Competition •{Complete}•

Chapter Seven

It's dark. Too dark to be in the palace. I look around and see I am in the palace, in the garden. I turn again and see my father. There's a man. A man with a gun, pressed against my dads head. My mother is lying on the ground lifeless, blood streaming from her head.

I can turn around. I can speak, but they won't here me. I'm in a glass dome. I push, but am stopped by the barrier. I Cast a spell to break me free. I run through the air where the dome was. A gun shoots and my father falls to the ground. The man aims the gun at me.

***

"Princess! Alli! Alli wake up!"

I'm being shaken. I open my eyes. I realize I've been crying and that I still am. Niall's sitting up, his chest now bare. I crawl over to him a bury my head into his soft chest and cry. He rubs my back, like he did when I was mad at my dad.

"Love, tell me what happened? You were screaming and crying."

"I can't."

"Shh." Niall smooths my hair down repeatedly. My breathing becomes normal and soon I stop crying. "Do you want to tell me now, darling?"

"No. I just want to be held. I just want to feel like my parents aren't hating me. I want to feel like someone cares about me and I want to just not fall asleep again, or at least have that horrible nightmare again."

"Alli," Niall says as he holds me tighter. I look up at him. He kisses me then lays down, pulling me onto his chest. "You are being held. Your parents don't hate you. They love you. They care about you. I care about you. I care about you so much, that I can tell you, you need the sleep. I'll be right here love."

"Thank you Niall. Thank you so much."

"Would you like to me to sing you something?" Niall whispers into my ear.

"Do you know the song, 'You Are My Sunshine'? My mom used to sing that song to me," I whisper back.

"You are my sunshine my only sunshine," Niall sings. He continues singing. My eyes become heavy and start to close.

Before I fall asleep I'm surprised at what slips out of my mouth. "I love you Niall."

***

When I wake up, I'm surprised I'm still in the same position as when I fell asleep. I glance over at the clock. 10:36. I lay my head back down on Niall's chest. His hand slides to my lower back and pushes me more toward him before his arm wraps around me. I smile and lay there.

I try to sit up but Niall pulls my back down. He isn't really asleep. I laugh and try to pry his arm off me. I hear him laugh and look over at him.

"Good morning," I say.

"Good morning, darling," Niall says. He stares at me for a while. He moves his eyes some and then turns his head.

"What?" I ask. I look down at myself and realize my shirt is halfway unbuttoned. "Oh shit," I mumble as I try to button it back up while trapped under Niall's muscular arm. Niall laughs at me. I playfully hit him and roll onto my stomach.

"Do you have any plans today?"

"I have lessons with my mom. But that's after lunch. I wouldn't mind spending the beginning of my day with you." I smile at him.

"Well, I also have lessons today. After lunch as well. So you are going to be mine for the beginning of the day."

"And what if I decide I don't feel like it anymore."

"Well you won't decide that after this."

He stretches his head up, as I stretch mine down and we kiss. I put my hands on his chest, which then slip under his back. His hands lay on my hips the whole time. We both push away. I roll into my back and lay on him. We both stare at the ceiling. Niall sighs.