Since We're Alone |NH|

Chapter 69

Niall's POV

Holding Ophelia in my arms as we danced, I began lightly humming the song that was playing. Closing my eyes, I pressed my cheek against hers, continuing to hum. The entire day had been filled with love and I couldn't have imagined sharing it with anyone else. This girl right here, in my arms, she was it. She was how love was supposed to feel.

The day had gone so well that, for the first time in a month, not once did I think I saw Maggie. The only girl I saw, and the only one I wanted to see, was her. Ophelia. The girl whose name meant 'help' has done just that. She caught me on my last legs, held me, and pulled me out of the dark. 

Mark had been right. Without knowing it, the right girl had walked into my life and I had her standing in front of me, in my arms, and I now know why none of my other relationships had worked out. When I look at her, I see the rest of my life. And I loved her. 

God, I fucking loved her. 

"Hey, um, Niall?" I heard Ophelia softly speak.

"Hmmm?" I hummed, softly, opening my eyes but as I did my body froze.

"You okay? You look like you're going to be sick. Niall?"

I heard the concern in her voice but I couldn't look away from what I was seeing. I swallowed hard as I closed my eyes tightly before slowly opening them again. The figure was still there. The way she moved was too real. When she turned around, I knew I wasn't dreaming or hallucinating. It was Maggie; thirty feet away from me, in the flesh.

And she saw me. A smirk appeared on her face and I immediately knew that whatever was about to happen, wasn't going to be good.

I felt Ophelia turn and as soon as she did, something in me told me she knew, too. Her body stiffened and she immediately turned back to me. I didn't look at her but I felt her eyes boring into me, waiting for me to say or do something.

Maggie started walking towards us. I grabbed Ophelia's hand and tried to leave but my body moved too slowly.

"Hello, Niall," her voice filled the air.

I physically cringed at my name on her lips. Ophelia was the first to turn back around which forced me to turn around. I looked at Maggie. Ophelia looked at her. Maggie looked at Ophelia. That was the absolute last thing I wanted. Maggie could crawl under one's skin with just a look and I felt Ophelia shudder next to me. She intertwined her fingers with mine, holding onto my hand as tightly as I was holding on to hers.

Maggie turned to her, "Hi, I'm Maggie." She stuck her hand out for Ophelia to shake.

I felt Ophelia slightly hesitate before she stuck her hand out and shook Maggie's. "Ophelia."

Her hand lingered in Ophelia's as she turned back to face me. "I said hello, Niall."

"Maggie," I managed to squeak out in as civil a tone as I could muster.

"It's been a while."

She smiled at me, as she finally let go of Ophelia's hand. Ophelia looked immensely uncomfortable and, although I don't know how, something told me she knew exactly who Maggie was.

"You two know each other?" Ophelia asked.

"Oh, forgive me, where are my manners?" Maggie said in an ultra sweet tone that made me sick. "I'm a friend of Niall's...and Maria's. Niall and I are sort of responsible for getting those two together."

"I see," she said, softly.

"Yeah, Niall and I go way back, don't we, Niall?" Maggie turned from Ophelia, disgust becoming apparent on her face. "Dance with an old friend, Niall?"

"No, thank you, I'm good," I said, trying once again to turn around and leave.

"Oh, c'mon now, I won't bite."

"And I said, no thank you."

With that, I grabbed Ophelia's hand and nearly yanked her arm out of its socket as we walked away.

I needed fresh air. I felt like my throat was closing in on me and slowly strangling me all by itself. Had I been wearing a tie and didn't already have the top buttons unbuttoned, I'd be ripping them off just so I could get cold air into my lungs.

"Niall, stop."

I barely registered Ophelia's voice saying something as we walked outside.

"Niall, stop, you're hurting me!"

I stopped. Looking back at her and down at her arm, I saw I was tightly grasping her wrist. "Shit, baby, I'm sorry." I let go of her arm and backed away suddenly afraid to touch her.

"What was that about?" She asked, rubbing her wrist where I had gripped her too tightly.

"Nothing. Just an old friend who is no longer a friend, at all, to me."

Her shoulders slumped as her mouth formed an 'O' shape but no noise came out. Her eyes had lost some of the joy and love that had been in them all day. She looked like she wanted to say something but stopped herself. 

"Sorry for pulling on you."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have grabbed you and pulled on you like that," I said, taking a step towards her.

I brought my arms around her. I needed to hold onto her. My heart was racing. She wrapped her arms around me and let her body relax into mine. But only barely.

"Niall!" I heard Mully yelling my name. I looked past Ophelia and saw him walking towards us. "Sorry, Ophelia, but I need to borrow him."

"Mully, we're sort of in the middle of som—," Ophelia started to say.

"Sorry, but I really need to speak with him. Now."

He reached for my arm and started pulling me out of Ophelia's embrace.

"Mully?!" She said, her voice rising an octave. A pause and then, "Niall?" Which she barely got above a whisper.

She looked between him and me, waiting for me to say something but I couldn't seem to form any words. I knew I shouldn't let him drag me away from her. I knew that being separated from her would be the absolute wrong thing to let happen. Because I needed to finally tell her what everyone had been screaming at me to tell her from the very beginning. I needed to tell her because the very thing that could destroy us was running around loose less than a hundred feet away from us. But I couldn't seem to will myself out of Mully's grip and back to the woman I needed to protect from the devil. Instead, I just let Mully pull me by the arm and away from her.