1944 [n.h]

chapter eleven

*Niall's pov*

The following week, I borrowed her brother's car, packed it with a basket of food her mother had made and bought her a hat, weaved and floppy that fell over her eyes. It matched her blue waisted sundress like a dream.

Lilly was my most captivating interest and I studied her like one would a book, reading back over every word, a freckle, a scratch. I cared for her and kept her safe the way one wold shield a book from the rain or damp. I held her close to my heart and swore to continue until my last breath.

"I can drive just fine!" I protested as Lilly laughed loudly, sitting in the passenger seat of her brother's car. Archie was standing above me, warning that if the car came back with even a mark he'd have me hanged. It filled me with great confidence with the thought of what he'd do if I were to tell him I loved his little sister. I hadn't even told his sister yet. Perhaps she should be the first to know. She is the object of my affection after all.

"We'll be back by dark." I swore before pulling off. The breaks, fair to say were rusted slightly from being out of use for so long but I could handle it.

Lilly laughed and chatted the entire journey. Every time I glanced at her, the wind would be blowing through her hair as she'd cling to her hat, it threatening to fly away, shrieks and laughs coming from her mouth, lighting up my entire face as I grinned.

I was so glad that I got to experience Lilly so happy, I counted it as my proudest privilege to be able to know that I am one of the reasons for Lilly Harris' ravishing, bewitching and superb smile, it made my heart swell with the love and heat of a thousand suns.

Lilly being happy and like she was today, just genuinely enjoying life and her time with me, put everything in to perspective, it made me realise that she was all I cared about and all I wanted in my life.

We didn't even make it an hour in to the car ride before Lilly broke in to the basket of food. I was focusing on the empty road whilst having chunks of ham sandwiches pushed in to my mouth, Lilly's laugh filling the air around us as I grinned.

"Don't let me eat it all!" She kept laughing, and, subsequently eating all the food, munching on scones and tiny pots of jam, laughing loudly as she smeared the jam around my lips, leaving me to lick it off and roll my eyes teasingly, making her laugh even more, her hands clutched over her stomach, complaining of the fact she was laughing too much.

Needless to say, this made her laugh more.

I had planned a trip to the beach but not even half way there, Lilly began to scream causing me to hastily pull over, thinking she'd seen something terrifying or managed to hurt herself somehow, which, with the amount of destruction she was causing, wouldn't have been totally unheard of.

I panicked and looked her over as she squirmed and got out of the car. We were surrounded by golden fields and winding hills for as far as the eye could see, lines of neatly cropped grass and daffodils, poppies, corn fields, painting the sweeping hills an array of colours, straight out of a masterpiece.

She wouldn't stop screaming though until I got out of the car too. The grip she found on my hand was painful to say the least, but all that was unnoticed as she ran, dragging me behind her over one of the fences and up a hill, embedded with golden buttercups and purple lavender.

Finally, Lilly stopped at the top of the hill, dropping my hand as I doubled over, panting, and gasping for breath as she remained as excited as before. I don't know how she wasn't gasping for breath, my face had turned a deadly red and I was almost certain I was resembling a screeching seal, gasping, choking for breath.

After catching my breath I looked up at her like a madman, desperate to find the cause of nearly killing me, my eyes knitted together in utter confusion as she looked at me, her face calm and content, the softest of smiles bracing her lips as she took my hand ever so gently and pulled me to where she was standing.