The Joke

Chapter 22

Niall's POV

Hugging her after a week ,which seemed more like a year to me, is all I ever needed. Her head reaches my shoulder and her cheek is placed on my chest. My face is hidden in her quite long, brown hair that smell levant shampoo, while her hands hug my neck and mine snake around her waist.

"Promise me something, please." I kindly order her. "Do not commit suicide again. Do it for me, but first and especially for yourself." I tell her and my eyes are locked on hers, while I'm softly caressing her cheek with my thumb.

"I promise." she says , forming an assuring smile on her lips.

"Thank you." I respond, my nose touching hers. She smiles and I'm so glad that she seems to feel better. She needs to.

"Were you lying before, weren't you?" I ask,  impatient to listen to her reply.

"I was." she admits, looking at the floor and picking at her nails.

"Why?" I need to know.

"Forget it." she tries to skip this issue, but no, I wanna know the reason.

"Annie,"

"Fine." she sighs. "I wanted you to dislike me or even hate me so I told you that I did stole your money, but I wasn't behind all this. Management was. I got back to the UK, but they made me wanna go back to my country. They forced me to take some money and get away from you for ever... and that's what happened. I lied to you because I thought it was better for you to dislike me and leave me alone like everyone else did..." she explains.

Management.

Management created all this fake, sick scenario to make her a ridicule and mostly to make me regret being with her.

Fuckers.

My hand shapes a big fist and I hit forcibly the wall. I must stop doing what they say, I must do what I didn't do the whole year. Fire them.

"I swear I'm gonna fire them all," I speak, clenching my teeth.

"Your company has them as their employees. Not you, Niall." Annie reminds me, but honestly I'm going to have a serious talk with them.

"Hey," I turn to face her. "I must have my say, finally. They can't control us." I state, my fingers traveling through my hair while I'm looking at her.

"Unfortunately, they can." she remarks with a bitter smile of disappointment.

"Fuck, I'm going to stop this as soon as possible! Then, we'll be free to do whatever we want together,  nobody affecting us. It will be just us baby." I try to make her understand my plan as I'm approaching her, cupping her cheeks.

"Okay," she responds, but doesn't look glad about this. "Where are you going tomorrow?" she changes topic and I'm sitting next to her on the bed.

Annie's POV

"Home." he replies, his gaze on his shoes . He seems to be thoughtful, too.

"Oh," I just say.

"Are you coming, aren't you?" he asks, full of hope, the most beautiful eyes in the world looking at me.

Everything happened so quickly and I think we need some time. Particularly, we're not together now. We broke up the day I left from the hotel in Milan. We need some time.