Love Me To Death

Chapter 17

Niall's P.O.V.

I looked out the window and saw the sky. The sun was setting and it was getting dark. I turned to Jade. She looked up at me and smiled. I smiled back and spoke, "J-Jade."

"Hmm?"

"W-what t-time is it?"

"6:48." She said looking at her iPhone. My eyes widened. Oh shit. Ma's gonna be mad at me. I gotta get going!

Jade looked at me and giggled.

"What?" I asked.

"You cursed." She said.

No I didn't.

"Yes you did." She chuckled.

How is she reading my mind?

"Because you're speaking your mind out loud." She retorted. My cheeks flushed red in embarrassment. I should really stop doing this.

"Yea. you should." She said and giggled.

Shit. I did it again.

"But it's cute when you mess up."

Did she just call me cute? Or did I hear that wrong?

"No you heard it right." She said and blushed. Man! I spoke my thoughts!

"Yeah. you did. Just a nerd's habbit."

I smirked and said, "Anyways, 'til tomorrow... Good night." I reached out my hand for a shake. She grabbed my hand and pulled me in for a hug. Her arms and body was so warm.

"I'm warm? Niall, you're really weird."

"I didn't say that."

"Yeah, you did. You speak your thoughts. Now leave, you're starting to creep me out." She said and lightly pushed me out the door. I stood at her front door and smiled. She learned against the rim of the front door and crossed her arms. She smiled back and said, "I had fun today."

"I did too."

"Thank you, Niall. Really. Thank you."

"No problem. What are friends for?" I said. I leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "Stay away from that Mason guy, okay? I don't want you to get hurt. You're a good friend to me."

She blushed and said, "Ok."

I walked to my car and turned it on. She closed her door and within a minute, I was gone.

---

I pulled my car into the driveway. I parked the car and sat there for a second, thinking, Jade was really nice to me today. I smiled to myself and got out of the car. I stopped in fear when I was someone standing in front of me. It was Mason.

I tried to ignore him and walk to my front door but Mason stopped me. He picked me up by my shirt collar and slammed me against my car. "Where have you been?" He huffed in my face, his breath smelling like beer.

I knew instantly he was asking about Jade. I had to make up a lie. "The library." I simply stated.

"That's a lie. The library's closed."

"How do you know? You were never there."

"True. But it's winter break." Shit. He caught me in a lie. He raised an eyebrow at me and continued, "So where were you?"

"I-I-I went to the ice c-cream shop."

"With who?"

"My mom."

"That's another lie. Your mom is here. Inside the house." Shit. He just caught me in another lie.

"You were with her, weren't you?" He said, gritting his teeth.

"Who?" I asked, pretending not to know.

"You know who! Jade! Were you with her or not?"

"I-I wasn't."

"Oh..." He said in a way that sounded like he believed me, but I'm not sure. Then I heard he muttered to himself, "I will make her mine again."

"No you won't. She doesn't love you anymore. She told me so when I was with her," I said. Then I covered my mouth, realizing what had slipped out.

Mason looked up at me, shocked. He knows the truth now. "I knew you were with her!" He picked me up by the collar again and threw me down and I fell.  I yelped in pain as my head hit the ground.

"Why did you lie to me?"

"I was protecting her! She deserves someone better than you! You horrid wretched monster!" 

"I will get you one day." He said and kicked me in the stomach until I started vomiting out blood. He got in his car and drove away.

I groaned in pain and my ma walked out. Her eyes widen in shock. "Who did this to you?"

Worried that she was going to make a big deal out of something, I lied, "No one, ma. I just fell and now I'm bleeding from my lip."

She seemed to have believed it when she said, "Aww. Poor you. You're so clumsy. Let's get you inside. You go wash up and I'll go buy some groceries to cook you some food, okay?"

"Ok, ma." I said and walked inside the house. I trudged upstairs and into the bathroom. I bent over the sink and started to vomit more and more blood until I couldn't vomit anymore. My head ached from the crash. It seemed to get lighter and lighter. My vision starts to blur. Before I knew it, I was on the floor, passed out.