My Secret Angel

Chapter 2

     After half an hour of goofing off in the kitchen and deciding what we wanted to eat, Niall and I finally decided on omelets, bacon, and hash browns. When I first protested and said that was way too much food, he said I can eat as much as I want and he'll just make sure there are no leftovers. Of course I laughed at this, knowing he was being completely serious. So while I was chopping up the vegetables and the potatoes, Niall was cooking the bacon. It was quite peaceful until Niall broke the silence.

     "So, um, Arianna?"

     "Yeah Ni?"

     There was a bit of a pause. I knew he was thinking about what he was going to say. As the seconds passed, I started to grow increasingly anxious.

     "What happened last night? You don't have to tell me, but I know it usually helps you when you talk about it."

     I knew this question would come up eventually. I was just shocked it happened so soon. I knew Niall was right, but it just seem so fresh. I started to tear up, but quickly blinked the tears away. I know I'm stronger than this. I can't let my dad control my life anymore. So, taking a deep breath, I told Niall the story.

     "M-my dad came home drunk again. As soon as he walked through the door, he started hitting me. He gave me a really strong punch to the jaw and I fell to the floor from the pure force behind it. When I didn't get up when he told me to, h-he picked me up by the hair and slapped me across the face. He got a couple kicks to my r-ribs in too. When he went to go get a beer from the kitchen, I bolted out the door and came here. You obviously know what happened after that..."

     I couldn't help it. By the end of my shortened version of what happened last night, I was sobbing. A scream tore through my throat, and by that time Niall already had his hands wrapped around me. I sucked in a harsh breath and winced as he put pressure on my ribs, but he quickly noticed and slid his hands down to my hips. For the next couple minutes, I stood in his arms crying while he rubbed soothing circles on my lower back with the palm of his hand.

     "Ari," Niall's voice came out as a hoarse whisper. That was the only clue I needed to know he was crying. I felt horrible. I hated putting him through this. It broke my heart seeing him cry.

     "I should go Ni. My dad's probably noticed I'm gone by now."

     As I tried to free myself from his embrace, his grip only grew tighter. I wasn't sure if it was because he was crying, or some other reason unknown to me.

     "I'm not letting you go back to that bastard. He doesn't deserve you. It kills me to think that I can't protect you when you're with him. Now that you're finally safe, I'm not letting you go back to that living hell. Just stay here, with me. You know I live alone, and there's tons of room. We can even go get your stuff and bring it here if you want, but there's no way you are going alone. Just please, let me protect you."

     I was shocked. I knew Niall cared about me like a sister, but I didn't know he cared this much. His offer kind of shocked me, to be quite honest. I never thought of life without my dad. I've never really known what it meant to be happy. The only memories of a childhood I ever really had were of my dad beating me; the time my mom was with us seemed to be a dream that I used to know, but was now long forgotten. I thought over Niall's words. Did he really mean it? He was never one to just say stuff for the hell of it, but it was a huge decision. Would I be able to handle it?

     "Are you serious, Niall? You'd really take me in?"

     "Of course, Ari. You know I love you like you're my sister. Just please, let me take care of you."

     I sighed. It seemed like a no-brainer. I just wasn't sure. The only thought that was in my mind was what my dad's reaction would be. I don't think he knows about Niall, but he has made it very clear that I am his little "pet" to do whatever he pleases with, I can just picture his furious face if he ever found out. There was no way I would survive the beating he would give me. My body has already become weak from the starvation, burns, hits, and broken bones I've experienced in the past. He wasn't even that mad at the time he did it all, he just needed a way to release his anger about mom leaving and I very quickly became his favourite target. Of course I wanted to live with Niall and finally feel safe and have a real home. I just wasn't sure I was ready to deal with the consequences. Taking a deep breath, I responded to Niall's proposition.

     "Sure Niall, I would love to live with you."

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Okay so I know it's a shorter chapter and my updating schedule has been messed up because of the holidays, but I promise next week it will be back on track! I really hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. Let me know what you think!

Happy New Year!!!

~Lauren