Running Into Destiny (Niall Horan)

Chapter 8: Trusting someone

Niall

"He's hit me..." she barely even whispered.

Natalie's voice was so small I thought I had heard her wrong. I wanted to believe what she said was a lie, but the pain in her eyes forced away all of those beliefs. Her words were true, as hard as it was for me to accept them, they were. Anger flared through every cell that my body contained. I wanted to track that son of a bitch down and give him a piece of my mind. But with one look into Natalie's tear filled eyes I realized that my plans for the douche would have to wait. Something told me that I was the first person Natalie had trusted this with, which helped explain her reluctance in telling me. I asked her just to see if my assumptions were correct.

"My friends, they suspect it but I haven't told them anything yet. Something always held me back. I guess I was holding myself back because I knew that they would try to force me out of my relationship. But I wasn't ready to leave him yet; I hadn't realized that he was abusing me emotionally as well. In the end I would have ended up going back to him a week later, just like I always had. This time is different though. I am going to be strong. I will make it through this break up." Her last two sentences were probably said more for her benefit than mine.

"I'll be there for you Natalie, if you need someone to talk to," I told her.

Without thinking I took her petite hand in mine, intertwining our fingers. Her soft fingertips barely reached past my knuckles. I began to lazily rub the back of her hand with my thumb. I couldn't help but chuckle lightly at the enormous difference in size between her hand and mine. And despite that difference, her hand still manages to fit perfectly in mine.

Natalie

Even with his hand being at least twice the size of mine, our hands fell together in the most perfect way. The warmth of his touch was intoxicating. I wanted to feel it every second of every day. I looked up into Niall's eyes, meeting his gaze. My heart started to pound in my chest when he smiled at me. The thoughts in my head began to race so fast I could hardly keep up with all of them, but I didn't mind. Until one managed to stick out from the rest that is.

Tell him. Trust him.

I hear his sweet Irish accent as he tries to get my attention. His brows are pulled down slightly, lips formed in a frown. Again his eyes are searching mine, looking for the hidden answers that I kept to myself. I wondered why he cared so much about someone he had just met, but before I ask him that I know I will have to ask myself first. I took a deep breath, trying to decide on what words to say.

"Niall, can I trust you?" I asked hesitantly.

"Of course Natalie, with anything," he answered.

"I met Andrew two years ago at some party. I had just started my senior year in high school; he was 22 at the time, four years older."

I told him everything. I didn't mean to but once I opened up, it all came pouring out. The brick wall that I had built crumbled to the ground from the wave of freedom I now felt. Niall sat there listening to every word. He would clench and unclench his jaw repeatedly, trying to keep his cool. I pretended not to notice as best as I could. But the more I told him, the more upset he became and the more I began to regret telling him any of this.

"I'm sorry," I said stopping myself in the middle of a sentence. "I shouldn't be telling you all of this. You probably don't even want to know any of this."

He shocked me by pulling me into his lap, and wrapping his arms around me protectively. I felt his nose rub against my neck, indicating that he was hiding his face there. Something wet could be felt on my skin. I shifted away from Niall so I could see him better. His eyes were slightly pink, and brimmed with a few tears. I quickly wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him close.