Safe

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I stare at the shirt. I stare at the picture. I stare at the number. I stare at the note. I don't get this guy. He doesn't know the first thing about me; he barely knows my name, and yet he's so persistent. Why? If only he knew me - knew what my life is like at this very moment - I don't think he would be so set on spending time with me. And actually, the fact that he thought I would enjoy him giving me this shirt is a little insulting. I already told him that I didn't want him to buy me clothes - and now he's giving me this shirt, plus a signed picture? Jesus, who knows how much this costs? What in the actual hell does he even do for a living to afford such nice things? A Range Rover? A signed picture from the Ramones? He's can't be more than 22, so where the hell does he get all this from? 

In a fit of confusion and annoyance, I grab my phone and punch the number he left on the note. "Niall Horan," his voice is so crisp over the phone line. I greet him with a sour tone. 

"What the hell, Niall?" He pauses for a minute. 

"...Kat?" I hear him rustling around in the background. 

"What was that stunt you just pulled, leaving things for me at my door?"

"But I just thought --"

"Thought what?" I interrupt. "Thought that it was nice? Yes, it was very nice, but it was too nice. I can't accept those things. That's an autographed picture of the Ramones, for God's sake! I can't even begin to comprehend who or what you had to do to get that. I can't accept it. The shirt, either. I already told you I didn't want you buying me new clothes, and giving me them is not a sly loophole that you can take to disregard my request. You have barely spent five seconds with me, so why are you so set on winning me over?" I'm surprised at my assertiveness in the conversation. I wait quietly for his response. 

It tkaes a minute, but he finally answers. "Look, the gifts.. they were just to show you what a good time I had to today, and maybe make you want to spend more time with me..." His voice gets quieter and I can tell he's a little embarrassed now. 

"So this was you trying to bribe me into liking you?" I ask, clearly annoyed still. 

"No, no," he quickly repsonds. "No, that came out wrong. I just wanted to give you something, to be sincere. Not to bribe you, I wouldn't do that. Just, please, keep them. They're my gift to you, okay?"

"Niall, those things probably cost a fortune! I cannot and will not take them." I hold my ground well. 

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. It was silly, I'm sorry. It was too much." I can tell his apology is sincere, and I lighten up on him a little bit. 

"Yeah, it was." That's all I can manage to say. Part of me feels bad for going off on him for such a nice gesture. "Thank you," I finally say, in a softer tone. "But I can't accept them. This is too much for me right now." 

"Okay." He responds. "But I am not trying to mess with you, Kat," he continues. "I genuinely want to know more about you. I know I didn't know your name twelve hours ago, but I do now. And I can't get it out of my head. So, I'm sorry, but I'm also not sorry, because you're different, and I like that."

Out of nowhere, my eyes start to water and I begin sobbing uncontrollably into the phone. the combinatino of Corey, my job and Niall right now has got my head spinning, and unfortunately, Niall is right in the eye of the storm. 

"Are you okay?" Niall finally asks after a minute or two of me sobbing.

"I.. you.. me.. my life.. mess..", I try to spit out.

"What?"

"My life is a mess!" I finally get out.

"What do you mean?"