Two ghosts // Narry

29- date? night

Niall

I feel slightly stupid waiting for my professor to pick me up, I don't even know his first name and I'm going on a date with him. Surely I've known more about anyone before going out with them, this is next level crazy.

I pull my phone into my pocket at seven and begin to walk out of the dorms. I don't know exactly what to be looking for but when I see an unfamiliar car I decide to walk up to it, I grab the handle and open the door looking at my...date.

"What's your name?" I ask watching him laugh.

"Ethan." He says as I slowly get into the car. I look around the clean interior and I find myself looking for anything wrong with this car.

"What's wrong with styles?" He asks as I stay silent. I do want to confide in him but this is just one of those things that blows up in my face.

"He's a cheater." I say quietly, mostly because I'm embarrassed. I know I deserve it but I never thought it would happen. At least not again.

"Well, he influenced you to do that same thing. I guess he doesn't find it wrong." He says as I nod slowly. I guess he doesn't.

"What are you in the mood for? Real dinner? Bar dinner? Pizza?" He asks as I find myself not even thinking about food.

"Pizza sounds good." I admit watching him nod before putting the car in reverse.

"Pizza it is." He says before driving out of the lot and soon off of campus.

"Why did you ask me out?" I ask cutting straight to the chase. I don't want to be played again.

"I asked you out because despite what my nephew has told me, I think that you just need someone who's right for you." He says as I play with my fingers.

"And that's you?" I ask looking over at him.

"Well it could be. I mean, styles. He obviously doesn't make you happy, look at you." He says as I nod slowly.

"That's only because we aren't doing too well right now." I say thinking about my pregnancy and Harry's separate relationship.

"You two aren broken up I presume?" He asks softly as I nod. Is it really that easy to tell?

"Did you know the guy?" He asks as I slowly nod.

"Yeah, he was something like a friend." I say remembering our 'fight' and when I kicked him out of my car just before the campus sign.

"Well, he doesn't know what he's missing." He says as I smile shyly at his attempt to comfort me and take a hit off of me.

"So what's the plan for your life?" He asks as he begins to slow down.

"I don't know, I'll finish my studies, then I'll try to get a job as an editor." I share as he nods and opens his door.

I follow him into the diner and notice how much of an Italian influence it has. It's almost worth making fun of but Ethan isn't Harry and He won't join, he'll probably just think I'm disrespectful.

"How old are you?" I ask as we sit down and decide on our toppings.

"I'm twenty nine." He says as I nod slowly, he's older than me, but older means more mature. Right?

"I'm sorry, by the way." He says as I look up from my drink where I stir the ice cubes around.

"For making your first few days of my class terrible." He says as I shake my head. I walked myself into the trap Harry set, it's not his fault that he was standing up for a family member.

"If Harry finds out about this he will get you in trouble." I say knowing how Harry can blow things out of proportion, this definitely being one of them.

"Are you trying to warn me about your crazy baby daddy? Well aren't you a dream?" He teases as I roll my eyes

"I'm serious. He's very posses-"

"No, that's just a word to excuse him for being too controlling over you." He says before takin a sip of his drink.

"It's not alright." He says as I slowly nod. I won't disagree.

"It still just feels like I shouldn't be mad at him although I should be trying to kill him." I say watching Ethan crack a smile and chuckle.

"Maybe you just love him too much." He says as I shake my head. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.

"If I love him then I should be more angry and even more hurt, but I'm just not. I feel like I should be waiting for time to blow this over so we can get back to how we used to be." I say watching Ethan lean back against the booth.

"Maybe you just don't care anymore. I mean, you did say that he's done this to you before." He says as I lean my chin against my palm.

"I know, I just wish he wouldn't have done it." I say as the pizza is set on the table.

"Well, he's an asshole anyway. He acts like he owns you and you deal with the pain he gives you like it's something that you need to do." He says as I nod slowly. I don't know when this date became couples advice but I don't mind it.

"That's why you shouldn't go back to him." He says as I stay silent. I know I shouldn't and I know that I deserve better.

I just don't want better, he's best in his screwed up way.

I stay silent for the rest of eating while Ethan tells stories about the weirdest classes he's ever taught.

When the pizza is gone and we're finally driving back to campus I feel his hand wrap around mine.

And it feels good.

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Word count : 991