Uptown Boy (Narry Storan)

24. Doubts

//Sunday//

HS

I click the home screen of my phone. Nothing. Well, there's a text from work reminding me I have a meeting tomorrow but nothing from the one person I want to hear from the most. Niall.

I stare at the white numbers displayed across the top of my screen.

5:37pm.

It's been three hours since he left to hand over the money and he's still not back. I groan in frustration, slamming my phone back down beside me on my sofa. He promised he'd be okay. He promised.

I sigh as unhelpful thoughts of Niall start invading my mind. Maybe the dealers got him. They could be tying him to an electric chair, they could be beating his arse to a pulp, they could be locking him up in a cold and dark place, just trying to force out more money from him.

But maybe, what if...

Niall couldn't have ran away with the money, could he? No. He could never.

I grunt in annoyance. I hate how I even have the audacity to have such thoughts about him. I know I said I could look past the fact that he only spoke to me because he was 'technically' after my money, but after being gone for more than three hours, just to hand over some money, and the thought that he has 14 grand of my money in his hands makes me a little paranoid. Like, maybe he just said all those things about not wanting the dealers to know who I am, just so he can take my money. Maybe he was just lying about having feelings for me, just so he can get my money and bolt. That's how it was at the start wasn't it? How he tried getting close to me just to earn some cash for himself. He could be doing the same thing right now.

My heart can't help but fall, all the way down into an empty void.

Yet, at the same time, I trust him. He didn't even want me paying his debt for me in the first place. If he didn't truly like me back, he wouldn't have tried making me stay out of this mess. He wouldn't have opened up to me, he wouldn't have trusted me with his past, because I know how hard it is to let someone in like that, let them know about something you're ashamed of. He wouldn't do such a thing to me. If he trusts me enough, I should too. He may not have done the most honest things in the past, but his heart is definitely in the right place.

It's just this little voice, this little doubt in my head that's telling me that Niall took off with my money. And really, I shouldn't even have this little thought in my head in the first place.

Right now, I'm praying with all my heart that this little voice is wrong. Not because of the fact that my money is gone, but I'm more afraid at the thought of Niall betraying me.

"Hawwy?" Theo calls, startling me out of the little anxiety bubble I formed around myself.

"Yeah?" I breathe out.

"What time is Uncle NiNi coming back? I miss him." Theo asks innocently. My heart drops slightly.

I clear my throat softly. "He'll be back soon, bud." Theo nods, turning his attention back to Lion King which is playing on my telly.

I run my fingers through my hair, as if that can help push the thoughts of Niall to the back of my mind.

I take a deep breath, and try my best to focus on the shit loads of designs and sketches that I have to run through on my laptop instead.

I barely lasted half an hour of my work before Theo starts jumping up and down on my couch.

"Hawwy! Can we go to the park? Uncle NiNi always brings me there but he isn't home." A small pout forms on his lips. I smile softly at him, nodding.