First Impression 2

Chapter 54

-Niall's POV-

"You're a fucking prick, you know that right." I spat at the prissy prep in front of me. Why did I come here? Why did I agree to meet the piece of shit? I hated him enough before, so why, after everything else that has happened, did I decide to speak to him with my own free will?

Maybe it was because now, even though I fucked up, I knew that Hayley had no feelings for him. I knew now, even though I was sick enough to think such awful things, that I still held custody of Hayley's heart over any other man.

"You've said that countless times in the past twenty minutes." Chris sighed. He looked... normal. He wore a baggy hoodie and athletic shorts. No polo or Ralph Lauren, just normal male clothing.

"I just wanted to make sure I got the point across," I sighed and leaned back in my seat. "Now tell me, why the fuck am I here and why the fuck are you talking about Hayley when she had completely humiliated you?"

"You know about that huh?"

I leaned back and smugly smiled at him. I was most certainly not going to admit to him that Hayley and I's relationship may not longer be in tact. I laced my fingers together and held them behind my head. "Hell yeah I know about it."

He ran his hand through his hair, back and then forward again. "Well I'm not surprised."

"Are we done now?" I asked shoving myself out of the seat to walk away.

"Wait!" He gripped my arm, tugging me back, but when I pulled my fist back to connect with his jaw he recoiled. He held his hands up innocently. "I seriously just want to talk."

"You've wasted enough of my time."

"I'm seriously concerned about Hayley."

I rolled my eyes. "Look she's perfectly safe with me," I partially lied, since she obviously wasn't safe from my harsh remarks. "I don't beat her or anything like you thought. I just want her to be happy and really I want to be her happiness."

"I respect that, I was an asshole, but hear me out." He pleaded pathetically but it was enough for me to sit down again.

He nodded his head and took a breath. I could see the gears turning in his mind, trying to find the right things to say. The perfect wording so I wouldn't blow up on him like the fragile ticking bomb I was.

"A year ago, Hayley was shot at a signing. One of your signings." He started slowly and I perked up at his opening sentence.

How did he know that?

Did Hayley tell him back when they were "friends"?

"How did you know about that?" I asked cautiously, afraid that if he said her name again my heart would drop out of my rib cage and I'd have to watch it try to pump blood on the ground in front of me before shriveling up and dying slowly.

Chris bit his lower lip. His breathing was uneven. He obviously didn't want to be talking to me about this subject. "The girl that pulled the gun, she was aiming at you. That's what they said?"

"Yeah," I agreed. "Did you see this on the news? Management wanted to keep it on the down low." I was growing frantic with all this information he knew so well.

"Listen, Niall, this is very important," He was hunched over the table now. Looking around him to make sure no one was in earshot besides me. "She was not aiming at you."

I raised an eyebrow in thought. "Then who was she aiming for? Louis? Liam? A security guard?"

His eyes faltered but eventually found their way back to mine. He shook his head slowly. "No one like that."