere the soft sound of someone crying was reverberating through the paper thin walls. I winced at the noises, hospitals were horrible places.
I nodded and she disappeared again but I knew for a fact that she’d still be lurking somewhere, waiting for me to leave so she could begin on whatever nightly procedures were put upon my sister. After murmuring a few more words of reassurance and giving my compassion I stood up. My ballet pumps squeaked against the shiny and chemical ridden floor and then I turned away slinging my bag over my shoulder. The nurse gave me a nod and smile as I passed, I forced a small one back as I made my way down the hallways. I slipped my hands into the pockets of my jacket as my feet silently padded along the long and empty hallway. Pictures and diagrams were lining the walls, laden with remorseful memorial, wistful accounts and paragraphs of success. I took a moment to look over all the pictures of young, smiling children who were no longer in this world. Their death well accounted for in this very hospital, inside these very walls the beeping slowly stopped. Dead. It was always such a horrible word, and one that everyone would always try to ignore. But there was no avoiding the empty truth of knowing someone’s passed. No matter how hard you try you can’t ignore how different things are without them. Their possessions no longer hold any meaning, there’s this empty space where they once stood. Maybe the empty seat at the back of the classroom, or the eerie silence when their name hasn’t been taken off of the register yet. Either way, whatever situation, it leaves a gap in the world. But it only seems brief, maybe lasting for a few afflictive months before everyone’s so keen to forget. I was the one person who didn’t when Jane died. But one person’s wishes aren’t always enough to change something. They’re barely there.
As I entered the waiting room, somebody caught my eye. He was clad in jeans, Hi-tops and a Superdry hoodie. His hair was slightly gelled and he wore a red Obey cap on it. He looked around seventeen, eighteen. I had no idea who he was but there was a certain familiarity about him. Like I had seen him before. His short brown hair was what caught my eye first. It was that classic sort of style but it had some sandy undertones that would only be visible if you caught it in the right light. A single diamond stud was piercing his right ear and he was biting his lip twiddling his thumbs he was looking rather nervous. I knew there shouldn’t have been anything weird about this since this was a hospital, but there felt like there was. I was about to breach the door when our gazes locked and he looked at me for a few seconds before flashing me a smile, a bright smile. As if I knew him and we were long lost friends or something. I didn’t know what to do but I felt uneasy. Giving him a feeble smile back I abruptly turned and left furrowing my brow at this. Who was he? I didn’t know what it was but it was like I had seen his face before. And then that genuine smile? I don’t know. Brushing this off as coincidence I made my way over to my car keen to get on with getting to the house where the boys already were. They had seen me to the hospital a little over an hour ago and were now at mine and Niall’s house – our house! – putting the boxes in before I got there.
For a moment as I shut the door of my car I just sat there and reflected on all of this. This was somewhat a fresh start. And I liked them, a lot. It was my chance to rebuild my life as whoever I wanted to be and whatever I wanted my life to be. It was also a really strange feeling to have that though. It was quite a surreal thing to think that everything was really slotting into place for me right now. When a few months were up and Niall and I were settled into our new life, I was going to start thinking about work again. But I was going to approach carefully this time. I didn’t want to be completely immersed in it like I used to be. It was ideal then, it was right at that point in my life because I needed distraction, but now I didn’t. I didn’t want mine and Niall’s lives to put strain on our relationship; I wanted to do this properly. And I was planning to. To sit down and work out our timetables so things worked for us and were organised so we could still spend time together. After being on the low for a few months it was needless to say management was planning a comeback for the boys by next year, which meant Niall was going to be busy again. Which was okay, did I really expect to have a celebrity boyfriend and for him to never be busy? Of course I didn’t. And with a pop star of a sister I completely understood how hectic things can get. Which was why I was going to make my career choice(s) less involved than his. It wasn’t going to be simple or easy and would probably take a bit of stress to get there. But I was going to do it nonetheless.
With this thought fresh in my mind I carefully manoeuvred around the parked cars in the hospital car park and turned out onto the road, all set and ready to start building a new life. But it wasn’t just any new life; it was one I was sharing.
-
It was Harry that I saw first. Carrying what appeared to be the final box up the medium length driveway. I for one had mentioned to Niall about the fact that we didn’t need such a long driveway, plus garden and house in general. But he had objected telling me that the bigger the better. So I gave in slowly accepting the fact that maybe extra room was for the better. He also wanted us to be out of the way of the rush of the city, so we were just outside of London. A secluded private area, the price had been scarcely maintained for the private, secluded factor. But for what we got, it was definitely worth it.
He smiled brightly at me waving he almost dropped the box. I rolled my eyes playfully as this as I felt the gravel crunching underneath the tyres. Cutting the engine to a stop I slid out watching the lights flash as I locked it. It was a weird feeling to be pulling into the driveway of such a huge house, and knowing that said house was actually your own. Not being able to refrain the tentative smile twitching at my lips I picked up the last box as I followed him nudging him with my elbow when he started wiggling his eye-brows at me.
With it breaching nine o’ clock darkness was setting in now and it was only as I stepped into the open and airy foyer that I realised just how much stuff we had. It wasn’t even like we had that much stuff to move. But Niall had insisted we had to; yes love, of course we have to have all the pictures from the dining room. I wasn’t going to argue, I was way too happy to do so.
“Well that’s the last of it.”
Harry announced grinning proudly as he dusted his hands together as if this had been some forty-eight hour manual labour job on the farm. But nonetheless I smiled happy with this.
“Well,” Liam said as he looked up and around him. “I can definitely see myself making a few visits or two every now and then.”
Rolling my eyes at this I flinched but soon smiled again as I felt an arm wrap around my waist and Niall placed a kiss to my cheek. I turned to look at him grinning and he happily returned it.
“You know I can just tell that by this time tomorrow Ashley will have the whole place completely decked. Cus that’s just you Ash, you won’t be able to stand the unorganisation, right?”
Zayn teased and I shot him a pointed look but he just continued to chuckle his hearty laughter echoing throughout the spacious and crème clad foyer. I noticed Louis stood with his elbow resting on Harry’s shoulder and instantly felt guilty. Even though I had briefly told him I was sorry for walking away and not hearing him out I think he was still kind of scared of how to act around me. The expression in his eyes was unpalatable for my liking, or anyone’s.
“Shut up Zayn. I’m better than I used to be.”
He shrugged throwing an arm around my shoulders he grinned at me giving my hair a brief ruffle in which response I stared at him blankly.
“Yeah, I’ll give you that babe.”
He chuckled and I just smiled.
“Well we’ll leave you two to it.”
Liam declared clapping his hands together with a bright smile aimed at…Everyone. Niall let go of my waist as I moved to give all the boys hugs. After I did so I noticed Louis was about to leave, escaping my hug. Frowning to myself I lightly grabbed his arm pulling him back as the rest of them were already filing out down the driveway. Harry looked back at us giving me a knowing smile as he continued on down. Leaning up on my tiptoes I wrapped my arms around his waist in a hug; he was surprised but awkwardly obeyed anyway sliding his arms loosely around my own waist.
“Call me tomorrow,” I whispered into his ear. “We have some talking to do.”
He absentmindedly nodded as I pulled away and flashed him a smile which he weakly returned. He then said his final goodbyes to Niall and gave me an unreadable look before closing the front door carefully behind him and sliding his hands into his pockets. I watched as he sauntered down the driveway and then slid into the open door of the car that they were all waiting for him in.
Turning around I was instantly met by Niall grinning at me. Wiggling my eye-brows I leant against the door smiling back at him as I tucked my hair behind my ears.
“I hope you know,” He breathed taking the few steps forward that drew the line of disappearing of the space between us. “That we are not doing anything productive to do with all these freaking boxes tonight?”
He grinned sliding his hands past my hips and to underneath my thighs hoisting me up forcing me to wrap my legs around his waist. Carefully I draped my arms over his shoulders reaching my fingers up to entangle with his hair.
“Wasn’t planning on it.”
I clarified smiling down at him. Returning my simper he leant closer to me and covered my lips with his in a warm and toe-curling kiss. After we pulled away I couldn’t help but let my gaze roll around the space before me and attempt to get the realization that this was actually our house to sink in. Resting my chin over his shoulder I smiled as my eyes wandered up the stairwell that you couldn’t see the top of since it doubled back on itself. It had to be one of the longest staircases I’d seen in a house. This had to be one of the nicest houses I’d seen, it was definitely nicer than my own one and slightly nicer than the boys’ one. It was very tastefully decorated but still left us a lot of space and opportunity to put our own features in, everything was done in satiny crèmes giving the option for us to colour things up a bit. And although bare we were soon going to make this house a home. But somehow it already felt like one. Despite the high standard of it all.
“Oh yeah we went to the supermarket on the way to make sure we have food. Because I wasn’t going to be getting up at stupid o’clock just so I could eat breakfast.”
“Mmm,” I absentmindedly replied still transfixed by how airy and spacious just the foyer was. “And what food was that?”
“Food I like.” He responded proudly and I slid my gaze to his quirking an eye-brow. “And I got some of that pasta you like, and those muffins you like. I decided to be nice.”
He added with haste, smirking I clasped my fingertips around some of his hair brushing it from his forehead.
“Well that’s alright then…Is it just me or is it really cold in here?”
I inquired furrowing my brow as I looked around as if I needed to do this to confirm that I was indeed talking about, here. Niall shrugged as he did the same.
“Kind of. I don’t even know where the thermostat is.”
He admitted and I rolled my eyes wiggling around a bit in an attempt to get him to put me down. He didn’t get the hint.
“Well that’s always good. Come on, it’s probably around here somewhere.”
I announced prying his hands away from my legs I slipped back down to the floor and grabbed his hand pulling him in tow to a door on the right. Which turned out to lead to an empty room that could have either been the living room or dining room. It was kind of hard to tell. I could get lost in here.
“Didn’t we get like an instruction booklet or something?”
He asked as I dragged him along back out in the foyer. I stopped turning on my heel to look at him with a confused look.
“I dunno what houses you buy that come with instruction booklets.”
I laughed and continued on my quest to find the thermostat.
“I’m gonna find it before you.”
Niall announced before letting my hand go and sprinting off in a different direction. I was probably going to lose him now. Rolling my eyes at this I padded on through a hallway that appeared to lead to the kitchen, which it did. Manoeuvring my way around the island I found an adjacent hallway and continued on down there.
“Found it!”
Niall called from somewhere fairly far away. After hearing footsteps on the ceiling above me I sighed at this maze of a house and proceeded back the way I came and started up the staircase. My socked feet were silent as they massaged against the pampered carpet sinking into it, it was so soft. After climbing a staircase that felt like climbing a mountain I followed in the direction of doors that had been opened. I was about to turn left when I was grabbed my only the thermostat finding himself. As I looked around me I concluded that this was indeed, the bedroom. And it was huge. I had only seen it briefly since the estate agent had seemed keen to show us the bathroom (which was too, very nice) although bare it was better than some hotels I’d stayed in.
“Come test out the bed with me.”
Niall chuckled into my ear, rolling my eyes at this remark I was about to pull out of his grasp so I could go and explore but he encircled his arms further around to my stomach gripping tightly onto my hips he pulled me back into him. Falling back onto the bare mattress I raised my eye-brows as he carefully led down next to me wiggling his eye-brows.
“Trust that to be the first thing you say.” I giggled and he just smiled inching closer his lips brushed mine. “Wait,” I halted him. “Did you actually find the thermostat?”
“Mm hmm,” He hummed against my mouth. “But it’s going to take a while to heat up the whole house.”
I was about to reply when I was cut off by his not so chaste kiss. Tracing my fingers down his body I found his hands and carefully laced my fingers with his giving his hand a squeeze. My heart was fluttering as his lips moved against mine, but it wasn’t just with him and this kiss, it was with everything. This whole life we were only merely twenty minutes into that I already adored.
“Well then maybe,” I muffled against his lips. “We should go out and come back later?”
He considered this for a moment and then shrugged encircling his arms around to my back he leisurely lifted me up and leant against the headboard pulling me onto his lap to face him.
“You wanna go to the point?”
He proposed and I nodded as soon as he finished the word point. We hadn’t been there in a while. Taking his hand in mine I pulled him off the bed in my excitement not paying any attention to what I looked like or what I was wearing. I was just excited to be able to spend some time with Niall, since that hadn’t been happening a lot lately. But hopefully now, it was going to a lot more.
-
The grass was cool underneath my feet and the ground was slightly wet teased with the shower of this morning. I breathed in a virginal breath of the salty and sinless night sea air letting it swirl through my nostrils. I had always loved this smell, especially after a recent bucket of precipitation had tumbled down on the cliffs. The sky was clear as the moon shone it’s eloquent beams throwing patches of light across the shimmering ocean illuminating anything in it’s path. I smiled as I looked up and around me, it was a cool night but Niall’s palm was as ever warm against mine as he gave my hand an amiable squeeze making a channel of tingles run throughout my body.
I was still mesmerized by the beauty of the valley blow as it bathed in the pearly moonlight we sat down on the algid ground a low breeze floating in the air. Resting my head simultaneously in the nook of Niall’s shoulder I closed my eyes for a few seconds as I savoured the feel of this. The air was cold, the breeze was cold and the night was dank and bleak, but I felt so warm and content inside. It’s a funny little thing love, it can make you and break you, but it’ll always see you to right in the end.
“Look at the stars, look how they shine for you.”
Niall whispered into my ear making a tentative smile twitch at the corners of my lips at his corniness. But even though I tease him about it on a daily basis him and I both know it’s one of the millions of things I love about him, even if I won’t directly admit this to him, or anyone but myself. The feel of his lips against my forehead followed leaving a patch of warmth lurking across my skin aftermathing it to be notably warmer than the rest of my face. And I did, I did look at the stars. I’ve always loved how pretty they are, little gleams of silver against a hollow ebony backdrop. Just a small reminder, that there’s light somewhere near every dark corner, every crack and crevice, there’s some sanity left in the world. You just have to look in the right place with the right people. And I, was.
Suddenly a hasty gust of wind took from right to left sweeping over us it made my hair blow off of my shoulder slightly and a chilly outer nip at my igneous skin. This, was followed by a shrill clanging sound and something falling from the tree out the corner of my eye. Niall and I both turned to inspect this further and I felt my heart skip a few beats at the sight of the can in all its rust and dented glory rolling across the surface of the tree roots. Niall reached a hand to the left and curled his fingers around the aluminium object. It was completely battered and bruised but it was still there, nonetheless hanging on for just some little credibility of existence.
Already knowing what it was I couldn’t suppress the grin as Niall furrowed his brow but a smile was curling at his lips too and I knew he was remembering the same way I was. I could feel my stomach twisting inside of me, but it was in a warm and fuzzy way, the butterflies giving me a rush of contentment as they swarmed my insides in all their individual beauty. The paper was in a worse state than last time as it fell onto Niall’s palm and we both leaned in close squinting at the smudged words undoubtedly there just readable in his boyish scribble.
Ash and Niall forever 27.08.12 :) <3
Niall turned to look at me leaning closer his lips brushed my ear making my butterflies flutter faster inside of me making my heartbeat speed up.
“You know when we wrote this I meant forever…And I still do.”
His words were a quaint and soft whisper in my ear. The simplicity of them and this situation right now made me beam like an idiot. But that was what I was when I was with him, what we were when we were together. It’s an indescribable feeling to have feelings like that so strong it hurts returned to you. And I couldn’t explain it, I really couldn’t.
“Me too, me too Nialler.”
I grinned and he returned it. After getting one last glimpse of his eyes and all the emotions and truths that they held I closed mine letting our lips meet in a warm and slow kiss. And right then I could almost hear the puzzle pieces snapping together. I could see the finished picture of the puzzle that didn’t come with a box, and it was beautiful. Right then I knew that all mishaps and imperfections of all the past, present and uncertain future disregarded, right here was where I needed to be, with him. That was all we needed, him, me, and this unexplainable relationship. Forever.
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A/N.
It's finished babyaa;)
Even though I feel I could have done a better job on this than I did. I was considering just scrapping the whole first half and skipping to the hospital because I didn't feel that it flowed very well before that, but nonetheless here we are;)
So within the next few hours I'm gonna upload a chapter after this with ALL the information you need to know on Book Three. So title, upload date (s) rough storyline, everythinggg. Because you know organisation and information is the keeyyy
Also, you should check out my short story 'Rose' :)
You have to listen to Pixie Lott's accoustic version of Broken Arrow. I love her so much its's ridiculous.
oh and WOOO VMA'S;D!
Alright love you so much see you in a bit!
-Emily.