Monstrous Love

Chapter Thirty-one

Ending one

I wake up the following morning to an empty bed and an empty apartment.

He's gone.

"Niall?!" I call out, struggling to keep the fear out of my voice. "Niall, where are you?"

"Shh... its ok." He assures me, entering the bedroom. "I'm right here."

He takes a seat on the bed, tucking my hair back behind my ear.

"I... I thought you had gone."

"I would never leave you... not without saying goodbye."

Our eyes meet as we both process what this means, realising these will probably be our final moments together.

"I don't want you to go." I whimper, my eyes brimming with unshed tears.

"I'll never leave you completely." He soothes me, kissing the back of my hand. "I'll always be with you."

"The world is going to think of you as a monster." I cry, clasping both his hands in mine. "I'm the only one who will know the truth."

"You're the only one I care about, Evie. The rest of the world can hate me for all I care."

"I'll... I'll never see you again, will I?"

"I don't want you to visit me." He concludes, exhaling slowly. "I want you to draw a line under all of this as soon as I'm sentenced and move on with your life."

"I'm not capable of doing that."

"You will be." He says, resting his forehead against mine. "You might be one day."

"Do you want me to come with you to the police station?" I offer, desperate for a few more minutes with him.

"No." He responds, shaking his head. "I don't want you to have anything to do with this. No one can find out that you knew."

"Ellen will realise."

"Deny it. Tell her you didn't know anything and she'll believe you." He convinces me.

"I can't believe it ends here." I murmur, allowing him to wipe away my tears.

"It has to."

"C-can I write to you?" I ask him, slightly hopeful.

"I'll live for those letters." He smiles, trying to mask his sadness.

"I could visit?"

"No." He snaps vehemently, shaking his head. "Absolutely not."

"Niall..."

"I don't want you entering a place like that. I won't agree to it."

"I can send you a visiting order."

"I'll deny it."

"Please." I implore him, close to pleading with him.

"I want to picture you at home, curled up on your sofa with a book and a cup of coffee." He says, stroking my face. "Let me have that instead."

"A-are you sure?"

"Yes."

"I don't think I have the courage to walk out of here."

"You do." He insists, resolute and determined. "You're the strongest, bravest, most spectacular person I know."

"I don't feel brave."

"But you can be." He encourages me. "Go home and don't switch on the TV. Call your best friend and be with her. Hide from all of this until it's over."