Just a Runaway // Niall Horan // Book 1

Let It Go - Chapter 4

*Colena's POV*

As I was still sitting on the chair, I couldn't help but wonder what Niall was thinking about. I could just feel his eyes on me and I tried to concentrate on the TV. I wanted to just look at Niall and shake my head but...that would attract attention. I was hoping he didn't want to talk to me about anything. I'm not a huge talker in general.

I could never even keep a conversation even if it was just a casual talk. I could only imagine how awkward it'd be if Niall wanted to talk to me about anything other than something casual. I wanted to just walk out and go in my new 'home' in the alley and just forget that I had even met any of these boys, except at the current moment, I just don't find it possible.

I could see someone get up out of the corner of my eye, and it turned out to be Niall. I saw him rub his hand through his hair as he walked out of the room and walked up the stairs. Everyone seemed to notice and he became the new subject.

"Had anyone noticed how Niall been acting a little....off?" Harry asked quietly while watching Niall walk up the stairs, making sure he wasn't going to be able to hear him.

Before anyone was able to say anything in response, Niall came rushing back down the stairs. "Colena, can I tak to you. Please?"

Everyone suddenly turned their head from Niall to me. I just stared back at all of them and looked at Niall last. The awkwardness in the room was just growing and growing. I needed to get out of it so I just i just responded with "sure."

I followed Niall up the stairs, watching as the rest of the boys then started sharing whispers back and forth. Oh god.

Niall took us into a room that...I'm not quite sure what it was. It was wide open, sort of like a foyer. He sat on the couch, so I just did the same, and pulled my knees up to my chest. He was the first to speak up.

"What's up?"

I just raised my eyebrows. What's up? Did he being me all the way up here just to have a casual conversation?

"Well, I was just sitting downstairs with every-"

"No I mean...what's up with your situation?"

"What situation?" I asked. 

He let a smile on his face. "If you don't mind me asking, which hotel are you staying at during this vacation?"

What was he getting at? What was I supposed to say? I didn't know any hotels around here. I'm.screwed. "I'm not staying at a hotel. I"m..staying at a friends'."

"Cole..Don't lie to me."

Was I really that obvious?

"What do you want to know?"

"Why were you sleeping in an alley? Why do you always carry this huge backpack around with you? Why don't you want to go home?"

I looked him straight in the eyes and felt my jaw clench. 

"How do you know about that?"

"I saw you yesterday morning. Come on. What's going on?"

I bit my lower lip with the nauseous feeling starting to return. I was biting my lip so much, I swear I was starting to taste blood. "Nothing is going on. Trust me."

His eyes were still drilling into me. I didn't want to look up to meet his eyes. I'm not a good liar. I never was. "Cole, I know what I saw."

I suddenly felt something inside me that I had never felt before. Fury, anger, and pure hate. I'm not quite sure exactly why but it was happening. I looked up from the floor and straight into his eyes.