In Between || Sequel to Lucky Me

Chapter Twenty

extremely short. will be longer next time.

Twenty

"Niall," I glared at him from across the kitchen table.

"Addie," He said innocently, avoiding my eyes.

"I'm not playing around now."

"You never play."

"Take your medicine."

"I'll take mine when you take yours, dear."

"I-I'm not sick."

As if on cue I broke out into a fit of coughs.

"I'm not sick my butt." Niall cackled.

"N-Niall, just please take it. I want you to get better. Please." I begged after blowing my nose.

Niall sighed and stared mournfully at the several pills in front of him. I handed him a bottle of water and kept an eye on him as he swallowed each one. I kissed his temple before searching the cupboards for some medicine for my head.

Niall and I were getting older. We were constantly reminded by the kids and their achievements. The twins were out of college and Liam had gotten a job and met a sweet girl already. It put things in perspective. I'd noticed my blond hairs slowly fading and changing to an aging silver. Wrinkles decorated my once smooth skin.

But I was okay with that.

Niall was too.

We fell in love with each other a little more each day.

"Hey, don't call Tori today." Niall whispered as I stared at the calendar.

"How come?" I questioned, flipping to the next month.

"It's that anniversary thing she has. I don't know. It was the day she had gotten into a car accident."

My stomach turned.

"Oh."

"She doesn't like to talk about it."

"Then how come you know about it?"

"She just brought it up briefly once." Niall mumbled. "Darling, you look pale. What's wrong?"

"It's just that today's my parents death anniversary," I whispered. "They died in a car accident. There was a reckless driver, you know."

Niall looked at me questioningly. "You don't think - "

"Tori was always a reckless driver. A-Aunt May never did tell me who hit them. S-She was wary around Tori when they f-first met you know."

"Sweetheart, I - "

I dropped my hands to my side and took a deep breath. "I-I'm too tired to be angry. I-Is that wrong? Should I be mad?" I looked at Niall for answers but I knew he couldn't give them to me. Only Tori could. I didn't have the strength to pick up the phone.

He simply stood up and walked over to hug me. He wrapped his arms around me and I sobbed into his shoulder until I felt strong enough to go on.

"You can be anything you want to be, baby," he whispered in my ear. "Tori or not, it still happened. It's made you a lot stronger, inside and out. More beautiful in my eyes. You know how to carry yourself and I admire that about you."

I sniffed and coughed and cried again. I clung onto Niall feeling myself slipping away. He was the rock in the midst of the storm. He was all I could hold onto as my world crumbled beneath me.

He kissed my head and wiped my tears away once I looked up at him.

"Do you want me to ask her?" Niall asked so softly I barely heard him.

"No. I-It's best she didn't know."

"You're brave."

I laughed a little to myself and pointed to my red eyes and streaming tears. "Yes, I'm so courageous."

Niall cracked a small smile. "You know what I mean." He pulled me back into a big hug, and I'd never felt so safe.





{ imagine I italicized this last bit }


"I always liked Niall." My mother said from the clouds. "When he came by the cemetery, I knew he was the one."

"You don't feel much when you're dead, but I felt a feeling of assurance when he came by, Adelaide." My father smiled with a glint in his eye. "He had big shoes to fill and he fit them perfectly."

"Yeah. H-He did." I smiled, looking over at Niall with nothing but love in my eyes.

My father kissed my cheek as my mom squeezed my hand. Even from the heavens they handed me off. Right into the arms of the most perfect human being.