Capture

Pain for Payne

Niall: Plans tonight? You in? No questions, just say yes. Friends only. No weirdness allowed.

The text came through just as I sat down on my couch. This morning had been, well, a lot. I was tired, not physically, though my body was still trying to recover from my hangover. No I was emotionally tired more than anything else. 

I read the message. I raised an eyebrow, already amused. Another text followed immediately after. 

Niall: 7 PM. I'll send the address. Say yes, Em.

I didn't even hesitate.

Emma: I'm in.

No overthinking. No analyzing tone or implication. Just a gut yes. Truthfully? I needed this. A night without Harry or Liam. No confusion, no kissing anyone I'd have to untangle later. Just friends, laughing, talking, and having fun. 

I poured myself a glass of water, resisting the urge to crawl onto the couch and dissect the last 48 hours. Instead, I turned on some music, let it fill the apartment, and let myself relax. 

I took a hot shower letting my body cook in the steamy water then got dressed in jeans and a comfortable top before doing my make up. Nothing too heavy, laid back and minimal with a touch of mascara. I wasn't trying to impress anyone tonight. 

At a quarter to 7 I went down to the lobby and ordered a ride share car to take me to the address Niall had texted. It wasn't a long drive, only about ten minutes before we pulled up to a building that looked like it would fall over with a strong gust of wind. Ironically the building bore the sign "The Safe" on it as I frowned wondering where the hell I was. "You sure this is it?" I asked the older man driving. He nodded and when I looked back to the building I spotted Niall waiting out front for me. 

I thanked the driver and got out of his car crossing over to Niall. "You made it!" He exclaimed happily giving me a hug. 

Niall oozed confidence in everything he did, tonight he wore blue jeans, sneakers and a white plain t-shirt under a short sleeve work shirt that looked like he's stolen it from his local mechanic. "What is this place Niall?"

"You'll see."

The moment we stepped through the doors, I felt it. The bass of the crowd. The smell of sweat and metal and something sharp in the air — blood, maybe. The hallway narrowed into a tunnel of sound, and ahead of us, the pulse of music and shouting rolled like thunder. Niall walked beside me, clearly buzzing with excitement. 

I'd said yes because I needed it — a break. From thinking. From second-guessing. From Liam's smirk and Harry's stare and the strange, tangled mess my life had somehow become. I didn't want to talk about any of it. I didn't want to feel any of it. Just a night with friends who had no skin in the game.

So when we passed through the last set of doors and I saw the boxing ring — the ropes lit under harsh white light, the crowd shouting, drinks in the air — I froze.

Niall was already a few steps ahead of me when I said, "Is this a fight?"

He turned, smiling. "Yeah! Cool, right?"

I stared at the ring. My stomach sank slowly. "Niall... who's fighting?"

His face didn't change, not at first. Just that same wide-eyed excitement. "Liam," he said, like it should've been obvious. "He's the main event."

My heart thudded once, hard. He noticed the way my expression dropped then — something subtle. He tilted his head. "Is that... not okay?"

I shook my head, trying to keep my tone even. "I just... I thought tonight was about friends. Something easy."