Disastrous

Sixty Three

Splashing my face under the cold water in the sink, I sighed in frustration and embraced my reflection in the mirror. Studying every tired feature of my face, the lines and creases forming where they previously weren't should not be there for being 22 years old. Today was my birthday, and what a wonderful gift to wake up to.

Austen was already wide awake and rushing all over the house, prepared to take me in to the hospital at any second to get checked out from he crash. I tried to tell him the only injury I sustained was the small laceration on my throat from the seatbelt, that I was fine; but he was having none of it. I knew the baby was okay because for once I felt okay, and I didn't want to jinx that by going to the doctors and whining about everything.

Niall, on the other hand, really did need to go to the hospital. And of course, he refused.

Departing from the bathroom, I smoothed my hands over my jean clad thighs and swept long dark hair over my shoulder, my fingers trailing behind my neck to braid it. Rory was playing in the living room, but when I poked my head in Niall was no longer on the couch.

Rory was still too small in my opinion to be playing without being watched. He was a baby, not even a year old yet, he could fall or choke or worse, and Niall was supposed to be watching him.

With an annoyed grunt from my lips, I marched over to Rory and hoisted him into my arms. He looked confused but didn't fuss as I all but stomped throughout the house, checking every room for his father, coming up short.

Finally, I marched out of the front door and halted dead in my steps to see him seated on the cement of the porch. His phone was pressed to his ear as he blabbered on aimlessly, and a cigarette was between his fingers.

Anger burst inside of me so quickly I had to swallow down a scream. I saw red as I looked at him, my braid blowing in the cold breeze that was a remnant of last night's storm.

Setting Rory down on his feet by the door, I pointed sternly at him to tell him to stay put, and all but ran at Niall.

He looked up quickly in shock as I yanked the half smoked cigarette from his fingers and threw it harshly to the ground. Pounding down the steps after it, I stomped on it with more force than necessary, and jogged back up the hard steps with a force that caused my feet to create echoing noises.

Getting right in his grille, I seethed like a psychopath staring down their next victim.

"If you ever put a fucking cigarette break before our son again, so help me god-" I gritted quietly through clenched teeth, silenced when he held his hand up to my face.

"I'll call you right back." He had the audacity to say to the person on the phone, and I wanted to smack it out of his hand too.

He ended the call and glared up at me with a harshness I didn't recognize coming from him. So much had changed since last night. Our moods towards each other were polar opposite now.

"How rude can you be?" He spat, standing to his height quickly and towering over me. "I'm talking on the phone, for fuck sakes, and you
just-"

"Get over it." I growled, keeping my feet planted firmly where they were. He wasn't going to intimidate me.

"You left Rory alone to smoke and have a little chit chat, you're lucky all I did was interrupt you." I stormed past him and walked back to the door, where Rory was still standing looking utterly lost and confused. I regretted bringing him out here to witness us fighting.

I picked him up into my arms and cradled his small body against my chest. He cuddled into me like a cat desperate for attention, thin arms wrapping around my neck. When I turned to face Niall again, his face and neck were red in anger, but I knew he was keeping his temper at bay because of the presence of our son. He wanted to cuss me out, which didn't bother me in the slightest, but apparently the half of his brain that worked had kicked in and he had the better sense not to do it in front of our child.