*Around two years later*
Chloe's POV
I wake up alone, unexpectedly, cause I thought Niall would be right here next to me. I check the time on my phone before I get up, then I go round the house before getting started with my morning routine, just to see if he's here but he's not. Not feeling like sticking around the house for long, after the shower, I go to our shared closet and to my surprise, I find an outfit ready for me to put on. Just a simple high waisted ankle length skinny black jeans, paired with a plain white tank top and a loose-fitted open peach cardigan. I take the clothes off of the hanger only to find an envelope taped to it. My heart starts beating faster, worried about the content of the letter. I quickly open it and sit on the bench and start reading.
Dear Darling,
The first time you sent a letter, it wasn't pleasant to read and it left me brokenhearted. But I'm not gonna do that with you. I'm gonna do quite the opposite. I met you about six years ago, and even though I haven't seen you for three years of it, and overall it's all been an emotional rollercoaster, I wouldn't have it any other way.
I love you so much with all my heart.
For the rest, you need to go to the place where it all started. Your Paris in London.
See you soon Darling,
Lots of love,
Niall ♡
I get dressed, fix my hair and put on some light make up. I put on my shoes and check I have everything I need in my purse before I put the letter inside and go to Little Venice.
A 30-somthing minute trip in buses and trains later, I get there. As usual, I go directly to my spot, but unexpectedly, I find Izz instead of Niall.
'Hey! what are you doing here?' I ask as I sit down.
'Been a while since you've been here.'
'Yeah. Things have changed.'
'You're happy.'
'I am yeah.' I smile while staring at the water.
'Do you think about your past often?'
'What do you mean?'
'Like do you even just stop and think about all the things that got you here. Your life before Niall and your life after.'
'I mean yeah... I was a mess... and I can't exactly say I have my life all figured out by now. But it's stable enough to just stop and take a deep breath and just enjoy the ride.'
'Any regrets?'
'No! What's with the deep randon conversation? You know I live my life with no regrets. All the mistakes I've done, no matter how horrendous, they taught me to become better. And that's what matters. Without my bad days and bad experiences, my good ones don't just have no meaning, they wouldn't even exist.'
'Right...'
After that weirdly enough, misplaced serious moment, we get back to what we do best, listen to music while chatting and joking around. But we get interrupted by a call that sounded a lot more like an alarm than anything else. She turns it off and then fishes another letter out of her purse.
The envelope has a 2 written on it. I open it and read it.
Dear Darling,
Paris is the place you were brought up in, and I love it so much more for that.
When you brought me here a little less than 6 years ago, it was one of our first moments where we opened up to each other. That day I knew so much more about you. And arguably, if I want to pin point it to a single day, a single moment, the point where I started falling in love with you, that would be one of my first guesses.
Sorry I wasn't here today but I thought you might need a moment with your best friend.
Come find me in the place you're still avoiding. The place I hurt you so bad for the first time. Let me make it up to you.
See you soon Darling,
Lots of love,
Niall ♡
P.S.: if you can't guess it, since you're obviously not leaving the city, the address is written on the bottom.
I put the address on my gps and follow the instructions to get there. Confused for a moment but once I reach the destination and realise that it's the London Irish Center. I'm guessing Niall picked it as a representation of Ireland in London. I walk in not sure where to go, but once inside, I saw a sign for the bar area and my guts just told me to go there.
'Conor!! For a second I thought that I'm at the wrong place.'
'No, no. You're definitely in the right place.'
'So Niall's not here either.'
'No. But he told me to pass a message. But before that...' He takes a deep breath then continues, 'We might not be the closest friends ever. Your my best friend's girlfriend. I have to be honest with you. For a while at the beginning when you came back, I kinda resented you for Niall's pain. I had to watch him be miserable for three years, desperately trying to make him feel better and then you came back and he acted as if nothing happened. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to say anything, and I know that we got better through the years. But I just need to say I'm sorry. Niall can be a pain in the arse. But you're both so in love with each other that you make each other's lives better just by being in it. And you brighten up all the lives of those around you as well not just his. So thank you for being in our lives.'
'Aww!! Conor! You're the sweetest! Come here!' I pout and hug him. 'You don't have anything to apologise for. You're Niall's best friend first and foremost. It's your job to take care of him and I thank you for always being by his side.'
He smiles and kisses my cheek before clearing his throat and pull out a letter from his back pocket.
'I think this is for you.' He says handing me another letter.
Dear Darling,
I chose Conor to deliver this letter because after you, he's one of the most important people in my life, and it's important for me that you two make amends and have a good relationship.
I hope this is a step closer for you to be able to go to Ireland. I understand how bad the damages were from what I've done. But it's my home and I want you to be a part of it, specially with Christmas coming up in a few months.
There's one more spot you need to go to before we get reunited. One more city, the tie between LA and London, the place we always end the evening to catch up with our friends whenever we get back from California. Our pub where so many memories has been made.
You're little whisperer is waiting for you there. Yes I know now how you've been keeping tabs on me while you were in Europe. He let your little secret slip one night when we were drunk.
See you soon Darling,
Lots of love,
Niall ♡
Hurriedly, I say goodbye to Conor and go to our pub to meet Lewis. On the way there my mind is spinning trying to figure out what's at the end of this chase. There's more to it than a trip down memory lane. But the closer I get the more nervous I feel.
'Lewis!!' I cheer coming into the pub and finding him.
We hug briefly and then he hands me a shot.
'Isn't it a little bit early for that?' I chuckle taking it from him but not drinking it just yet.
'What're you talking about! It's the afternoon! Happy hour just started! Plus, you're gonna need it.'
'Alright. Let me have it.'
'I'm not telling you anything! It's a surprise.'
'So no long deep meaningful talks like the others?'
'Nahh, fuck that! I'm here for one purpose. Enjoy a pint with a friend.'
'That's a shot not a pint.' I point out.
'Yeah, it's coming, that why we should drink this now!'
We clink our tiny glasses together before we down its content at once. Shortly after our pints of Guiness gets here and we start drinking silently enjoying the music playing in the background.
'So any idea what all of this is about? The rendez-vous, the letters...'
'Well, besides Niall thinking we don't have anything better to do. Yeah, I have a very good idea. But I'm not telling you.'
'Damn it!'
'You're gonna love it though. Don't think too much about it.'
'Will do!'
We finish our drinks and then he finally hands me the, hopefully, last envelope. I open it and all I find is an All-Access pass for the O2 Arena. Lewis notifies me that the car taking me there is ready and waiting for me outside. I get into the car, greeting the driver. We drive for a while and I start feelings nauseous from all the nervousness and anticipations. When we finally reach the arena, I'm accompanied around the place to where the stage and seats are.
I'm left alone with barely any light in the large room. I carefully walk down the stairs to the open space where people would be standing in a concert. When I finally get there, The screen behind the stage light up and I see shadows of people, I'm guessing the band and hopefully Niall. Photos of Niall and I start passing one after the other while a live piano and a violin start playing the instrumental of Falling Slowly. By the first chorus, guitar, bass and drums come into the mix, but still no vocals. Still no sign of Niall. Not until the bridge.
'I've said all I have to say already. Chloe I love you. You're my darling, the one I'll be spending the rest of my life with. And I know you love me too. We've had our ups and downs. We're not at the end of the line just yet. Not for a while anyway. Hopefully. But we have reached a point where there's only one question left to answer.'
On the screen, after one of our most recent selfies fades away, to words "Will you marry me?" show up, and immediately after a spotlight hitting Niall turns on. I'm finally able to see him. Down on one knee. With a ring in his hand.
'Yes!' I croak feeling all emotional by all this.
'What's that Darling? I didn't quite hear you!' He laughs.
'I said yes!' I scream out and laugh at our silliness.
'You hear that boys? She said yes!!' Niall cheers, jumps off stage and run to me, while his band starts playing Marry You by Bruno Mars.
'Just out of curiosity,' I start after we share a brief passionate kiss. 'If I said no, what song would they be playing right now?'
'So Sick by Neyo?' He mumbles and I burst out in laughter.
'Well, that's one flashback you'd rather not have!' I laugh.
'Thank you for saying yes.' He says half laughing.
'Thank you for asking me!'
The End