Crashing Down (Dark N.H A.U)

Chapter Eighteen

"Are you serious? That is so heartbreaking." Lola wipes a tear from her eye.

"Lola, I just feel this pull to him. This need to save him from himself." I say as we are huddling around the kitchen island. "I don't want him to feel this pain anymore. He doesn't have to be this guy anymore. Niall only kidnapped me, because he doesn't know how to handle his feelings."

"Francesca, I get it. I really do, but are you sure this is for the best?" Lola gives me a concerned look. "You are not only sleeping with him, but he took you against your will. You are making him sound like the victim. Are you sure this isn't Stockholm syndrome?"

"Seriously Lola?" I roll my eyes at her. "Niall is a ticking time bomb. He could kill me at any second. I get that. I'm not harboring feelings for the guy, because he hasn't killed me yet. The only reason why we are in this position in the first place is, because of his mom."

"Do you honestly believe that?" Lola looks at me closely. "Do you have any feelings for him?"

"I don't hate him anymore. I just feel like my heart is broken for him. He deserved a better childhood. They all do. Every single guy here deserves better. We can give them that." The experience we are going to get. Amazing. "Imagine how far ahead of the game we will be when it comes time for clinicals. The trauma we are about to uncover."

"You and Niall are both in vulnerable state of minds. Just be careful and if you feel like you are becoming Harley Quinn, let me know."

"Harley Quinn? Who is that?"

"She was the joker's psychiatrist, but she fell in love with him." Lola smirks. "Oh, and then she went crazy."

"Joker?" I ask confused. "Like Batman's archenemy?"

"Yeah." Lola looks at me like I have grown a second head. "Have you never seen Batman?"

"No. My parents only let me watch educational shows and movies." My parents were weird, but they did it out of love.

"What a fun childhood." Lola smirks at me.

"Who is ready to bake?" Eleanor sings terribly as she walks into the kitchen. She pauses when she sees Lola and I huddled together. She points and asks, "what's going on here?"

"We are talking about Niall and the guys." I give her a half-truth. "I know how Niall met the guys and what led him to live with Miss Jane and George, but what about the others?"

"Louis' parents died and he didn't have anyone to take care of him. He had an aunt, but after a year she was deemed unfit. Liam came from a drugged out mum with a dad who wasn't around. Zayn's mum died during childbirth and his dad blamed him. Zayn was given up at two days old. He had some health issues that he has grown out of, but no one wanted to adopt a sick baby." Eleanor looks over at Lola, so she can explain Harry's story.

"Harry's mum got pregnant at fifteen after she was sexually assaulted. She wanted to keep Harry so badly, but couldn't deal with the pain. When he was a few weeks old he was left in a fire station." Lola clears her throat, fighting back tears.

"This is horrible." I hate that I am the one who brought up this conversation. "Okay, we can't talk about this anymore. I am going to cry if I keep picturing each of these men as children being abandoned."

"Tell me about it." Eleanor shakes her head. "They have all turned out great, considering."

We stand in the kitchen quietly for far too long. I think each of us is silently thanking our parents for being who they are. I love my parents, even when they overprotective. My mom never wanted to hurt me. I understand that. I need to call her and tell her I forgive her.