Convalescence

XXXIV.

At long last, the day had come.

The first morning of the PGA Championship had finally arrived.

All the hard work and exhausting hours Niall had put into his training over the summer were finally going to be put to the ultimate test.

The moment to prove himself was now – there was no turning back.

It was obvious he was more nervous than he was letting on. As soon as Lili woke up in the morning, the anxious energy in the room was tangible. It crept along her skin like an unfriendly ghost, attempting to suffocate them as soon as it had been given the chance.

She wasn't sure if Niall had even gotten any sleep since he'd spent most of the night tossing and turning beside her. Like he just couldn't get comfortable on the mattress.

He attempted to get some restless sleep for a few hours before getting up and walking over to the balcony. Without making a sound, he opened the door and slipped outside to get some air.

Lili must have fallen asleep at that point, as much as she'd wanted to stay up with him. It was 6:03am when he'd gotten up, and now, it was just after 8:15.

Lili sat up on the edge of the bed and stretched her back. She'd spent most of the night curled into a ball on her side of the mattress, scared that it would make Niall spiral even further if he'd felt her hands on him while he was thrashing about.

Maybe a gentle touch would have comforted him, but Lili couldn't have possibly taken that chance.

Shivering, she crossed her arms over her chest as she stood up, tiptoeing barefoot over to the balcony and opening the door.

Niall was sitting on the patio chair with his back turned slightly to her, looking out at the ocean while he chewed on his cuticles. He was wearing just a pair of basketball shorts and slides, beautifully muscular back on full display.

"Good morning," she said carefully, moving over to the chair on the other side of the table. She took a seat and looked at him, swallowing her own nerves.

The chair was cold against her thighs, making more goosebumps appear up and down her arms.

It was clear he hadn't slept - his eyes were red and puffy, and the dark circles she'd only seen a handful of times were present once again.

"Did you sleep at all, love?" she asked anyway, trying to keep her voice calm and even. Seeing him in this state upset her deeply.

A gentle, warm breeze was blowing through the trees.

Niall turned to look at her and smiled softly, though it didn't reach his eyes. "A little bit," he responded quietly. He avoided making eye contact, which meant he was lying. "I'm sorry if I kept you up."

Lili clicked her tongue impatiently; how could he possibly be thinking about her right now?

"Don't worry about me, baby." She scratched her arm absentmindedly as she thought of what to say to him. It felt like nothing was going to be good enough right now to put him in a good mindset.

"Niall, it's all going to be okay."

That was too simple – not effective at all. She stood, picking up her chair and dragging it around the small coffee table until she was directly in front of him. It shocked her how beautiful he looked, even when he hadn't slept.

His eyes lit up a bit as he watched her, giving her a sweet, warm smile. Her heart leapt to her throat.

Lili placed her palms on his knees, giving him gentle, comforting squeezes.