All Your Little Things

Chapter 39- A Very Happy New Year

Niall

Eleven pm on New Year's Eve, I was headed to Louis and Eleanor's place. They were having a small get-together, just the boys and their girlfriends. It was raining outside, and I was taking a cab over. I had decided to come late, and not stay long. I just wanted to be alone.

I looked out the window and saw Elizabeth walking down the street. I immediately rolled down the window.

"Elizabeth! Come on, I'll give you a ride!"

"Niall, really, I'm fine. "

"I insist." She hesitated, but got in my cab. We waited in silence for a few minutes, but she got a phone call.

"Hello?...Perrie!....Hi! Yes!....What?...Really?You're serious?...I'm in a cab, we'll be there soon." She hung up the phone. "Eleanor's in the hospital, she's in labor."

"Are you serious?! Wow..."

"I know...it's really happening. Perrie had been trying to reach me for two hours, but my phone was off. I can't wait to see her."

"Well, I hope you can wait a while." The driver said. "We'll be in traffic for a while."

"Shit." Lib said, rubbing her temples.

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"Why'd you get in the car?" I said, breaking the silence a half hour later.

"What?" She sounded surprised at my question, making a face like I was crazy.

"You heard me. Why did you get in the car yesterday? Just now?"

"It's not relevant."

"You could barely look at me a few month ago without smoke coming out of your ears, and suddenly, you're calling me on my birthday, and taking rides from me."

"Well, I didn't want to miss your birthday. The other day, I didn't have a ride, and just now it's raining outside. Who wants to walk in the rain in London? It's disgusting. "

"You love London in the rain, and I know you better. If you really hated me you would be too proud to take a ride from me let alone call me on my birthday."

She didn't say anything, and looked at her lap. "It's different without you. It feels blank...and empty. Nothing's right anymore. I just want everything back to the way it was this time last year. Everyone was so happy."

"I miss that, too."

"But there's nothing we can do now."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I hurt you, and I don't deserve to be called your girlfriend anymore."

"Of course you do. Elizabeth, did you know how broken I've been since June? God, I miss you so much."

"Niall, stop."

"No."

"Niall!"

"Lib!" I shouted as she got out of the cab, exasperated. I threw a twenty at the cabby and followed her out onto the sidewalk.

"LIB! LIB, WAIT! ELIZABETH, PLEASE STOP!" She finally stopped in a courtyard that had a perfect view of Big Ben.

She whipped around. "WHAT?" She had tears in her eyes. "WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO DO, NIALL? THIS WON'T WORK, AND I'M TRYING TO ACCEPT THAT, AND YOU'RE NOT HELPING!"

"WHY DO YOU INSIST THAT IT WON'T WORK? IF I LOVE YOU, AND YOU LOVE ME, THEN THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO STOP US!"

"THE WHOLE WORLD IS STOPPING US!"