My Secret Admirer

Chapter 9

*-RACHEL'S P.O.V.-*

I pull my bottom lip between my teeth, but don't say anything. It was really surprising that he is actually holding my hand. What led him to do such a thing? I would have never thought he would do this to be honest. And besides, I thought he was angry at me for blaming him about the fire? Maybe he was just trying to comfort me.

We reach their house, but I keep Niall outside while Maura and Gabe walk in and close the door behind them.

"What?" he asks rudely, letting go of my hand.

"You know what." I state.

"No, I really don't."

I roll my eyes, "Why did you hold my hand like that?"

I mean, I wasn't really complaining. It was actually kind of soothing. But I was still curious as to why he did it, and I wasn't leaving him alone until I found out.

"I-I don't know." he stutters out. Wait, was he nervous? I've never seen him like this before. It was kind of odd.

"Sorry if it was weird.." he continues on, "I don't know why I even did that."

He bites the inside of his cheek harshly and turns on his heels, heading back inside. I don't even try to stop him, he already looked uncomfortable enough from the looks of it. The way he didn't make an effort for eye contact, the way he had a slight stutter when he talked, the way he was biting the inside of his cheek furiously. It was a different side of Niall I've never seen before.

I sit down on the porch swing and gently rock back and forth, thinking about everything that has happened today. Mom was going to kill me when she gets home and sees the kitchen. Everything in it was burned and ruined. And to make it even worse, we've only been here for a week and I already destroyed the kitchen in a fire. I just don't know what I'm going to do. I put my face in my hands and feel something wet. I never even noticed that I had been crying.

*-NIALL'S P.O.V.-*

"Where's Rachel?" Mom asks as she unloads the dishwasher, stacking the dishes up in the cabinet.

"I dunno. Somewhere outside." I remark, not really caring where she was.

"Why don't you go check on her?" She asks with concern.

"Mom, she's fine." I reply rudely.

She turns towards me with a harsh gaze, "Honey, you need to be considerate of others sometimes. Just go see where she's at."

"GOD, fine." I walk towards the door and pull it open quickly, making sure I slam it behind me. I only slammed it to prove a point to my mom. Don't ask me what that point was though, because I have no fucking clue.

I look over and immediately spot Rachel sitting on the porch swing. She's leaning over, her face buried in her hands. She must have heard me slam the door, but she doesn't bother to look up at me at all.

I stand across from her and lean against the railing, "You okay?"

She still doesn't lift her face up, but she slightly nods. Was she crying? Oh god, I don't do good with girls when they cry. I'm not good with all that emotion shit. I never was.

"Well why don't you come inside?" I ask.

I wait impatiently for her to answer, or give me some type of acknowledgement, but she doesn't. She still just sits there with her face in her hands while she starts to quiver a little. What am I supposed to do? Sit down next to her, rub her on the back, and tell her everything was going to be okay? Shit, I don't think I could ever do that. I have no clue how to even comfort people.