Treacherous

Chapter Twenty-Seven

*~*~* Niall's POV *~*~*

I turn around and smack her hand away, surprised that she was actually there. The person I've been texting was right.

She flinches and takes a few steps back, her eyes holding nothing but fear.

I scare her.

I push that thought to the back of my mind as I do what I need to do. To keep her safe, I will do anything.

"What?" I angrily ask, making her scoot her left foot back a little more. She looks like she's preparing herself to run if she needs to. She should know that I would never hit her. But then again, maybe she doesn't know.

"I-I j-just." She stops, and her stuttering seems endless.

"What?" I snap again, scaring myself with the tone of my voice.

"I just wanted you to listen to th-this song I was listening to," she stammers, blinking rapidly as she explains.

"Why wou-" I start to yell at her for being so stupid, asking me to listen to some song, but she hits play and lets the melodious introduction bounce around the room.

I already know what the song is, and it brings tears to my eyes. Tears that I forcefully keep in my eyes. I can't start crying already. There's still much work to be done.

Taylor Swift's voice joins the lyrical music and Amie mouths the words along with her. She holds the device erratically out in front of her, her hands shaking like there's no tomorrow.

I want to engulf her hand in mine and bring her into a hug, telling her that it'll be okay, that nothing will ever hurt her again.

But I'd be lying.

"Put your lips close to mine

As long as they don't touch

Out of focus, eye to eye

Till the gravity's too much

And I'll do anything you say

If you say it with your hands

And I'd be smart to walk away,

But you're quicksand"

I know that if I listen to anymore of the song I will burst into tears. My tough demeanor will break and my true emotions will shine through.

That can't happen.

So I rip the iPod out of her hand, throwing it across the room, and listening as it shatters against the floor. Out of the corner of my eye I watch as her hand retracts and she takes more tiny steps back, bringing a hand up to her mouth to cover a sob.

The image breaks my heart.

 She gulps visibly and takes a deep breath, uttering the words I know she's been dying to for the past 2 weeks. "What happened to you?"

I swallow the lump in my throat and blink back my tears. "You happened to me."

"What?" she breathes, not understanding me.

So, I elaborate.

"You happened to me. You cling to me too much. It's impossible for me to do anything on my own anymore! I'm already 19, and my teen years are almost over! I need to be able to live! For goodness sakes, I need to be able to breathe! You're always standing right there. Right next to me. And sometimes -most of the time- I don't want you there."

Almost every single one of those sentences are false, but I can't tell her that. All I can do is continue to lie.

Her hurt expression causes me to almost crack in the middle of my speech, but I prevail.