Picking Up the Pieces: A Dark Niall Horan Fan Fiction

Long Distance

I land a few hours after the phone call with Charlie. I need to get back as soon as possible before she gets to close to Harry. I grab my suite case and make my way towards the front desk.

"When is the first flight back to Iowa?" I question hoping I can get one to a town in Iowa not in Chicago.

"Not until tomorrow morning sir." The women behind the front desk tells me.

"You have to have something sooner. I need to get the fuck out of here." I snap.

She smiles, "I am sorry sir but this is the earliest flight back we have. I can give you hotel information if you would like."

"Thanks for the fucking help." I growl, stalking away from the desk and out the front door. I dial my brothers number.

"Where are you?" I ask.

"I am right in front of you, you arse." My brother gets out of the black car parked in front of me.

"Good to see you again!" Greg laughs, giving me a hug.

"I am leaving tomorrow morning." I say blankly.

"Well at least get in the car please." He takes the bag from my hand and puts it in the boot.

I get in his car and he gets in the drivers side.

"So why are you leaving so early? You just got here." He pulls away from the curb. I stare out the window, ignoring him and taking in the view of my home.

"I have to see her." I mumble.

"Ah." He chuckles and I throw daggers at him. "So I was right?"

"I am not going to admit it." I growl. I love my brother but he is a big pain in the arse.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" He questions. "I figure you want to talk it without having Denise around."

Denise is my brothers wife. She is okay but she is too much for me to handle.

"I fucked up like I always do." I shrug.

"I get that." He stops at a red light. "I am saying who is this girl?"

"Her name is Charlie. We have been dating for a long while now. We live together too." I turn to Greg to see his reaction. He just grins. "I love her and I may have lost her."

I explain to Greg everything that happened with Charlie. Starting from Louis in his bedroom with Liv until I walked out of the apartment leaving her behind. I explain that Harry is a total wanker and Greg just laughs.

"What's so funny?" I ask as he pulls into the drive way.

"It is just that you are so worried about this Harry guy trying to steal away Charlie when you are the one who keeps giving him the chance to steal her love." I get out of the car with Greg close behind.

"You need to stop giving him those chances Niall and be the guy Charlie needs." Greg opens the front door gesturing me inside.

"Don't remind me of what a total fuck up I am." I narrow my eyes at him.

Before he has a chance to respond Denise comes rushing to the door with Theo in her arms.

"Niall!" She beams giving me a one armed hug. "So good to finally see you again! It's been way to long."

"Yeah." I nod. Theo grins from ear to ear holding his arms out to me. This is the one kid I will ever like. Kids give me the chills and I never plan on having any. I take Theo from Denise and he starts playing with my hair.

"We can go sit in the foyer if you would like?" I follow my sister-in-law into the foyer, sitting in the recliners with Theo in my lap, allowing him to play with my fingers, luckily he doesn't have teeth yet.

"Where are your things?" Denise questions.

"I am leaving tomorrow. I wanted to go today but the morning was the earliest flight." I shrug, looking down at the 8 mouth old boy in my lap. Even though I don't keep in much contact with my brother, I keep as many tabs on Theo as I can. He is the one family member I can put up with.

"Oh why?" Her eyebrows furrow. "You just got here we need to have time to catch up! I don't think people back in the states would miss you that much if you stayed a few more days." She takes my brothers hand in hers. I didn't even bother to fly back for their wedding and I know Denise hates me for doing that to Greg.

"I need to get back to someone. She isn't really missing me, more like I am missing her." I look up at Denise and she just sighs. "I am not staying, so don't try to fucking convince me."

"Niall!" Greg snaps. "Language."

"Right." I look down at Theo staring at my tattoos that line my arms. "Forgot."

"Mum is coming over for dinner." Denise informs me. "She will be here soon." She gets up from the couch looking down at me. I thinks it is funny that she pretends to like me. "I hope you have good enough manners to be kind to your own mother." She says, disappearing into the kitchen.

"Why is mum coming over?" I question Greg.

"Why do you think? We haven't seen you in over a year Niall." Greg gives me the most disappointed look. "Now you are just staying the night and taking off in the morning." He shakes his head.

"I know that you have had Colin keeping an eye on me." I blurt.

Greg throws me a look of shock.

"You didn't think I knew that your best friend, I mean your best man, was dean at UNI? I am not stupid Greg I know why he really took that job."

Greg takes Theo from my arms, "We are all just worried about you Niall. You never call, nothing since mum sent you to college in the states."

"Yeah, well it's her fault. She is the one who sent me there in the first place. I hope she knows that it is her fault too. I hope she feel guilty." Just at that moment, my mum walks into the room with a hopeful smile on her face.

"Niall?" She gasp, as if she has never seen me before.

I listen to what Denise told me to do and stand up. My mum comes rushing towards me, wrapping her arms around me but I don't do the same. She quickly steps back, smoothing out her shirt. "I have missed you so much. My baby." Her hand comes up to touch my cheek but I put her hand back down by her side.

"I am leaving tomorrow morning." I say blankly. "I made a mistake coming here." I make my way over to the stairs to the guest bedroom.

"But what about dinner?" I can see the tears brimming in her eyes but I feel nothing, no guilt, no sadness, nothing.

"I ate on the plane." I finally make it to the stairs and up to the guest bedroom. I shut the door behind me laying down on the bed. I phone rings from my back pocket, I quickly take it out and see Charlie's face light up my screen.

"Hello?" I answer.

"Don't come back." There are tears in her voice.

"Charlie please." I beg.

"NO!" She screams. "Stay in Ireland. I can't have you here, ruining my life bit by bit. Breaking me down until I am nothing but a shell. I don't see us ever going anywhere again and you would save both of us the trouble if you just stayed there." She lets out a deep breath.

"Don't you dare fucking talk to me like I am nothing." I snap. "You are playing with my head here too Charlie. I ache when you tell me there is no us because there will always be an us. You are so strong Charlie and because of that you have made me strong." I let out a heavy sigh. The other line is silent expect for her low breaths. "I fucking hate doing this over the phone and that is why I am taking the first plane back tomorrow. I am a fucking wanker for leaving you and trust me it will never happen again because I love you Charlie."

Silence. Nothing. Not even a remark back.

"Charlie? Please answer me here."

"Goodbye Niall."