first impression (a Niall Horan fanfic)

chapter 48

-Hayley's POV-

I drove home from work as the rain poured down around me. Niall and I just got back from Ireland a few days ago and today was my first day back to work in a while. After my dad passed away I actually had only worked a few half days. I wasn't exactly stable and being around people all the time didn't exactly make me feel any better.

I sprinted into the small farm house. I shed my jacket and hung it on the hook for it to dry. There was two windows open, allowing air to circulate through the house.

Logan was seated on the foot of the stairs strumming at his guitar. He had gotten really good at it from his lessons and, of course, Niall's help too.

Niall was slaving over the stove, cooking away. He turned to face me as I slipped my shoes off and walked over to him.

"You ok?" he said before pecking a kiss on my lips.

I took my hair out of its ponytail and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. "no." I slouched down into a seat at the table. "I'm really stressing out."

"Don't worry about it, everything is goung fine here." Niall assured as he continued to cook.

"Niall," I said slapping a pile of bills onto the table. "The bills are piling up, college is about to start, and I don't know how I feel about renting this place. And I sure as hell can't afford to pay for it."

Niall turned towards me and took a breath ready to speak.

"No! you're not paying for it!" I interrupted.

Niall wipped his hands on a dish towel and sat acroas from me. He reached his strong hand over the tabletop and grabbed mine. His thumb runbed overbmy knuckles. I could see his veins rise above under his pale skin. He was tanner than usual but still very white.

"Then what are we going to do?" Niall said softly. "and don't say it's not my problem because I'm making it my problem."

I sighed. I didn't know what to do. Well that's a lie, I knew I needed to sell this place but I just couldn't do it. This place had always been my sanctuary. Thia was where I went when everything else fell apart. I couldn't get rid of it.

After a long while of silence I sighed and rubbed my forehead in frustration. "I'll put it up for rent. Only during the school year. This place is mine during the summer."

Niall looked me in the eyes. "That's a start."

I walked into Logan's room to find him passed out. I carefully tucked him under the covers and kissed his forehead. I couldn't get rid of this house. I couldn't.

I traveled throughout the house turning off the lights and putting away left over dishes. I started to march my way up the stairs when I noticed a light peeping under my dad's old office. Niall. Like a mouse I creeped into the room silently. The light flooded around me as I shut the door behind me.

Niall often came in here late at night when he couldn't sleep. I think part of him felt guilty for my dad's passing. He stared at the wall decorated with childhood memories. There were pictures of Logan and I throughout the years.

"What are you doing, stranger?" I teased as I sat in Niall's lap. I felt the cool leather flood my skin through my thin tee shirt.

"Hi princess." Niall uttered sleepily as he kissed my cheek. I felt his arms around me and his hands held mine.

We stared at the baby pictures together for awhile, just taking a moment to remember the past.

"Hayley," I heard Niall say. "have you looked through that box yet?"

I stiffened. I knew exactly which box he was talking about: the one my dad had left me. I couldn't force myself to go through it, even now, months later.

"No." I said simply. "I don't want to just yet."

His blonde hair tickled at my neck as he set his chin on my shoulder. "I respect that." Niall said squeezing me tightly. I eyed the large cardboard box with my name written in Dad's messy handwriting.

"Let's go to bed." I said leading Niall away from all the memories.

-Niall's POV-

"No Logan," I said wiping the countertop clean. "Your sister has been working a lot lately. Plus school starts again here in a week."

A week? Seriously already? In a week Hayley would be in college and I'd be on the other side of the world. I'm just glad I was able to spend the whole summer with her, especially with all this shit going on. I just, I don't know if I will be able to be s o far away from her. I wont be able to kiss her every morning or squeeze her bum when she's cooking dinner which results in her slapping me. I wouldn't be able to love her. I mean love her, feel her, pleasure her.

"Niall!" Logan's shriek slices through my thoughts.

"what?" I take the phone that Logan has extended out to me.

"its Hayley." he explains before running back into his bedroom. How do parents handle children? I check the time on the wall clock. 8:36.

I press the phone to my ear. "Hey."

"Heyyy.." She drags out.

"Are you.. you ok babe?" my brow furrows.

"Nope!" she emphasizes the 'p'. She doesn't do that unless she's pissed or... oh shit.

"Hayley are you drunk?" I ask starting to pace around the room.

"Of course not!" she laughs. "I'm just walking to my mom's house to tell her exactly how I feel and I called you so you could go get my car."

"I'm gonna come get you, this is a bad idea. you shouldn't talk to your mom." I say as I dragged Logam into the car.

"She probably won't even talk to me. You know why? Because she's a fucking alcoholic so, oh wait, I'm drunk so maybe theres some secret language or some shit."

"Hayley, baby." I coo whipping out the drive way. "stop."

"no!" she shouts into the speaker. "I am almost there like I can see her house, or my house, or whatever this fucking house is."

"Hayley you're cussing a lot. I think you need to calm down."

"Do not tell me to fucking calm down!" she screams. I pull the phone away from my ear and grimace.

"Okay, well please just don't.."

"Stop telling me what to do!" she interrupted. "And don't bother showing up here either. Don't do it!"

The dial tone replaces her angry voice. I sigh placing my phone in the console.

"She sounds pissed." Logan says softly.

I nodded keeping my eyes on the road. Speeding down the road to find Hayley.