Just By Chance || Niall Horan (2)

Chapter 27. (Mature)

• Twenty Seven : Secrets Out •

✨August 14th 2018;

With my legs draped over my fiancés, hands and fingers entwined loosely together with his, I snuggle closer to him on the chair, head resting comfortably on his chest and my eyes focused intently on the screen of the large Tv on the wall.

Aaron, Niall's teammate, invited us and a few other players and their girlfriends over to spend the night together just chilling and watching movies before the boys jet off to France in two days for some promo event.

Niall, being Niall ensured me that he wouldn't take no for an answer as to whether or not I would join him on the trip, and for that reason I'll be there, next to him on the flight to France.

A few of the other girlfriends are accompanying their boyfriends, too.

"Eoin Gray, son of multi-millionaire couple, Angela and Mark Gray was sentenced to two years of imprisonment last week for the sexual assault of then seventeen-year-old girlfriend Freya Clarke. More on this shocking story at eleven," with my eyes wide, and body instantly tensing up, my eyes glance at the screen's bottom left corner to see that it's currently thirteen minutes until eleven.

Many eyes glance and remain on me, shocked, concerned and some confused. With furrowed eyebrows I sit up on the seat, Niall following as he wraps comforting arms around me just as my face flushes.

I feel extremely exposed right now - as if all the secrets I've hid over the years from most people are coming to the surface and there's nothing I can do about it.

I feel exposed and vulnerable.

"I want to go home," I tell Niall, standing up and instantly reaching for my phone on the little side table.

"Freya?" Grace's hesitant voice calls - Aaron's girlfriend and someone whom I've become very fond of over the last few months after meeting her through an event I attended with Niall. Her and Aaron have only been seeing one another a little over six months, but they're honestly perfect for one another.

With my hands clenched tightly at my sides in frustration, I gulp, my bottom lip being sucked between my teeth as I bow my head, ashamed.

Ashamed because I let it happen, and I could've fought against him so that it didn't happen. Ashamed because the man I so helplessly love wasn't the first I ever got to encounter the act with.

He should've been.

"Is that news report about you?" Grace sits forward.

"Grace, don't," Niall shakes his head, reaching comfortingly for my hand from his seat, but I snatch my hand back, shaking my head.

"Don't touch me, Niall," I whimper.

The look that flashes through his eyes almost instantly breaks my heart because it reminds me of the helplessness in his eyes, and the weariness he had around me throughout the start of our relationship when I was so hesitant around him - when I didn't have trust for him.

"I'm not him," he reminds me, softly.

"But you should've been," I tell him, gently, eyes tearing up. My voice cracks as I speak, and his eyebrows are furrowed in confusion at my statement.