You Found Me

You Found Me - Chapter Ten.

A/N; ONE. THOUSAND. READS. & I'd like to thank the academy...

but, no. seriously. I never even thought I'd get to half this much. I think my life has just been made. (':

This chapter is rubbish. I was half asleep when I wrote this, but some crazy shat will go down. I might rewrite it later on, who knows. I LOVE YOU ALL. kisses, Nat. <3

sidebar is another pic of Allie.

The rest of the night was far better than how it had begun.

Our entire group chatted loudly and laughs would erupt from no where, and I began to see the groups of people diminish as the minutes flew by. Niall and I laughed and teased each other, just like old times, and after our conversation before the meal, I felt cheerful and almost lightheaded. Time seemed to be against us, though, as Liam suddenly stood up, his eyes on his watch.

"Crap. Crap, crap, crap, crap. It's eleven-thirty," he mumbled, wide-eyed. I felt Niall tense next to me and heard him curse under his breath.

"Paul," he said quickly. "Shit, guys, we gotta go."

"What?" Lucy looked around at each of them. "Are you leaving?"

" 'Fraid so," Harry replied regretfully. "Big Paul said we have to be at the hotel by eleven, and it's pretty far past eleven, isn't it, lads?"

"Yeah, we need to go," Zayn agreed quietly. "I'm so sorry--"

"Don't be," I interrupted, hoping my face wasn't as downcast as my heart was. I watched Niall bite his lip, and tried to keep my expression up for his sake. "Don't be. You guys have a job, right?"

Harry kissed Lucy's hand and gave me a well-meaning but slightly awkward hug. "We'll call you when we're back in town, okay?"

"Got it." Lucy smiled. As I saw her smile, I felt my heart warm up. She seemed to be getting used to the fact that, though these boys were major pop stars, they were just regular people. They were friends.

We hugged each of the boys, but as it came to Niall's turn, my mood sank dreadfully. I saw his face, his big blue eyes, and something strange happened. My chest started fluttering; my heart jumping, whirling, and dancing. Fireworks seemed to explode in the distance between us, and I no longer saw the small, innocent boy who stood between my past and my present. I now saw hope. I saw hope that, maybe, even though things were broken between us, they could be mended. I saw a future better than what once was. Hope.

When the distance closed between us and his arms encircled me, I have a brief, lovely sensation that I belonged here. It was sweet, almost bittersweet, and when he let go, my happiness was swallowed up, as if by a black hole, and carried away with him.

I shook my head as I watched the boys flock to the door. This made no sense. He was my best friend. He always truly was. Sure, I had Lucy, and she was my everything--the only person in my life who truly cared about me--but Niall was different. I'd never felt what I felt with Niall with anyone else. This has never happened to me before. I didn't know what this thing was, blossoming inside me.

But I wanted it. I wanted it more than I had ever wanted anything before.

I watched them walk away, slip out through the glass door until they were gone. I turned away. I hoped I'd see them again. I had to see Niall again, though, there was no question about that. I had a feeling that if we'd hung out just a little bit more, things may have gotten back to normal. Or, maybe not normal, because things between us are still a bit patchy at the moment, but close.