Panic Attack - H.S. AU

Chapter Eleven

-Valerie-

As expected, Niall ignored my numerous phone calls and text messages, but Angie being the dedicated friend that she was refused to give up. We waited and waited for what felt like hours until Niall finally contacted me.

"Seventy-three phone calls and fifty text messages, Valerie you are quite determined to get my attention."

I had been pressing for this moment all day yet the only thing I could say was, "Hi."

"You mean to tell me that you did all that just to say hi?"

Angie shoved my side with her elbow, causing me to yelp in pain.

She narrowed her eyes at me and whispered, "Valerie, if you don't get to the freakin' point I will—"

"Okay!" I mouthed to her. I nervously cleared my throat before speaking to Niall again. "Niall, I need your help with Harry."

"My help?" By the tone of his voice, I had a feeling this would end badly. "You want my help?"

"Yes, I'm glad you understand English," I said sarcastically.

Angie elbowed me again causing me to unwillingly apologize.

"Valerie you hurt my best friend. What makes you think I'd help you?"

Niall had a point. If Austin dared to ask me to help him get Angie back, I'd hang up on him in a heartbeat, but Niall was a better person than I could ever be.

"Can we talk in person?" I tried not to sound desperate, but I was pretty sure I did anyway.

There was a long pause before Niall replied, "I'm way too comfortable to get up right now so I guess you can come over my house. I'll text you the address." And with that, he hung up the phone.

"So, what happened?" Angie eagerly asked me.

"We're going to meet up with him," I told her.

She raised a brow at me as she repeated, "We?"

"We," I confirmed with a big smile.

Angie groaned and I laughed at her. "This is what you get for being my best friend."

The two of us then took a cab to meet Niall. The ride was short considering he didn't live too far from me, but I definitely wouldn't have walked there.

After paying the driver, Angie and I stepped out and looked up at the apartment building before us.

"Cute," Angie commented.

To my surprise, as we walked in, Niall was standing in the lobby waiting for us.

"So I'm guessing Niall is the guy over there glaring at you," Angie whispered.

I nodded my head in response and sighed. "Well, here goes nothing."

Niall looked different from when I last saw him. He wasn't smiling and flushed from laughter. Instead he looked bored out of his mind and kept glancing at his watch to remind me that I was clearly wasting his time.

"Hey. Long time no see," I said with a fake smile.

He didn't even greet me and his lack of respect caught me off guard. The only reason I didn't call him out on it was because I knew I deserved it.

"Who's your friend?" He asked while eyeing Angie.

"This is my best friend, Angie and before you ask no, she's not here to attack you. She's just here for support."

Angie crossed her arms at her chest and said, "For now."

"That's not why I asked," Niall said quietly.

Angie rolled her eyes at him, clearly not understanding what he meant by that.

"Can we go to your apartment please? I can't talk about this here," I said as politely as I could.

Niall nodded his head and gestured for us to follow him into the elevator. After getting off on the seventh floor, he walked over to room 7B. He then unlocked the door and invited us in.

After taking a seat on his couch, I began to speak. "Niall, I really need your help to get Harry to talk to me. I know I messed up badly, but I didn't mean to lead him on. I just—I couldn't help myself."

"You're engaged," Niall reminded me. "Even if you wanted to fix things you can't. He has feelings for you, Valerie."

I couldn't work up the courage to defend myself because I knew I was wrong so I just sat there and pouted. I attempted to blink away my tears as I  took a deep breath before trying to speak again. Before I could utter a single word, Angie beat me to it.

"Are you seriously making my best friend cry right in front of me?!" She nearly shouted at him.

Niall simply stared at her for a few minutes before finally saying something, "I didn't mean to make her feel bad, but it's kind of my job as Harry's best friend to at least make her realize how much she hurt him."

"So you're telling me that you have never loved two people at the same time? That you've never ever  fallen for someone you know you shouldn't fall for? Have you ever thought of that?" She questioned him. "And don't tell me there hasn't been a single time that you wished you had a second chance with someone."

Niall was speechless yet again, but this time so was I.

I didn't know Angie had it in her. She was clearly capable of a lot more than I thought.

"He's on his way," Niall said quietly.

"What?" Angie and I said in unison.

"I texted Harry when I saw you walk in the building," Niall explained. He then looked down at his phone again and said, "He's here."

Niall then got up and walked over to the door. He and Harry made small talk and then Niall invited him inside.

I watched as Harry walked through the door dressed head to toe in black with his hair tucked into a beanie.

He froze when he saw me and as soon as I stood up, he walked right out.

"This should be fun," I muttered under my breath as I ran after him.

"Harry, wait," I said.

Surprisingly, he actually listened and came to stop so that I could catch up to him.

In the saddest voice I'd ever heard he softly asked, "What do you want from me?"

"I'm sorry okay." I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration. "Can you please just come back to Niall's apartment so we can talk?"

"Are you kidding me? You are engaged!" He raised his voice at me.

"I just want to talk to you." I moved closer and thankfully, he didn't move away. "Please Harry."

"Is that what you do to your fiancé? You pout and hug him until he forgives you?"

I was extremely offended. "Excuse me?"

"This must be so funny to you, acting like you actually give a crap about me."

"Harry what are you talking about?"

"I just hope you realize one day that jokes aren't funny if you're the only one laughing," He told me.

He then backed away and walked away.

"This isn't a joke to me Harry!" I shouted.

I could've stopped him, but there was no point. He made his opinion of me quite clear and I couldn't force him to think differently of me.