More Than This (A Niall Horan Fan Fiction)

Chapter 34

Niall's POV

It's my 2nd and last night here in Bora-short for Boracay. It's 8:51 p.m. and I'm currently sitting on a wooden stool in this open bar with a live band playing and making some noise.

This place is actually beautiful. Earlier this morning, I got to swim on the beach, tasted some delicious foods, and walked around the place. And I did not expect that I'm going to fall in and out of love all at once because of this place.

My company, Max, on the other hand, is chatting with someone on the other side of the bar. I'm good with this glass of tequila as my company for tonight.

The band just ended playing a song which I did not understand since it was sang to their language but it has a nice and poppy tune. The band starts another song with a drummer, hitting the cymbals in a gentle way. I switch my position, this time I'm facing the middle part of the bar where some people are dancing and just standing. The beat of the drums' giving a little hint that they're going to play a mellow song as some people begin to sway to the beat.

I watch them dancing, every single one of them until I get to see Tricia, the girl I met last night and the girl who happened to be Thalia's friend. She's at the table on the corner with a man I don't have any idea who. Immediately, my neck elongates as I try to search Thalia or Kevin in the middle of this crowded place. I didn't see the couple around Tricia so I stand up from my seat, just to trying to find them.

A guy in orange tank top and blue-black board shorts leads a looks-so-happy girl to the dance floor as the vocalist sings the first verse of the song. Kevin is that guy in orange tank top and blue-black board shorts while Thalia is that girl. I take a seat again and grab ahold of my tequila while I can't stop looking at the both of them.

Thalia wraps her arms around Kevin's waist as she buries her head on his chest while she faces to the side where I could see her entire face. She is smiling as they hug even tighter. Her fiancé is saying things to her that keeps her either smiling or laughing without breaking their hug apart. The closer they get, the more I feel shit. Thalia smiles again and she looks beautiful while I'm here, feeling terrible.

All of a sudden, a prom scene pops out in my mind even though I have not been to any.

I don't even know the feeling of it but I feel like asking Thalia's hand from her prom date for a slow and romantic dance. And if that happens, I will never take her back to him ... I will never let her go.

Kevin looses the hug apart, grabs Thalia's wrist and spins her once. This time, I'm facing Thalia's back while I'm seeing Kevin's face. With his random glance, he notices me. He says something to Thalia, making her turn around to my direction and I smile at her. They have another little conversation until they walk separately: Kevin walking back to their table and Thalia walking towards me.

"Hi." I smile at her.

"Hi." Thalia takes the empty seat beside me. "You're here again." She chuckles.

"We've met again." I utter.

With worried eyes, she asks me. "You okay?"

"I am." I smile at her reassuringly. I hope that works.

"You look sad." She states. Of course, my alibi did not work! Of course, they don't work for her!

"I'm just tired." I look down.

She faces the counter and calls the bartender. "Kuya, a glass of tequila, please."

"So ..."

"Yes?" Thalia looks at me. I hear a sound of a glass being placed on this wooden counter top, her tequila just arrived. "Thanks." She tells the bartender.

"When's the wedding?"

"Let me graduate first, Niall!" I hear her soft laughs which sound like a melody that is so much prettier than the songs this live band played.

"So, when's the graduation?"

"This March." Thalia grins proudly and I can't help myself but rubs my hand on her head which I have not done for more than five years.

"You happy?" I ask. I did not know where that question came from to be honest.

"I am very happy." She punches my arm. "I mean, how couldn't I?" Yeah, right. How couldn't you? How couldn't you be happy with him? "I'm this close to hold my diploma!" Oh, I thought you're referring to him.

"You look perfect together." I tell her but it feels so difficult to utter those words ... to utter the truth.

"Yeah." She murmurs. "Wait." Thalia tells me the moment she reads a message on her phone. She then tears her eyes off from her device and looks away like she's searching something from afar.

"What?" I ask then I glance at my watch. It's just 9:56 p.m. and I begin to receive some stares from the people who recognize me. It's not that I don't want to meet them-especially those who really know me, might as well call them our fans, but I don't want to be bothered right now. Not while I'm in a vacation and most especially, not when I'm still with her. "I have to go, I have issues." I joke.

"Actually, let's go somewhere." Thalia tells me.

"What?"

"What? They aren't here anymore." She looks like she's making fun of me. "Tricia took them back to our room." She explains after I look over to their table that is empty now.

* * * * *

"The last time that we're together was on a beach, too." I say.

Thalia and I are on the 6th floor of the hotel we are both staying in. Specifically, we are standing on the balcony of my room that is facing the ocean. The moon is up there, lighting us fair enough, and the sound of the waves on the ocean, calming our hearts.

"Ironic?"

"You name it!" I joke.

I grab ahold of the fence and hops on it for a seat but Thalia pulls me back to my feet. "Fucking don't!"

"Don't what?" I laugh under a mini heart attack because of her sudden reaction.

"Idiot! You don't sit on a 6th floor's balcony!" The grab she has onto my t-shirt is so tight that I feel like almost choking. I feel like chocking because I am so near her. "You'll die!" Well, I have died right after you told me that you're engaged.

"I'm sorry!" I laugh again but it fades immediately. And for a split second, neither of us speaks. We just stare at each other blankly. But like a robot being run by a machine or someone else, I wrap my arms around Thalia. Gladly, she does the same. Tears, be a man! Not now!

I'm in love with her, not right now, not just now. I am, I was and I always am in love with her, I just realized it now ... now that she's with someone else already.

What am I going to do with it? What am I going to do with me?

Well, shit happens, right?

"I think I have to go back to ..." Him? "... them."

She just got here fore like 30 minutes ago so I don't feel like letting her go yet I have to. "Of course."

Thalia leads the way to the door while I silently follow her behind with this empty heart of mine. She squeezes the knob open. "Good night, Ni."

I pull out a smile. "Night, Thal."

I look at her ... I look at the favorite person of mine as she walks away and back to the one she perfectly belongs with; to the one that has a hundred percent time for her; to the one she's deserving to be with.

And I think, we are better off like this because that's what we're meant to be and what we have is something that is worth-keeping and she is someone that you don't want to lose in your life.