In Other Words (Niall Fanfic)

Chapter Forty-Six

Chapter Forty-Six 

Roxy’s POV

In four hundred meters, turn left. The voice of the GPS woman echoed through my car speakers as I struggled to follow her prompts and pay attention to the never-ending phone call with my mother. Niall had accidentally let it slip that he had booked a ticket for me to take a trip home after the Christmas holiday, and my mother was meticulously planning every moment. I knew once I got there, the plan would be out the window, but I just let her do her thing.

What she didn’t know yet is that Niall would be joining the Collins clan for a few days before we both hit the road together as he and the boys finished up the tour state-side.  I couldn’t wait. I wanted to tell her so badly, but I knew she’d just be a frazzled mess.  Anyhow, that was six weeks away. There was so much excitement just ahead, that six weeks seemed like forever.

In three weeks, the boys would be back in London. In one hundred meters, turn right.Mom was listing off all of the relatives that expected me to visit and have a meal. I was bloated just thinking about it. “Shit.” I muttered, nearly missing the last turn. I glanced at the screen of the GPS, verifying that I wasn’t too far off from my destination. Five minutes. “Mom, I’ve gotta let you go before I get lost.” I said.

“Okay, Annie. We’ll talk soon. Bye.” She said.

“Bye, Mom.” I said, quickly tossing my phone into the cup holder and focusing on the road. Harry had called me up two days ago, looking for a favor. His agent had sent him a bunch of property listings, and some were great opportunities, and he didn’t want to pass up at least having a look. So, I was going to serve as Harry proxy. I wasn’t exactly sure what he was looking for, or how I could help him make a decision, but it felt good that he trusted me with what I think is a huge deal. I know the kid already has two houses, but it’s still an awful lot of money to be throwing around.

You have reached your destination. I pulled into the circle drive and climbed out of the car. The tiniest layer of snow was sticking to the pavement this morning, but I knew that by noon it would all be melted away. Harry’s agent opened the front door of the home and stepped on to the porch to greet me. “I’m Suzanne.” She said.

“Roxy. Good to meet you.” I replied as she handed me a paper listing, which included all of the specs on the house including the year it was built, number of bedrooms, lot size, etc. What was noticeably absent was the price, having been blacked out with a heavy marker stroke. I held the page up to the light, hoping to get a glimpse at the numbers beneath the ink. Suzanne chuckled.

“He knows I’ll flip if I see how much these houses are.” I explained. She nodded, obviously having been informed of my cheapskate tendencies. 

The first two properties were very nice. They were modern, and stylish. I could really see Harry liking either of them. Thankfully, on the drive to the third house, I was able to get through to Harry by phone. “See anything good?” he asked simply, as if I was standing at the deli counter trying to choose between salads.

I sighed audibly. “Sure, I guess.” I said. I tried to explain the first two homes in as much detail as I could, but it was difficult to have an opinion on whether or not he should consider purchasing. I wasn’t really sure what he was looking for.

“Rox, both of those places sound great, but I’ve already got a bachelor pad.” He said as I pulled into the long driveway of the final home. “I’m looking for a place that…you know…a woman would like.” He said slowly.

“Oh, really?” I chimed.

“So, just pretend you’re my wife or something.”

“I bet you’d like that!” I laughed.

“You know what I mean.” He replied. “Just try to look for a place that you think would be really great to live in, while taking into account some features that I might like as well.”

“Which would be?” I asked.

“Game room, garage, closets…” he listed off.

“Alright, I’ve got it, I’ve got it.” I said, my feet crunching the gravel as I walked to meet Suzanne once more. “I’ll call you back.”

This home was much different than the last two. The wrought iron security gate was a feature I knew Harry would be pleased to hear about, and the brick exterior of the home itself was very much traditional England. I took the paper listing from Suzanne and noted the highlights: Five bedrooms, four bathrooms, ample yard, original hardwood floors, and a recently remodeled kitchen.

 As I stepped through the wood door, I wished for a moment that I could be Harry’s wife. This house was spectacular.  It wasn’t incredibly enormous, although obviously a bit bigger than my apartment. It wasn’t ornate, or pretentious. It was simply charming. It was cozy, modern, and it had everything I could ever need in a home.

I imagined what a joy it would be to fill each and every one of the cabinets in the large kitchen with various serving dishes and small appliances. I thought about kicking back in front of the fireplace on a cold evening with a bottle of wine. I envisioned singing in the glass-enclosed shower, the acoustics of the subway-style tile making my voice sound a little more Adele and a little less dying cat.

But it wasn’t going to be my house, so, I tried to picture Harry in all of those situations instead. And, it still worked. There was plenty of space in the garage for him to park a couple of his cars, and there was enough space for him to put up another structure to house a few more if need be. The entire basement-level was perfect for all things recreation. The master bedroom had two closets, which would be perfect for his collection of hats and shoes.

I pulled my phone from my jacket as I started up my car and programmed the GPS to take me home. There was a text from Harry waiting. Show’s starting. Talk after?

I typed out my reply.  YES CALL ME. You have to buy this house.  

Niall’s POV

We took our final bow at center-stage, and I struggled to keep my eyes open in the flashing lights. The boys ran ahead of me exiting between the black curtains at the side of the stage. I was usually the last one off, opting to give the crowd a final wave and a silent thank-you before taking leave. My eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness of the backstage area, random hands patting my on the back as I walked through, people congratulating me on a good show.

I fished a bottle of water out of the cooler and drank it all down before sitting down on the couch, the cool leather feeling good against my bare arms. The crowd was on fire tonight. When we first started doing shows, each audience felt incredibly different, but after we ‘blew up’ as they say, they all became similar; one crazy, loud mob, city after city, night after night.  I tried to differentiate the shows in my mind as best as I could, but at this point, they were all running together.

I was buzzin tonight. But I knew that once the adrenaline wore off, I’d be hitting the pillow hard. I was crossing off the days until I’d be in my own bed. I pulled out my phone and thumbed through my photo gallery, trying to quench my homesickness with the images.

“Hear from Roxy?” I asked Harry, who sat down his drink and reached into the pocket of his coat which hung on the back of the chair, looking for his phone. The screen lit up and he poked at it for a moment before a smile appeared on his face.

“She loved that third one.” He said.

I wanted him to call her right then and put her on speakerphone so I could hear her voice. But, the current dressing room atmosphere wouldn’t do. Liam and Zayn were having a press-up contest as judged by Louis, and there was a reporter waiting outside to give a quick interview. 

“I’ll call her in a bit to get the details.” Harry said, tucking his phone away.