Picking Up the Pieces: A Dark Niall Horan Fan Fiction

Anywhere

"You should be talking to Iris not me." I sigh, rubbing my hand over my face, turning to Harry.

"No I am talking to you." His eyebrows furrow. Why is he being so nice to me? "I have already talked to Iris, or tried to." He shrugs rubbing the back of his neck. "I talked to Louis, and I haven't talked to Charlie because I know you don't want me too."

"I think we could all use everyone right now." I look back at Charlie talking to Iris. She is being strong, not a tear since we reached the driveway. That's the Charlie I love.

"Are you serious?" Harry raises his eyebrows.

"Of course I am being fucking serious." I snap at him. "Iris just lost a baby and you expect me a jackass?"

"I honestly don't know what I should expect you to be anymore." He chuckles a little, trying to lighten the mood.

"Well you are wrong. Iris is a friend." I look over and the words hit me. Iris really is a friend. By passing all the shit that we have been through I respect Iris and I couldn't think less of her.

"I am glad." Harry nods.

"I am going in there." I break away from Harry, sitting on the chair next to Charlie and Iris.

I want to ask how she is doing but that is the stupidest question to ask at the moment. I don't know what to say. Charlie looks up at me hopeful, asking for comfort herself because I know she is hurting too. I want to say every word that comes to mind but nothing comes, and no words come out.

"Niall." Iris breaks away from her state, grabbing my shirt and pulling me close. "I want you to go and take Charlie with you."

"What? No?" Charlie objects. "I am not leaving you."

"I love you Charlie, I really do." Iris wipes away some dried tears. "But I need this time alone with Louis. This is hitting us pretty hard and I want to go through it with him."

Charlie looks down at her lap, hurt present in her eyes.

"I will call you though. I promise." Iris nods. "I love you." She hugs Charlie and nods at me.

I take Charlie's hand in mine and pull her from the couch, to the door. I bring her out to the car and we both get in. The drive to the house is silent because I know she hurting.

I pull into the car park of our flat building and Charlie gets out of the car right away.

"Charlie would you stop!" I jog after her up the stairs trying to catch up. We reach our flat and she swings open the door. "Calm down Charlie."

"Calm down?!" She screams at me at I shut the door behind me. "You expect me to calm down when my bestfriend just lost her baby and she practically kicked me out of her house." Tears start to form in her eyes, tears that she held back before.

"Charlie." I sigh. "I understand you are hurting but yelling isn't going fucking help any of this."

"Says you." She scuffs, throwing her arms in the air. "All you do is yell at me whenever anything goes bad."

I walk over to Charlie, taking her hands in mine. "I am not yelling now am I?" I tilt her chin up so she is looking at me.

"No." She says blankly.

"Okay good." I nod. "Now of course Iris loves you and all but her and Louis need some time to themselves."

"But I just wanted to talk to her, be there for her and she just told me to leave."

"Do you want me to tell you the truth?" I sigh.

"Of course." She crosses her arms across her chest.

"You can be a little overhelming when you are passionate about something." I look at her for some type of response but nothing so I continue. "And in this case that passionate thing would be helping Iris get through all this but I don't think you are the one she needs right now." I step towards Charlie but she takes another step back, giving me a look of disgust.

"I am her best friend." She says shaking her head. "Of course she needs me."

"Not right now Charlie." I know she is going to resent me for saying this but she asked for the truth. "She needs Louis. They both lost the baby and they need to get through it together."

"I can't believe you!"

"Charlie."

"No."

"You asked me for the truth and that's exactly what I fucking gave you." I snap.

She stands there speechless.

"Please talk to me." I beg.

"I don't want to admit that you are right."

"You don't have to." I shrug.

"I don't want to admit that she is drifting away because I can feel it and it hurts Niall." The tears start to brim in her eyes.

"Charlie." I sigh pulling her close and this time she doesn't resist. "You will always be Iris's best friend. She loves you. She is just going through a lot right now and she needs time to think everything through."

"I am sorry Niall." She says burying her face in my chest.

"Stop." I say stroking her hair. "You were just scared. I think we all are."

"Can we leave?" She questions and I hold her out arms length so I am looking right into her eyes.

"What?"

"Can we leave? Just leave everything behind for the weekend. Go somewhere where we can escape for the weekend."

"Where would we go?" The thought of going on holiday with Charlie sounds so fucking nice right now. To escape from the bullshit.

"Anywhere."