Truly, Madly, Deeply

Chapter 24

Right after Niall had his little mental breakdown, Logan and I rushed backstage to find out what exactly was going on. We may not be on the best terms at the moment, but Niall still holds a special place in my heart and has a significant role in my life.

Of course Adriana was consoling Niall when we arrived back stage; rubbing his back, kissing his forehead, and whispering encouraging words in his ear. In all honesty, they looked like they truly cared about each other. Good for him, she's probably much better for him than I ever will be.

"Niall, you've got to speak to us," Adriana coaxed into his ear, yet loud enough for us all to hear. "Does your head hurt? Are you feeling ill?"

It was almost on cue. Right after she said 'ill', Niall leaned forward and spit up most of his stomach's contents into a nearby garbage bin. I grimaced, looking away in disgust while the boy I thought I loved the most threw up everything he had inside of him into the bin.

"Oh my god," Lou groaned, pushing his damp hair away from his forehead. "Niall, you can't go back on stage like this. Go lay down in your dressing room."

"But I have a concert to -"

"Go!" Lou demanded.

Adriana looked up at Logan and I, shooting us a mean look. I decided it was best to ignore it and keep my mouth shut. If we started arguing again, I think I might be the one throwing up. Niall somehow managed to stand in his weakened state, distorting his face to hold back the contents threatening to spill out.

"Are you okay?" I asked him as he passed by me, gripping his arm to hold him in place. It was the first time I've shown any concern for him or even really spoke to him all week.

At this closer view, I could see that his face really was green and his eyes were dull and lacking the spark they once possessed. Niall didn't even look me in the eye as he brushed past me and stalked towards his dressing room. He really couldn't be that mad at me, could he?

I turned around in shock, watching his back disappear behind the curtains that led backstage. But as he went, I could make out his muffled words.

"I'm fine."

***

"What do mean you're not leaving, Ana?" Caroline asked, a load of panic in her voice. Her soft brown eyes were wide and staring at me intently. It had been two days since the concert where Niall started sobbing on stage and came down with a mysterious illness and I had successfully managed to avoid everyone.

I nodded at Caroline's four suitcases sitting at her feet. "Exactly that."

Lou appeared from behind me with Ariana, their facial expressions the same as Caroline's. They all looked nice and made up for it to be so early in the morning.

"Please tell me this is a joke," my twin pleaded with me, tugging on my hand urgently. "Ana you can't stay here. . . in Paris. . . Alone."

"Yes I can," I told them all, gently pulling my hand away from her grasp. Ariana was a very convincing begger, but not this time. "I'm a big girl, I can handle myself."

"Is this because of the way we treated you and Logan?" Lou asked, her eyes contorting into sadness. "Because we apologized like ten billion times and if you need me to say it more, I will. We are so sorry, Ana."

I sighed, running my nimble fingers through my hair. "It isn't that and you know it. I just need a break, alright? I need to figure out who I am and where I belong and until I find out, I think I need to stay right where I am."

The three distraught ladies in front of me stared at me with such a burning passion. It was a very tough decision to make, but I realized that I needed to focus on myself instead of crying over some boyband member. Yesterday the girls apologized to me and swore that they would never listen to Adriana's lies again. That only made it harder to go. But over all, leaving the tour was a good idea.