Falling for you.

Chapter 8

It's another couple days before Niall is finally able to leave the house. He keeps his promise and we go to Mel's. But I can't help feeling a bit awkward. A question lingers in the air. "Why was I the only one not able to see you while you were sick?

I don't ask though. I don't know if I'd like to know. We eat ice cream with talk mostly about one directions upcoming tour which I find quite a boring subject.

"Let's walk somewhere." Niall suggests. I nod. He takes my hand and I let him. We find ourselves walking to the outlet mall where we first met.

"Coincidence right?" Niall asks winking.

We walk into some sort of jewelry store and I wander away to study some bracelets. All of a sudden Niall comes up behind me.

"I got you something." He whispers in my ear handing me a small white box. I open it to find a pretty, and expensive looking necklace shaped like a key.

"Niall thank you so much!" I cry.

"It's nothing." Niall blushes, smiling at the ground and laughing a little.

"Let's get out of here." I reply, taking his hand.

We leave the mall a while later and start to walk back toward the ice cream stand.

"Niall-" I say finally. "Why wasn't I allowed to see you while you were sick?"

Niall closes his eyes and sighs . "I don't know." He replies

"Well you should know!" I cry anger boiling inside me. "And if you don't, maybe you should figure it out. Because one day you don't want to see me and the next your begging me to see you."

"I was not begging." Niall protested.

"Well that's how it seemed!" I shout.

"Your here now." Niall says softly "isn't that enough?"

"No." I say flatly "Because i don't know when your next mood swing is going to be." I turn around and walk quickly in the other direction. For once, Niall doesn't follow.

I feel like crying. I don't know where I'm walking. All I know is that it's quiet and there are no cars anywhere. All of a sudden I feel a sharp pull on my arm. I scream as I fall to the ground dragged into an alley.

"Get up." Says a rough voice.

"Niall!" I scream, knowing he won't hear me.

"Shut up!" The voice says and kicks me in the side. I cry out in pain as he drags me to my feet by my hair.

"That's a pretty necklace." The man says. He is gripping my arm so hard I'm afraid it will snap.

"Leave me alone." I scream. A strangled scream. I've never heard that sound before.

The man reaches up to grab my necklace. "No!" I cry and kick the man in the stomach he stumbles back but not for long. He pushes me to the ground and starts to punch and kick me in the arms and legs and face.

Tears stream down my face as I catch sight of the blood forming a small puddle around me.

"Hey!" A familiar voice in the alley. Irish accent. I look over. "Niall." I lean my head back and let out a sob of joy.

"Don't fucking touch her." Niall says running towards me as the man punches me again in the eye. I cry out in pain. My head is throbbing.

The man falls back off of me and Niall picks me up and runs back to the alley.

"Oh my God!" He says looking down at me. I notice a tear rolling down his cheek.

"Princess I'm so sorry. Are you ok?" He asks. More tears.

"Niall." Is all I can say. I lift my arm which takes all my strength. And brush his face. Pain shoots up my arm and I let my hand fall.

"Princess." He whispers. He leans down and kisses me, lightly, as if he doesn't want to hurt me. He probably doesn't. He pulls back and starts to walk carrying me back toward the car.i groan in pain.

"It's ok baby, almost there." There are more cars on the street now. One pulls over.

A lady with a little child in the back.

"What happened to her?" The lady asks in alarm.

"S-she was attacked." Niall points back the way we came. "In an alley back that way."

"Does she need help?" The lady questions.

"I have a car. About a block down." Niall says.

"Can I give you a ride." The lady asks.

"Please." Niall says nodding.

The lady unlocks the door and Niall climbs in the back. I lay in Niall's lap as he stoked my hair that is also red with blood now. Niall explains what he saw while I stare at the ceiling. I can't move. Pain is coursing through my body. The lady pulls in next to Niall's car.

"Thank you so much." Niall says.

"No problem." The lady replies. "Get her some help. I can tell you love her very much."

"Yes. Niall says. Taking me gently out of the backseat. He says thank you again and the lady is gone.

He opens the door and lays me in the backseat. He runs to the drivers seat and starts the car.

"It's gonna be ok, princess." Niall says reaching back and taking my hand. "Gonna be ok."