Through The Dark (Niall Horan Fanfic)

Chapter 16

Niall's POV

She slept for over twelve hours.

It was close to noon when her small body finally wriggled against me.

But I was glad she got sleep, she looked like she needed it, and I knew she did. Aubree once told me that she only got good sleep when I was holding her. And she had gone ten months without me. I didn't know if she was exaggerating when she told me that, but I was concerned about her anyway.

Aubree's bony hands, halfway covered in her long sleeves, were pressed between our two bodies, against my bare stomach, as my arms held her close. I loosened my grip as her body squirmed, waking up.

She was so beautiful.

Everything about her.

I wished she could see it.

Aubree rubbed her eyes and then opened them, blinking and squinting at the light falling onto the bed through the blinds.

"Good morning." I stroked her hair.

She wasn't much of a morning person, I had learned, so she mumbled something that probably wasn't even a response, more like a grunt, and she snuggled close to me again, covering her face in her hands. I seperated from her a bit, taking her hands from her face and holding them. She wiggled, turning her head into the pillow.

She never wanted me to look at her.

I put my forehead against the side of her face. "You're beautiful, Aubree."

She was still. I moved my head back and forth, my nose rubbing against her cheek. I kissed her cheek.

But then she moved closer to me, burying her face into my shoulder.

"Aubree." I groaned.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled.

And now I felt bad. I didn't want her to feel sorry for anything. God, I just wanted her to be okay. Shit.

Now I was just angry.

But I wouldn't let Aubree know that.

I just wanted her to be okay.

Couldn't she go to therapy and take pills and be happy?

"Do you have work today?" I randomly questioned.

"No." She spoke against my shoulder. "I'm probably fired anyway for not coming in the past three days."

"Aubree...."

"Don't 'Aubree...' me. You don't understand."

"I'm sorry."

She was stiff against me, and I could tell she was a bit mad. Her hands were fists between our two bodies and she was digging her nails into her palms to calm down.

I took my hands off of her back and instead put them over her hands, opening the angry fists and holding her hands, bringing them up to my mouth to kiss them and mumble "I'm sorry" about fifteen times.

Her muscles were relaxed again, but her head was still buried in my neck, insecure.

She held my hands tight.

"Aubree," I whispered. "Maybe we could... go see... see a... a doctor... today?"

The grip she had on my hands ended, like she wanted to get away from me, but I still held on.

Aubree's breathing was fast and hard. I rubbed my thumbs on her hands in attempt to comfort her and take her anxiousness away.

"Niall."