Since We're Alone |NH|

Chapter 17

"Mully, I think this is too much," I said, walking out of my closet and back into my bedroom where he was going through my shirts for me to try on.  "I look like I'm going on a date....to a really fancy restaurant."

He looked up at me and what he had made me put on.  Scrunching up his face, he admitted, "Yeah, better save that kind of sexiness for at least the first real date.  And by the end of tonight, there better be a real first date on the horizon."

He laughed.  I just looked at him.

"Okay, what is your deal?  I thought you liked this girl?  Why are you acting like you we're selling you off to the highest bidder?"

"I don't know.  It's not that.  It's just...I don't know....maybe this is just too soon to even be thinking about this."

"Niall, man, I know you were with Maggie for a long time, but you were also miserable with Maggie for a long time.  And, I can only imagine what that's done to your psyche, but, again, you can't let that fear stop you from finding the right girl."

I had my head hung down as he spoke, I softly agreed, "I know.  She's just always in my head, fucking with me."

"She said a lot of harsh things.  None of which was true."

"How do you know?  I mean, she wasn't lying about me moping around all the time!"

"She was the reason you were moping around all the time!"

"I couldn't write songs."

"And since you two broke up, you've been writing."

"Not good songs!"

"So!  The point is that you are writing, and you are feeling good about a few of those songs.  You're allowing your heartbreak to find its way out of you.  And maybe now it's time you allow your heart a different kind of break.  Yeah?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you admit you like this girl, right?  Enough to be happy to get her number and give her yours, right?"

"Yeah."

"So, talk with her some more.  I didn't get to see you talk to her Friday but you certainly filled me in on everything.  And I did get to see you two interact Saturday.  Tara and I both watched.  You seemed to be easily talking to her and joking around with her.  Something you or she said made you both laugh."

I smiled, blushing a little, "Yeah, that's true."

"So, just take this one step at a time.  I mean, I do think you should ask her out.  But, we can play it by ear.  Okay?"

I nodded, breathing a little easier now.  "Okay."

"Okay, so about your outfit, what would you wear?" He asked.

I went back into my closet.  I pulled out a pair of jeans and a simple button up shirt to make it casual dressy without overdoing it.  When I walked out, Mully just looked at me before making a face.

"Well, from the waist up you look fine but, Niall, man, lose the mom jeans, you look stupid."

I looked down at my pants.  "I happen to like them," I said, getting defensive.  "What's wrong with them?"

"They aren't appealing at all, at least not if you actually want this girl to stay interested in you.  They don't fit you in the right places.  Find one of your darker pairs that fit you better."

I rolled my eyes and went back into my closet, coming back out a few minutes later with darker, tighter jeans on.

"Much better!  That should have every pair of eyes on you!"