Free (Sequel to Through The Dark) Complete

Chapter 60

Niall was walking around the backyard to make sure everything was picked up and locked up since they were leaving for close to a month.  They would return to LA for a short period of time and then head back to Ireland for the wedding in the beginning of March.  It was crazy to him how fast everything was going.  How much his life was changing.  He turned around when he heard what sounded like a sob coming from over by the fence near the hot tub.  When he walked around, he saw JJ sitting there with her head in her hands.  He took a deep breath and sat down next to her.  He didn't say anything. He just put his arm around her and pulled her into him.  He closed his eyes when she started crying harder.  He wrapped her in both his arms and just held her while she cried.

He pulled back from her a little when he felt her calm down and start to wipe her eyes with her hands.  "Hey, how long have you been sitting out here on the ground, in the corner?"  He moved some hair out of her face.

"I'm sorry."  Julie said through deep, wracking breaths.  She had been crying since she'd left her room, probably more than a half an hour ago.  "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to see this."

"Stop, you should know better.  You shouldn't have come and sit out here alone.  You should have come and found me, or Amanda.  Julie, you should know that we're here for you.  No matter what happened or who did it."  Niall let her sit up and watched her lean back against the fence.

"You called me Julie."  She sniffled trying to smile at him.  "You've never called me that."

"Yeah, yeah, change the subject."  He said leaning back against the fence.  "I know I'm not Amanda, or Harry, but I will listen if you have something to say."

"Yeah, I know, Niall.  It's just not that simple.  I'm not even sure what I think right now."  She said looking up into the bright blue sky.  "I'm just so tired, so tired of fighting, so tired of having things just go wrong."

"Life isn't easy."  Niall started to say and then chuckled a little.

"You just realized who you said that too, right?"  Julie asked.  "I'm not expecting it to be super easy.  I know everyone struggles.  And honestly, I'm sort of tired of the 'whoa is me' attitude, too, but what else can I think?  I'd love to just disappear for awhile and not worry about anyone or anything."

"Well, Harry is putting you on a plane to the UK.  It will be quieter, and you'll be with family.  Those who love you."  Niall said standing up and pulling her up.  "Don't run from him.  He feels horrible for what happened."

Julie shook her head as she wiped the grass from her pants.  "Well, he should."  She looked up at him.  "I'm sorry, but he should.  He told Kendall about Johnny.  I don't care if we were together or not.  Why would he tell HER?  He knew for a long time that she had wanted to do whatever she could to keep us a part.  So, not only did he go to her, to get back at me for my fake affair with Zayn, he told her the one thing he knew could throw me right back into a tailspin."

Niall sighed and frowned.  "You don't believe he would have done anything like that to you on purpose, do you?"

"No, of course not."  Julie said.  She looked Niall.  "What?  I don't, well, maybe.  Zayn, period, really bothered him.  His thought that I was with him, threw him over the edge often enough.  He went on that yacht with Kendall with a chip on his shoulder."

"Yes, I understand that."  Niall took her hand and pulled her towards the house.  "Talk to him, because this is not going to go down like it did in the past.  You have questions for him, you ask him."

"Let me go, Niall."  Julie said stopping and looking at him.  "I have a lot of questions for Kendall.  Think Harry will give me her phone number?  What about if I just go?  Do you think she'll let me in and offer me a beverage?"