Shattered [Niall Horan]

Chapter 32

Chapter 32

 

// Brianna

Awful as it was, cowardice never failed to top my list of traits. I was basically a downright wimp – always ready to run away and hide. Either life never left me another option, or I was just too blind to see the alternative route I very well could've used – but whatever it was, it never stopped me from being my coward self, nor did I myself ever try to change it.

Without sparing a thought to the consequences or whether this'd be at all effective, I did that one thing I had taught myself very well to do. I ran. I didn't know what to expect when I decided to make the move, nor do I know now. I didn't know how this was going to affect him, or if it would affect him at all. Wimp that I was, I just went for it.

"Yeah, it did; it did affect him, a lot," The brunette seated across the couch, chimed unmindfully, fingers busy in painting her toe nails a shade of teal green.

"Rose, just..." A huff took over my words, as I sunk further back into my position, fiddling with my finger nails as if it was the most important of tasks to perform at the time.

"Rose just what?" She retorted, eyes snapping up to meet mine. "Even after he tells you all of that, that he loves you and then, everything that happened... you just run away like that?" She glared for a second before averting her attention back to the nail paint. "Look Brynn, it's obvious he loves you and you do too, and this was clearly a freakin' ridiculous idea." She scorned.

"You're 13, you don't get it." I sighed.

"But it's sadder when you're 20 and you don't get it." She spat, before hopping up to her feet and pulling the hairband off her locks, freeing her hair off the pony tail it had been previously pulled into. "Can you come drop me off, I'm going to Melanie's house," She requested.

"It's just a couple of minutes away," I shrugged.

"No, she moved; it's like a, um, a 30 minute walk away... I don't think mum would be impressed at the idea of me walking myself there." She reasoned.

Nodding, I stood up and followed her to the front door, not bothering to replace my creased clothing, or even running a comb through my tangled strands. A warm, delightful aroma wafted its way through our small home, indicating mum baking my favourite apple cinnamon muffins for breakfast. Shouting our quick goodbyes to her, Rosie and I each grabbed a cardigan off the coat-rack adjacent to the door. Draping the fabric over my body, I flopped my feet into a pair of flip-flops, making my way outside with her.

As we walked along the pavement, with the usual cloudy skies of Liverpool above us and the light and pleasant morning breeze floating past our faces, I felt a tiny amount of bliss settle inside my mind, remembering all those past years spent here in this wonderful place that was home to me. The serenity and the warmth this place offered me, was definitely something to relish, and for once it started feeling as though deciding to come back home hadn't been too bad a decision after all.

Clutching the cardigan tighter through my crossed arms, I watched my feet trudge forward over the grey path, that petite quantity of ecstasy disappearing instantly as I heard Rosie break the long silence with a question, I'd rather not have been asked.

"Remember that one time you took me to London for my birthday?"

Eyebrows drew together, almost tying themselves into a knot, as I nodded my head mechanically, lower lip pursing itself inwards.

"That one's always gonna top all my other birthday celebrations," She added, her words speaking for the presence of a smile along with them, but I decided on keeping my gaze locked onto the road anyway.