Broken (a Niall Horan love story)

Chapter 71

***Navaeh's P.O.V.***

"You've got to settle down," Niall groaned as we sat in the plush chairs of the therapy waiting room. One of Addison's patients were taking longer than usual; it wasn't too big of a deal considering that I was his last client of the day and I could go over my time for as long as necessary. However, I had never really been a patient person and I had a lot to discuss with Addison that day. Niall was there since we were heading off to the airport right after the session—Mullingar awaited us for the Christmas holiday—and I couldn't tell if his presence was making things better or worse.

Things had been hectic ever since my birthday; I had gotten accepted to this really prestigious art school in London which was amazing. The first semester had gone better than I had expected and I didn't have to pay extra for room and board since I was staying with Niall. Then, about a week after my birthday, Harry and Elizabeth had announced their engagement and that was absolutely wonderful. A few weeks after that Niall and I had figured out that we would both be a part of their wedding; I would be a bridesmaid and he would be one of Harry's groomsmen. There was still five months of waiting for that, though.

And, even with everything going by so quickly and crazily, none of it was what was bothering me. It was something completely unrelated and I needed to get it off of my chest before leaving for Mullingar. I couldn't tell Niall about it either which was what was really eating away at me. I told Niall a lot of things now a days but this just couldn't be shared with him. 

The door to Addison's office opened with a small creaking noise and the client that had been taking up their time. I practically jumped up out of my seat after his other client had entered the elevator and the receptionist told me that I could go in. Niall couldn't help but to chuckle at my actions and the cute noise practically made me forget what I was doing. Thankfully, I made it to Addison's office and shut the door behind me as he greeted me from his usual chair.

"Hello, Navaeh," he smiled warmly yet apologetically, "I'm sorry that my other client went over, but I'm here to listen now." And boy was I glad about that because I had a lot to tell him.

"I think I'm losing it, Addison," I immediately said as I paced back and forth. I didn't have to look over at him to know that he was looking back at me with a cocked eyebrow and a wondering gaze. After taking a deep breath, I continued to speak in order to explain myself, "I can't stop thinking about him and it is driving me absolutely insane. It's like, every time I close my eyes he's right there and I just can't get him out of my head. My thoughts make it sound like I'm in God damn primary school again. Last night I actually compared his laugh to heaven: Heaven."

"Who?" Addison wondered with a slightly lost look on his face.

"Niall." My cheeks went red just because I was saying his name and I hated it but there was nothing I could do to stop it. When I looked back at Addison to gauge his reaction he was actually smiling. This was a serious matter, God dammit. "What's happening to me, Addison?" I wondered as I let my head fall into my hands and then groaned slightly.

"Are you asking for my earnest evaluation?" he questioned while trying to hide that seemingly knowing smile of his. I nodded while looking up at him through the gaps between my fingers. "Have you ever considered that you might have feelings for Niall?"

My head shot up so that I could look at him with wide and disbelieving eyes. The question was insane; I couldn't possibly have feelings for Niall. He was just my friend; he probably loved me as if I was a little sister, not a possible romantic partner. Yeah, sure, I was acting like a sentimental idiot with my thoughts lately but that didn't mean that I fancied him, right? Right? "What?" I sputtered out.

Addison tapped his fingers against the arm rest of the chair like he often did when he was thinking. That small little smile was still resting on his lips when he talked, "I've suspected it for months, actually. It's not an odd thing, Navaeh; people who live in close quarters with each other can form strong bonds with each other and those bonds can sometimes manifest into something more. There is also that fact that Niall has been helping you a lot throughout these last few years that you said that you have known him and you could have started to form feelings for him because of that."

"No, no, no," I laughed somewhat bitterly while walking to the chair that I usually sat in and plopping down. My look was fairly severe; I was refusing to listen to what he was saying, "I don't like Niall; that would be insane, not to mention impossible."

"Why would it be impossible?" he wondered as a frown took over the smile that he had been harboring.

I let out a heavy sigh and covered my face with my hands once again, "Niall and I are best friends; I've known him for years now! If I were to fancy him then that would ruin everything!"

"How?" Ugh, I really wasn't up for those simple yet impossible to answer questions of his. His one word questions always led to frustration and thoughts that I really didn't want to explore.

"Because it just would," I replied with the frustration clear in my words.

"Many people have had relationships with their best friends and ended up very happy, Navaeh," he told me but I just shook my head.

"Yeah, and then sometimes nothing works out and they break up and they never speak to each other again." He tried again and again throughout the session to get me to see that liking Niall wouldn't be such a bad thing, but I refused to believe it every single time. I wouldn't even admit that I had feelings for Niall at the end of the session; I simply couldn't.