First Impression 2

Chapter 75

-Hayley's POV-

It's funny how things change so fast. It's funny how things always seem to find a way to be okay. Like how the day turns to night but then turns to day again. How at autumn the leaves fall and die but in the spring they grow again. Like how after years of never riding a bike, it all comes back to you the second you push off the ground.

In a way, life is supposed to be okay.

It was day six now. My nerves had calmed tremendously since Niall woke up. He refused to let me leave his side more than necessary and I didn't argue. I didn't really want to be anywhere else anyway.

He was doing better now. We would walk down the halls of the hospital slower than a snail, his arm around my shoulders for support as I dragged his IV behind me. His appetite was slowly coming back, but not nearly as quickly as we had all hoped for.

The boys came and visited with Niall, two three at a time, for a few hours everyday. It was good to see them all getting along. I knew that things had gone downhill even though I didn't get much information on why.

My homework, on the other hand, was not fine and dandy. Since I hadn't gone to campus, I was either checking lessons online or through e-mail. I didn't get the entire scoop of things but I studied what I could. It was the price that I was willing to pay. I already had my internship and they were very understanding over the matter. But I was still ready to get back to work as soon as Niall was out of  this depressing scenery.

I sat in the cafeteria, studying my notes as I gnawed at a salad. My mom scooted into the side across from me, ruffling her hair with a sigh.

"How's Jeffery?" I asked not looking up from my text book.

"He's alright. He'll be out of here before long."

I only nodded in response.

"Have you given the police your statement?" Mom asked quietly and I nodded.

"Yeah, I've given it to them about ten times now. The first was right after it happened but I was too focused on Niall to make the sentences make any sense. The last one I gave them was just a few hours ago when I left Niall's room to come here." I explained. It wasn't a lie. I had repeated the same statement a hundred times. The only thing changing was how coherent the words were.

My mom nodded like she had something to say but didn't know whether to say it out loud or not. I hadn't always been close to her, but she wasn't hard to read. "What's up?" I asked finally.

She looked startled and shook her head.

"Tell me." I demanded. "It's obvious. What is it?"

She pressed her lips into a thin line and exhaled. "I almost married that asshole." She laughed even though I knew it wasn't a topic she found funny. "I was an awful person before this and I'm sorry for that."

I shrugged my shoulders and waved my hand. "It's fine. It's the past."

"No, it's not fine." She said more sternly, reaching across the table grabbing my hand. "You tried to tell me how you didn't feel right about Ryan. Logan did too and I pushed you both off. I was a complete bitch to you throughout your life. I can only blame the stress but that's bullshit. I am the one who did it, not your father's work. I shouldn't have said those things about you. I should have paid more attention."  She was crying now and I was sitting there dumbfounded. How was I supposed to react when I had been waiting for this moment for years now.

"I'm just... I'm sorry." I got to my feet and knelt beside my mom, letting her lean on my shoulder and cry.

Like I've said before. Life is a funny thing and somehow, after a lot of torment, things turn out to be okay.

-

"Thank you Alisha," Niall said after the same nurse, who we had learned was named Alisha, changed the bandaging on his stomach.

"Take care honey." She smiled and disappeared into the hall way.

I watched silently as Niall struggled to find a comfortable position. He looked away from the TV and looked at me as I tried not to laugh. "What?" He laughed and I shook my head.

"Nothing you just... you look so focused." I smiled at the similar comment Niall had made to me over a year ago.

He smiled broadly then looked up at the TV before back to me. "It's a good movie."

"Eh, I guess."

Niall threw his hands in the air and extended out the remote to me. "Be my guest and find something better. You won't but feel free to try."

I snatched the remote from Niall's hand and flipped through the channels. "I swear if you go back to the same movie, I'm going to punch you." Niall laughed.

I faked a gasp. "You wouldn't punch me."

"I would want to."

I shook my head and tapped the tip of Niall's nose. "You're an awful liar."

Niall rolled his eyes when I picked the same channel and set the remote down next to him. I slid the chair closer to the side of his bed and laced our fingers together.

It was times like this that I continued to live for. Neither of us talked about the iincident. We didn't need to. We didn't need to apologize for the way we acted towards each other before this whole thing. We didn't need to explain ourselves. Things had changed and we both knew that. We accepted that.

"Babe," Niall yawned as he rubbed his eye.

"Yeah?"

"I just want you to know that I love you and-"

"Don't say it." I cut him off.

"But I a-"

I shook my head. "No. Listen to me," I faced him tracing the outline of his black eye. When did that happen? "I love you too. And nothing, I repeat nothing, needs to be apologized for. We're going to be fine. I'm not going anywhere."

"But I will.." He said softly.

I pressed my lips together and exhaled. "And when I can I will go where ever you go."

((A/N: So yeah, today is the first day I didn't have work and this is really shitty chapter. I'm running out of fillers. So... that means I need to start on the ending:( sigh... anyway. Thank you all so so  much for making this series as big as it was. I hope you all continue reading and comment andvoting because ugh I love you all so so much!

Thanks for putting up with my typoes.

xxx))