Time Capsule

Chapter 31

Time Capsule

Chapter 31

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Niall...

She pushed her way through the crowd, and bolted out of the cafeteria before I could even blink. "Shit!" I shouted to myself.

Nick had started to crawl out from under me as his dip-shit friends finally came to his aid, but I could give less of a shit. I stood up quickly and started to follow the way Annabelle had run off. I was almost at the door when a hand grabbed me and pulled me back. I turned and looked into the tear filled, frantic eyes of Melanie.

"Niall, you better fix this. You have no idea what you just did." She said with an extremely worried and shaky voice. There was something behind her words that she wasn't telling me. "Go find her, Niall. Right now." I just nodded at her, pushing off the feeling of her hiding something, and I ran out the door.

I bolted down the empty hallway, and when it came to the point where I had more options than just one hall, I paused. Which way would she go? I heard a door slam and I immediately sprung towards the right hallway. That was no doubt a closet door.

Running towards the door, as I got closer I started to hear heart breaking sobs coming from it. I recognized this as the closet I hit her in.

Stop thinking about it, Niall.

I hoped that the door wouldn't be locked, and I let out a sigh of relief when it opened without problems. As I stepped inside, she let out a blood curdling scream that just about did the rest of my heart in. I locked the door with the intent of not letting her out until I knew she was alright. She looked up at me quickly, and a look of pure horror streaked across her face as she let out another scream. She immediately tucked her head into her knees to avoid eye contact. That definitely hurt.

"Get away from me, please! Don't hurt me!" She sobbed. That definitely hurt more.

Way to go, Niall. She's terrified of you again and it's all your fucking fault.

"Annabelle." I breathed out. My heart was so broken past the point of return, and my guilt had risen up to an all time high. I was suffocating in regret and I deserved it all.

Without thinking, I reached down to delicately touch her. But as soon as my hand merely grazed her arm, she flinched back and yelped as she trembled with fear. I immediately retracted my arm away from her and crouched down instead.

"Annabelle, please. It's me. I'm so sorry." I whispered softly, trying to coax her into looking at me.

She slowly looked up at me. Her face was mixed with fear and confusion, which left me slightly confused myself. She examined my face carefully, and I could see the fear slowly chipping away. She looked like she was just released from a demonic possession as she shut her eyes, let out a breath, and slumped back against the wall in exhaustion. The sight caused a slight pain to pierce through my soul. She looked beyond exhausted and like she was drowning in her pain.

She started to softly cry and I cautiously moved towards her. When I received no reaction, I used that as my invitation to get closer. I scooped her up into my arms and cradled her protectively to my chest. I was happy that she hadn't fought me, but I was so upset to hear her soft cries increase in volume. 

All her bottled up pain and sorrows were flooding out, and I was there to witness all the hurt I had missed out on, and caused. It absolutely broke every last piece of me.

"It's alright, just let it out. I'm here for you. I'm here now." I soothingly whispered to her as my voice cracked with the hope of keeping in my own cries. But seeing as I've been pegged out as a failure for the past few years, I couldn't even manage to hide it as I started to whimper along side her. I could have prevented this. If I had just walked away and not let his words get to me. If I hadn't reveled in the idea of connecting my fist to his face. If I had just not gotten involved from the beginning.