Shattered [Niall Horan]

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

// Niall

The water tugging at my eyes faded away, fists clenching on either sides of me, as I watched a pair of resentful green eyes look into mine for a brief second until they whizzed over to Cath's. The brown haired boy's arms were soon draped around her, as she flung herself onto him. The crutches seemed to be of no importance anymore, as words slid past her lips in a shaky voice, head digging itself into his chest. "Matt, you came,"

"How could I not?" He smiled, unwinding his arms from around her so she could face him, but found himself getting welcomed by a punch on the chest.

"Ow! What was that for?" The pretense of hurt on his face stimulated an eye roll from me, as my feet dragged me towards the duo standing at the door to my room.

"I've been here for over a week now, you never felt the need to call, let alone come and check on me! Talk about being close friends," She complained, air quoting the last two words, as the guy's eyes travelled over to mine once more.

"Well, some people never felt the need to gimme a buzz and lemme know you were okay," He stated, having shot me a grudging glare, which I returned back, of course.

"If I hadn't gone to the hospital to check on you today, I wouldn't even have known you were back," He looked back at her, displaying a peeved expression, but replacing it with a smile soon.

"Ni, why didn't you-"

"Not everyone is always going through the best of times, that some unimportant shit can't be let slip out of their minds," I spat, interrupting Cath and looking straight into that scumbag's eyes.

"Maybe if some people stop being so full of their fucked up selves, they'll find time to enhance their shitty brains,"

"Well, how about-" I was stopped by a clasp on my wrist. An utterly pleading look, silently begging me to end the indirect argument, resided on Cath's face as I looked down at her.

"Please," She inaudibly mouthed, urging me to discontinue the squabble that I wouldn't have minded turning into something worse.

I slightly nodded to her relief, as she attempted on changing the subject. "I think we should go get some sun; it's a perfect day to sport my shorts," She chimed cheerfully, attempting to ease the situation.

"You spoke my mind sweetheart, how about cineplex?" He enthusiastically suggested, grinning wide at her.

"What do you think Ni?" Cath's grin mimicked Matthew's, as she faced me excitedly.

"Remember what happened yesterday?" I reminded, causing her gleeful beam to dwindle. "I'm sorry Cath, I can't get you out into public anytime soon now," I stated, the fear of the paparazzi attacking her once again, and to add more distress to that, the thought of her finding out about me and Brynn from them, alarming me thoroughly.

"We could watch a movie at home though. I'll order some pizza hut?" I proposed, regaining that smile on her face, as she nodded approvingly.

Not that I was willing to spend about two hours in the same room as that twat, Cath called as her buddy and whatnot, but I wasn't going to upset her with my moody attitude and all. My old emotions for her may have ceased existing, which I was utterly ashamed for, but I still did care for her just as much. It's true I hadn't felt those sparks when her lips collided with mine earlier today, but I still was extremely afraid of hurting her. I couldn't bear to see her upset, especially not because of me.

The three of us shifted into the living room, as Cath and Matthew made small talk about some kid from the school they had attended together. Closing in the curtains, and placing in a DVD to some action movie, she and her friend seemed exceedingly eager to watch, Cath settled down onto the couch, with me and Matthew on either sides of her.  My mind remained lodged into my own world of boundless thoughts, as Cath fast forwarded the beginning credits, before pressing on the play button. The familiar voice of Morgan Freeman flowed in through the speakers, uttering some narration I couldn't be less bothered with at the moment.