Maybe

13: Last Dates and Passionate Goodbyes

[[ A/N: This was a really weird one for me to write, but I HAD to because I made a plan for this fanfic and I intend to stick to it. I'm sorry for the late update, but I had a project due yesterday that I only remembered about on Thursday night so I was frantically doing that one. Thanks for your consideration, don't forget to comment and vote my dears ;) ]]

Tori POV

I tug at my blue-and-black lace dress, twirling the skirt around my finger as I waited for Niall on my couch. Mum was putting the finishing touches in my hair, a blue bow that went around the hair tie which held half my brown curls up in a loose half-up, half-down hairstyle. My necklace, a gold pendant, hung heavily around my neck. I detested it, but Mum had insisted. 

"Lighten up a little," Dad says for about the millionth time. "I'm sure Niall would like her to be more.. simple."

"Hush," Mum replies. I scratch at my face, near my ear, and feel something lodge in my nail. Looking at it, I find that a layer of foundation had come off.

"Mum, my face looks like a cake," I whine, running into the bathroom as soon as I feel her fingers move away from my hair. "Look at it."

"I think you're beautiful," she says, coming up behind me. "Oh, don't make a fuss; I just put more makeup on that part of your face because you always scratch it when you're nervous."

"I want him to remember me as natural-looking, not covered in makeup," I say, gently wiping some of the foundation off of my face. "There. Better."

"If you would just -"

"Enough, Penelope," Dad says. "She looks perfect."

Mum walks away to get the camera, muttering something about men. "Thanks, Dad," I say sweetly, giving him a hug.

"Hotel, right? I'm not expecting you to come home tonight."

I feel the hot flush in my cheeks, though I'm certain it doesn't show through the layer of makeup. "Dad!" I give him a light punch on the shoulder as he grins.

"Seriously, Vicky, I'm not," he says, smiling. He was the only one who could get away with that nickname, because I loathed it. "You are eighteen years old and perfectly capable of making your own decisions."

"Thanks for the support, Dad, but Niall's not like that," I say, giving him a kiss on the cheek. 

"Well, I'm just letting you know that I don't mind if you don't come home," he teases with a wink. I plop back onto the couch and turn the TV on for some sanity.

"Rumours about Niall Horan dating a mystery girl have circled all summer and sources have revealed that they will be dining together tonight as a final goodbye. A hotel has been pinpointed as the location of the dinner, but it is uncertain which one -" I switch the TV off, sighing. These stories had been going on for weeks, and as they never had pictures, I was curious as to who this source could be. Thankfully Niall never watched the news while he was at home, or he might not have taken me out on any dates past the first one.

"On TV now are you?" Mum asks. "My baby's famous!"

"Not quite, Mum, they don't even have a photo of me," I laugh. Then someone knocks on the door and all of our heads turn to the door. I jump up before Mum has a chance. "Don't mention the TV."

"But -"

"No buts," I say firmly before opening the door. Niall stands there with two bouquets of flowers, beaming at me in between them. "Hi."

"Hi, beautiful," he says, giving me a kiss on the cheek and a bouquet. I let him in and he immediately finds mum and gives her the other bouquet. "Penelope."