The Player

Chapter 14

The rest of the week with Niall was amazing. He planned out so many awesome things for us to do. One night he took me out to dinner at this really fancy place that he could somehow afford, I was assuming his parents were crazy rich. Another night he took me to an Ed Sheeran concert and I literally died because I love Ed. Niall had spoiled me so much that passed week. I felt like I would owe Niall big time later on, but whenever I would ask him if he wanted something in return for all the amazing things he gave me, he would just say that I was enough.

If I could relive this passed week I would, because it was amazing and I wouldn't have wanted to spend it with anyone else. The week had ended now and it was Friday. I was leaving to go see my dad for the weekend this afternoon, so I would have to say goodbye to Niall. We were going out to have lunch and then he was going to take me to the airport. I knew it was only for the weekend, but I would miss Niall so much. After spending the whole entire week with him, it was going to be weird not seeing him for the next few days.

"Are you going to miss me?" Niall asked as we sat in the restaurant eating our lunch.

"Of course not." I said with a straight face. I looked up at him and he stopped eating and looked at me. I held my straight face for as long as I could before I started to crack a smile. Then I started to laugh.

"I'm kidding!"

"Okay good." Niall said laughing too.

"I'm going to miss you so much." I said truthfully.

"I'm gonna miss you too."

"Even if it's just for the weekend, I bet it will feel like an eternity." I said.

"Whoa whoa, no one said anything about you leaving for an eternity? I can't even last a few seconds without you." Niall said. I smiled at him and let out a small laugh, but it didn't last long.

"I'm actually kind of worried." I said looking down at my plate while pushing my fries around. 

"About what?"

"Well, when my dad called to ask me to come visit, it seemed like he was keeping something from me. And when he keeps things from me, it's usually something important."

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about though. "

"I can't help it though. It could be anything. I worry about him a lot, with him living by himself all the time while I'm away at college. He has a tendency to keeps things from me, especially things that I need to know about. He has a theory that if he doesn't tell me, then I won't have to worry. But it's actually the opposite. I hate it because I know when he is keeping something from me, but when I ask him about it he won't tell me."

"That's tough. You just have to trust that he's okay. And whatever he is keeping from you, I'm sure you will find out what it is sooner or later."

"Yeah, I just always worry that something bad happened."

"I'm sure he probably just misses you and wants to see you." Niall said reassuringly as he reached across the table and put his hand over mine. I nodded as I continued playing with my fries.

*********************************

"Do you have everything?" Niall asked me as we got into the airport. I nodded.

"I think so."

"Good." Niall was wheeling my suitcase for me as we made our way to the check in desk. I gave the lady my ticket and she checked it and then Niall gave her my suitcase. Once that was finished we left the desk. The next stop was security but Niall couldn't go through because he wasn't going on a flight.

"I guess this is goodbye for now." Niall said handing me my carry on bag. I slipped it onto my shoulder and then looked up at Niall. I wrapped my arms around Niall's neck and he wrapped his around my waist. I released my arms and placed my lips on Niall's for a quick kiss goodbye. I pulled away.

"Bye, I love you."

"Love you too."     

"Be good while I'm gone." I said jokingly.

"Okay." he said smiling. He watched me turn around and walk away towards security. When I got in line I was standing behind a father and his daughter. The daughter was clutching a little brown teddy bear in one arm, while the other was stretched out with her small hand in her dad's. She was wearing a cute little green sundress with white sandals on her feet. Her long brown hair was braided neatly down her back. 

"Let's go sweetheart." the father said, pulling the little girl's arm towards him. She was watching her teddy bear move through security after her father had placed it on the conveyor belt. She followed her father through the scanner and then retrieved her teddy bear on the other side, clutching it close to her chest.

The little girl and her dad reminded me of my father and I when I was little. Since my mother wasn't around it was always just me and him. We played together. We read stories together. He drove me everywhere I needed to go. It was just me and him. 

Sometimes I would see a mother with her daughter and wonder where mine was. I would picture her living her own life far away somewhere doing God knows what. Sometimes I would even imagine what it would be like if she really was here and if she never left. Doing this didn't really help me get any answers. It just put more questions in my head. All I really knew was that she wasn't here, and she left without an explanation. And for that, I feel like I could never forgive.