You Found Me

You Found Me - Chapter Twenty-Six.

I felt like I was going to explode.

I had never had very much boy experience in my life; I was too focused, shy, and non-girlish to attract much male attention. So when Niall kissed me, I didn't know what to do.

I just knew I didn't want it to end.

So when it did, my heart was waiting for it to happen again. But it didn't.

I opened my mouth to say something, but I couldn't get the words out. It was like they were stuck behind my vocal chords, trying to break free...to no avail. When I finally pulled myself together to try and say something, my back pocket rang obnoxiously. I waited for it to stop, but it didn't. I sighed and pulled it out, secretly grateful for the excuse not to say anything.

Kristine: seriously, i need to talk to u. where r u?

Kristine: come on answer

Kristine: this is really important, allie. please

Kristine: I KNOW. OK? I KNOW EVERYTHING. I'M AT YOUR HOUSE, PLEASE COME TALK TO ME.

I narrowed my eyes. I know everything? What did she mean she 'knew everything'?

I didn't look at Niall as I pushed open the door and came face-to-face with Kristine and Harry. It looked like Kristine had just gotten fed up and decided to leave when I opened the door, almost getting her right in the face.

"What is it?" I demanded aggravatedly. Harry and Niall both raised their eyebrows at each other, as if to say 'what the hell is going on?'

"Allie," Kristine breathed. "Oh, thank God."

I stepped back, momentarily stunned, because of her voice. It wasn't Italian at all. She was Irish.

"Kristine?" I asked in disbelief. "You..."

"Yeah, okay, I know. This is weird," she announced. "But there's something really important that I have to tell you."

"What is it?" I asked.

She looked at Harry and Niall hesistantly.

"Whatever you're going to say to me can be said in front of them," I told her, understanding.

She sighed. "Look, I know you've been getting weird stuff. Stuff that has to do with your mom, right?"

I didn't even bother asking her how she knew that; I simply nodded, stiffly but also in a horrified way, because I had an idea about where this was going.

"I know who sent it to you."

I raised my eyebrows at her. "Do you?"

"Yeah, I do." She narrowed her eyes. "You don't trust me."

"Not really."

Kristine shrugged. "I don't really care. I just know. It's my stepfather: Adam Nolan."

I covered my mouth with my hand. "Your stepfather is Adam Nolan?"

But it made sense. Why I saw her in the back of the car that one day when I was younger. Why I knew she looked familiar. I had seen her before. 

"Please, stifle the drama. This is really important, so listen up," Kristine began, but I cut her off.

"No offense, but how do I know you're not lying to me?" I spat. She looked at me, surprised. "I mean, the history of the feud between Adam and my mom is not uncommon knowledge in Mullingar. If you really wanted dirt on me, you could ask anyone."

"How do you explain how I know about what you've been getting from him then?" Kristine demanded, glaring at me now.

"I don't know, but maybe you're right: I don't trust you," I told her, gesturing through the door for her to leave.

"You don't trust me?" she asked slyly. She turned around on her heel, making her way toward me. "Here's the deal, sweetie. Tomorrow, at five o'clock, the final 'gift' from your past will be delivered to the barista at that cute little coffee shop you like. Five o'clock. If it's there, I win. If it's not, you do, and I'm lying."

"Fine." I didn't even bother thinking about the deal. I just hated her so much in every single possible way.

Kristine exited with a flourish, slamming the door behind her.

I whirled around to glare at Harry. "Your girlfriend's a psycho."

"I didn't know she was Irish!" he defended himself, crossing his arms over his chest. "And besides, she was trying to help you, but you got her all pissed off."

"I got her all pissed off?" I shouted, throwing my hands in the air. "Harry, she's baiting me. She knows something, sure, but she's not trying to help me. She's on his side."

"Whose side?" Harry asked.

"Long story," Niall muttered.

"What are you going to do?" Harry questioned, and I could tell he was debating to trust either me or Kristine.

I sighed. "I'm going to go to the coffee shop and see if she's right. And if she is..." I trailed off. What would I do if she was right? What would I do if she was wrong?

"You have to let me come with you," Niall said defensively.

"Niall, I--"

"Allie, this could be dangerous! You don't know what's going to be there," he reasoned. As if that would help.

"Because you'd scare it away?" I allowed a grudging smile. "You're like a big teddy bear."

But, eventually, I agreed to let him come. What could happen, right?

Oh, how wrong I was.

- - - - - - - - - -

Five o'clock the next day rolled around so that I had almost forgot that I needed to remember it. Niall actually walked into my bedroom and scared the crap out of me because I had no idea that he was in my house.

"Shit!" I cried when he opened the door. When I saw it was just him, I clutched my heart.

"Sorry," he said, grinning and sounding not sorry at all.

I got up and walked over to him, overexaggerating his appearance. "Oh my God, you've killed me."

He kissed the top of my head and rolled his eyes. "Drama queen."

We walked hand-in-hand to the coffee shop, continuing our conversation from yesterday about things we liked.

"Favorite clothing shop?" he asked.

"That's a hard one," I said truthfully, because usually Lucy buys everything for me. "Whatever Lucy decides to buy me, I guess. I love Urban Outfitters, though."

We reached the door and Niall walked in front of me to open it.

"Ladies first," he said winking.

"Cheeky," I said, laughing. I raised my eyebrows, however, when Niall pulled on the handle and the door didn't open.

"Locked?" he asked suspiciously.

I groaned. I knew Kristine was lying! She probably jetted back to Ireland before I came, knowing I wouldn't be able to find her. Boy, was she playing me!

"Oh wait, here we go," Niall opened the door and we stepped inside to the most horrifying sight I had ever seen in my life. I will never forget it.

The door locked shut behind us.