I couldn't believe what I had just heard. I looked over to Niall but he just kept his eyes glued to the floor.
"Excuse me?" I wasn't sure if I had heard right.
"We. Slept. Together. Why is that so hard for you to comprehend?"
I stared at Laiya. I don't know who this girl is, but she was definitely not my best friend. She looked.. different. Her hair was blonde now, she had fake nails and an extremely fake tan. She was wearing a tight leapard print dress and 8 inch heels. She looked absolutely ridiculous.
"What happened to you, Laiya? You used to be so.. beautiful. Now you just look like a fake bitch."
She flipped her hair and lifted her huge sunglasses off her face. Her eye makeup was even worse. She went way overboard on the eyeshadow. It was too much. I was so overwhelmed that a few tears escaped my eyes.
She walked over to Niall, her heels clicking on the laminate floor, and put her left arm around his waist, pulling him towards her.
"Niall seems to like my new look. Don't you, babe?"
He mumbled something that I couldn't understand.
"So.. what? You're just gonna go off with Laiya and pretend like I don't exist?"
Niall still didn't answer.
Coward. Whatever. I don't need him.
A few more tears rolled down my cheeks because I knew how much I loved Niall.
I swallowed my sadness and told them both to leave. Laiya turned on her stupid heels and walked right out, swinging her hips as she took each step.
I shifted my gaze to Niall as I watched him follow her out the door. I was lost. My whole world was falling apart. Once they left, the room was dead silent. All I could hear was the slow beep....beep....beep of the heart monitor. I felt empty. My whole world was falling apart. Laiya wasn't the same girl as she used to be, Niall practically cheated on me, and my parents were most likely coming after me.
What's the point anymore?
I looked down at my arms. There was about 15 scars on each wrist. A few tears rolled down my cheeks as I remembered how they got there.
It was a couple months after I started dating Dan. He had just begun to become violent. Cutting wasn't the ideal method of relief, but I liked it in a strange way because I felt like it was the one area of my life that I could control. I was still living with my parents, and they were using drugs and drinking more than ever. I was terrified of being with them. I thought that if I punished myself by cutting, they wouldn't have to punish me in a different way. I hadn't cut since I met Niall... He was my lifeline. But since he's with Laiya now, there was really nothing stopping me from cutting.
I devised a plan in my head to get out of the hospital as quick as possible. All that was going through my mind was the urge to cut. I called the nurse to my room and a few seconds later she came rushing in.
"Is everything alright?"
I straightened up in my bed. "Yes, I'm fine. I was just wondering something... When can I go home?"
Her face relaxed. "Well, since you're 16, and everything seems to be alright, I don't see a problem with you going home now."
I smiled slightly, not wanting to let on the real reason why I wanted to go home so desperately. She handed me a pile of my clothes.
"You get dressed and I'll go let the secretary know that you're leaving. Good luck!"
I smiled again, trying not to show my eagerness to leave.
When the nurse left, I slipped into my clothes and walked out the front door. I couldn't wait to get home. Once the cab driver dropped me off, I bounded up the stairs and opened the apartment door, smiling the whole way. I didn't know why I had been smiling all day. Normally, when people were about to cut, they were upset.. Not smiling. I shrugged and continued smiling while walking to my bathroom.
I tiptoed over to the small white cabinet placed beside my toilet. I opened the door and pushed the bubble bath to the side. In the back was a small box of mints. Taped to the bottom of the box was a shiny metal razorblade. I pulled it out and looked at it, fascinated by the way the sunlight bounced off its shiny, silver surface. I turned the tap on and listened to the sounds of the smooth water. I slowly brought the blade closer to my left wrist, a crazy smile on my face and a psychotic look in my eyes...
Closer... Closer...
Liam's P.O.V.
I sat opposite Niall on the couch. He was hunched over, his head in his hands, sobbing. I had never seen him like this. He was always such a happy go lucky boy; this was unnatural for him.
"Mate... Are you alright?"
He lifted his head and turned to me. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy. I gasped slightly, then shifted my gaze to just past his head. On the news, they were talking about some suicide. I didn't catch the name, so I turned my attention back to the sobbing boy. He ran his hand through his hair and drew in a sharp breath.
"I-I don't know.... I fucked up. Big time. I d-don't even know what happened."
He broke down crying again and I couldn't bring myself to make him talk about it again. I still didn't know the whole story but I knew he was going through a tough time. I don't know if he was aware of this, but he loved Rachael. I could see it in his eyes every time he talked about her. He had been waiting for his 'princess' for so long, and he finally found her. He messed up, and he knew it. I was lost for words. I'd never been in this situation before. I wasn't sure what to say that would help him. What could I say? "Sorry you messed up the greatest thing that's ever happened to you"? No.. I couldn't say that. He was too fragile. I would just have to console him until he was calm enough to have a proper talk.
This was going to take a while.
Niall's P.O.V.
Gutted didn't even begin to describe the pain I was feeling. I couldn't believe what had happened. Here she was, this beautiful, funny, amazing girl, right in front of me, but I was too stupid to realise it. Instead, I had to go for her best friend. I regretted it more than I had ever regretted anything in my 18 years of living. It was the stupidest, most impulsive choice I had ever made. I sat there in disbelief.
This can't be happening. It just can't. Not to me.
I hadn't had a girlfriend since before the X Factor. Over two years of being single. Didn't I deserve to be happy, too? Apparently not.
I have to fix this. I have to make things right.
I shot up from the couch and bolted to the front door.
"Where are you go--" The door slammed before Liam could finish his sentence. I'm sure he would understand. I ran to the street and unlocked the door to my car. I climbed in as quickly as possible, shifted it into drive and sped off towards Rachael's apartment.
When I reached it, there were several news vehicles outside. I ignored them and parked my car opposite the building. I waited until it was safe to cross and ran across the road. After yanking the door open, I bounded up the stairs towards the girl of my dreams. There were about 10 people in the hallway, all whispering. When I passed them, a couple yelled "OH MY GOSH, IT'S NIALL HORAN!" I promised them pictures later. Right now I had something more important to handle. I turned the corner and opened Rachael's door. Surprisingly, it was unlocked. I had thought that since Dan had broken in she would've been a bit more cautious. I didn't care. All that mattered was I was going to see her. Finally. All I had to do was tell her how much she meant to me...
I loved her.
I called her name as I scanned the apartment. No sign of her. I walked all around until I reached the bathroom door. She had to be in here. I slowly opened the door...
I hadn't prepared myself for the sight that faced me.
