Thorn (n.h)

XLVII

AN: So I'm thinking I should get this story to an end, figure out how to end it and end it. This is ridonkulous. I mean, I could make a second book too.

Chapter Songs: "You Can't Always Get What You Want" - Rolling Stones

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Luckily for Niall and I, Zayn hadn't moved over the summer like many other colleges kids. Lucky for him because he didn't barge into a strangers home and start beating on them and lucky for me because I didn't have the money to bail him out.

Pulling my car into Zayn's driveway I notice lights on in the house and as I run up the sidewalk after slamming my car door shut I see the front door is ajar. Sliding in I hear an angry Irish accent to my right and follow it. I find Niall, white knuckled with a baseball bat in his grasp screaming at someone curled up on the ground.

I keep my distance and begin calmly calling Niall's name.

"Who are you to say that to her!" Niall screams and raises the bat high above his head.

"Niall, stop," I move into his line of sight and he notices me before regaining sight on Zayn.

"Get out of here, leave," Niall growls at me.

"You need to stop this okay? Come on, lets get you home," I add still trying to stay calm and calm him down. 

"Who are you, Zayn? Huh? You think you can come in between us with your shit?" Niall's attention is back on Zayn, both men's shoulders are heaving and I text Liam, hoping he's awake, to hurry and get to Zayn's, I couldn't possibly calm Niall down alone.

"Niall, please," we hear Zayn beg as Niall chuckles and twists his fingers around the back of Zayn's shirt.

"You don't deserve my pity," Niall grumbles and shoves Zayn in my direction. Zayn slides across the wooden floors and I jump back in hopes he won't knock me over. Niall comes charging over and I jump in the middle of him and Zayn.

"Niall, stop, okay? Stop," I tell him roughly, my hands up in defense.

"Move," Niall shoves past me but my hands grab hold of his sides, pulling him back to me. 

"He's your friend," I elevate my voice and relase him after he tugs at my hands. 

"Was," Niall says and throws his baseball bat to the ground and crouches next to Zayn whom is quivering and I hadn't noticed before but his face is covered in blood. "You don't deserve that," he gestures to the bat before sending his fist against Zayn's face.

Oh God, he's going to murder him. I try and grab onto Niall's shoulders but he shrugs me off him. My fingers feel for my phone and pull it out without really thinking. I feel hot and my ears ring as I see Liams text he's on his way but my index finger presses the emergency call button. Soon after my screen shows the number I had subsequently diealed and pressed the phone to my ear.

"911 whats your emergency?"

~

Down the street I see the red and blue lights coming around the corner. Liam rubs my shoulder and steps off Zayn's front porch to meet the officers. They speak for a few minutes before I see two officers come my way, hands on their pistols, and brush past me with a faint 'excuse me.' Liam returns to my side as we watch them enter the house, 

"Are they going to kill him?" I whisper to Liam as he replaces his arm around me.

"They'd only shoot is he attacks him," Liam assures me as my arms wrap around myself.

"You know what I mean, this is Texas, he could get death penalty," I argue and i hear Liam chuckle.

"Niall hasn't killed anyone Rose, he hasn't killed Zayn," Liam assures me and I feel huge tears brim my eyes.

"I shouldn't of called the police," my voice cracks and I bury my face in my hand. Liam's arms wrap around me and pull me into his chest. Slowly I hear footsteps, a few sets, walking in our direction. Liam holds me tighter because he knows I'd look.

I hear one officer use his walkie talkie to call for an ambulance and I sniffle onto Liam.

"It's alright, Niall is okay, they're loading him into the car," Liam whispers and I feel his body begin to sway.

"I shouldn't have called," I utter again but Liam shushes me.

"No, you did the right thing, I promise," I finally manage to pull away from Liam and I see an ambulance arriving, I wouldn't of known it was even there if I hadn't looked. I couldn't hear anything or see anything except for Niall in the back of the patrol car. He was looking around and watching the officer near his door as he wrote down a report I assume.

"Rose, Rose, come here," a hand grasps my arm as someone pushes a gurney past me. "They want you to make a statement then I'm taking you to my place."

"I can't, I have to stay with Niall, I need you to drive me to the jailhouse so I can bail him," I state frantically. Liam puts both hands on both my arms and bends to look me in the eye.

"You're not bailing him out," Liam says sternly, "you are not bailing him out and you are not going anywhere with him until this is all solved."

My attention turns to see Zayn being wheeled past us, conscious but bleeding from head to toe.

"Now come on, let's wait for an officer then I'll take you home with me," he says once more and this time I listen.

~

 Liam unlocks his front door around 7am and allows me inside first. I step in slowly and LIam meanders around me and closing the door behind us.

"You know where everything is," he says dropping his keys down near the tv and looking at me. I remain standing a few feet into the doorway and watching the ground. His footsteps lead him to me, his palms grasping my cheeks, "you did the right thing."

"He's going to prision for sure this time," I sigh and hold Liam's forearms.

"I'll take you to visit him anytime he's allowed visitation, I promise," Liam assures me, something unfamiliar dancing in his eyes.

"I think this is it for us," I whisper and turn my face to kiss the palm of Liam's hand then leave his grasp and head straight to the bathroom. Emotionlessly I derobe and turn on the shower, but for some odd reason, I don't get in. 

I remain on the toilet seat, naked and trying not to sob for a good 30 minutes. Thoughts are running through my head, the thought that Niall and I couldn't possibly last another outbreak and the thought of houw horribly he has beaten Zayn this time. Everything I have tried to do for him, everything I have told him hasn't changed a thing. Niall will always be the drunk, hard-headed Irishman with tattoos and a leather jacket, not someone who cares. Sure, he cares about me, but that's all. 

His brother? His nephew? His best friends? Forget about it, Niall only cares about one solitary thing: himself.

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AN: Okay, sorry two aouther notes BUT, I've decided since I wrote the chapter and now: There will be 50 chapters in this book. This is chapter 47, so two chapters left then Rose and Niall are fin.