The Promise Ring (don't read, it sucks a lot okay)

~-Chapter Twenty-Three-~

Niall Horan's Point of View-

Candace locked the door to the Hummer as we stepped out onto the sidewalk. There were a few ambulances down the street, the paramedics probably on a lunch break. The streets were slightly crowded but that was nothing new.

"Where to start?" Harry said, looking around.

"Well, there's- hey, Lou! Where you going?" Liam called to Louis, who was starting to cross the street.

He pointed a store on the other side that sold jumpers. Candace sighed.

"I'll go with him." She said. He was already on the other side. Further down the street, a few cars honked. The honking got louder, closer, making me turn my head.

There was a black SUV, speeding down the road, never laying off the horn. It was headed right for Candace. She was frozen in the middle of the street, stuck with fear, eyes locked on the car. I was running at her before anything could register in my brain. The driver had his head out of the window, shouting that the breaks were out.

How lovely.

"LOUIS!" I yelled at his oblivious form on the other side. Without seeing if he was looking, I shoved Candace as hard as I could, out of the way. Now the SUV was headed for me.

"Niall! MOVE!" The boys were shouting at me. But I wasn't fast enough. I looked to see if Candace was okay. Lou had caught her easily, and she was screaming. The tires screeched on the asphalt.

Excrutiating pain exploded in my side. The car managed to stop on impact of my body. I was falling backwards, now. Pain bloomed in the back of my head, spots danced in my vision. My hair already felt wet with what I knew was blood.

The driver was standing over me. "Sir! Are you okay?!"

The boys surrounded me, kneeling at my side. Zayn was running down the street to the ambulances, Liam called 911. Candace suddenly shoved the driver away with deadly force.

"Niall, stay with me!" Her beautiful face was blurring, distorting. Tears were falling from her eyes and I wanted nothing more than to reach up and wipe them away. But I couldn't. I didn't have the strength.

Flashing red and blue appeared in my peripheral vision, but I remained focused on Candace. I tried talking to her, telling her everything would be okay. I couldn't.

"Niall, I love you." Candace's voice was the last thing I heard. Her face, now perfectly clear and gogreous as always, was imprinted on the back of my eyelids.

Then a vast, numbing darkness took over, and everything was gone. Almost.

"Niall, I love you."

-Candace Miller's Point of View-

I flew into Louis's arms, he caught me swiftly. He was shouting, and then I heard horns and screeching tires. Turning, I saw the SUV heading right for Niall.

Tears flowed when it hit him, my breath caught when he fell, and my heart shattered when he didn't get up.

"NIALL!" I screamed. The driver was crouched by him. People were running, sirens wailed. Liam and Harry cradled his head in their laps. Zayn ran down the street.

I tore away from Louis. He was right on my heels as I ran to the scene, shoving the driver away. I would have done much worse than push him if my soul mate wasn't on the ground, dying.

"Niall, stay with me!" I cried. My cheeks were wet and I couldn't catch my breath. His eyelids were fluttering and I saw it was difficult to keep them open.

Paramedics had arrived, rushing over with a stretcher.

"Niall, I love you." His eyes closed. My world was breaking around me, hands toched my shoulders but I ignored them. Please, please, please, don't die.

"Miss, are you alright?" An officer asked me. Niall was strapped down now, an oxygen mask on his face. He was rushed into the ambulance.

Someone shouted "CLEAR!" and I heard a faint beeping noise, his heart beat. They closed the doors, driving away.

"No, officer, I'm not. And I will pay for this later, but only later." I said, shoving past him. The driver was a few feet away, staring to apologize to me. I drew back a fist and it landed square in his nose. He fell backward, bleeding.

I was pissed. Niall was dying, on his way to the ER. And it was his fucking fault. I might forgive him, but not now.

I jumped into the Hummer, not listening to the cops yelling for me to stop or drawing their guns. Liam and Harry and Zayn and Louis got in silently as I started the car. I punched the horn multiple times and drove way over the speed limit.

"We'll handle the speeding tickets, and were suing that git. You're definitely getting arrested. Simon will bail you out, pay for the assault and battery, the resistence of arrest. Candace, he'll be okay. He's strong. It's Niall were talking about." Liam said.

"He better or I'm kicking some ass. First the driver who caused it, then the doctors for not saving it, then anyone who tries to get in my way. No exceptions." I growled.

"What if we tried to stop you?" Louis whispered.

"I'd kill you too. Even you."

***

I was handcuffed to a chair in the waiting room of the hospital. Simon was speaking quietly to the chief of police. Liam spoke with a doctor. And I was mad as hell. I'd been tasered a few times, and it hurt less and less each time.

Zayn paced the hall. Harry was hugging me, Lou holding my hand. The chief walked over, talking about warnings and fines as he removed the handcuffs.

"Understand?" He said. I wasn't listening.

"Mhm." No.

Simon walked over as he left. "All taken care of. You got lucky, Candace. Mr. Darwin, the driver, is paying for the hospital bills and everything. He won't testify against you."

"The doctor said he just got out of surgery. They can't tell if he'll make it or not just yet. But he's in a coma." Liam sighed. I looked down ar my shaking hands, tears falling again.

I kept seeing his face as his eyes closed. The car hitting him. The scarlet blood soaking his beautiful blonde hair. Why did he have to save me? Why couldn't I be the one in a coma?

Niall saved my life. He risked his own for me.

I started sobbing heavily. Shuddering and crying and gasping. The band just held me. It was all they could do.