all strings attached || n.h au

part four

Niall's already at her parents' house when she got there. She saw his car parked outside and before she got in, she decided to text him.

You didn't tell me you're joining us for dinner.

Kyra rummaged through her bag for her lipstick that she always kept in there. When she found it, she uncapped it and applied one coat of lipstick on her lips. She dabbed at it with her middle finger, spreading it all over her mouth to give it a more natural look. As she put away her lipstick, Niall's reply came in.

Thought i could surprise you here

Like when they weren't still together and he would be at her parents' house or Travis' house when she came over. The surprise continued even once they'd gotten together. Usually she loved the surprise, enjoyed the thrill of sneaking in a kiss when no one was looking, but not this evening. Especially when she just caught sight of her ex-boyfriend making his way to the front door. He brought a bottle of wine with him. Her father's favourite.

"Oh you're good, Ryan," Kyra whispered to herself.

Did you bring something for my parents?

Daisies for your mum and wine for your dad.

One point for Niall, Kyra thought, because he brought something for her mother too. Not that it's a competition or anything.

I see your car outside. Why aren't you coming in?

Kyra glanced at the front door and saw her father opening the door to invite Ryan inside. He was pulled into a brief hug and with a pat on the back, he was ushered inside. Kyra took a deep breath before she unlocked her car and stepped out. She straightened her blouse, played with the bracelets on her wrist and when her heart had calmed down a little, she walked up the path leading her to the front door, the only separating her from her boyfriend and ex-boyfriend.

See, the thing was, Ryan was the one who got away for her. At some point in her life, she considered him the blueprint of a perfect man. Everyone she had ever been with, she'd compare them to him. Which now that she had thought about it could be the reason why she could never get serious with anyone. But as cheesy as it might sound, it all changed when she met Niall. It didn't happen overnight, of course, because when she first met Niall, she was pretty much still hung up over Ryan (and Niall knew about it) but overtime, her current boyfriend made her realise that her ex-boyfriend wasn't even close to being perfect.

That said, it didn't make her any less nervous to face both her past and her present in the living room. The two, seemingly unaware of who they were in Kyra's life, were talking to each other when she stepped into the house and all of a sudden, she felt like she's living in a movie or a television show. Two pairs of eyes were on hers and she's not sure who she should look at or who she should greet first.

"Kyra Harrier," Ryan said her name, the way he always said and she hated her body for betraying her as shivers ran down her spine when he stepped forward and embraced her. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yeah," Kyra replied. She saw Niall looking at her with questions in his eyes and she simply mouthed, The Ryan to him and understanding dawned on him. Something else flickered in his eyes but she didn't get to analyse it as Ryan held her at an arm's length, his eyes sweeping over her.

"You look great," he said in one breath. "How have you been?"

"Good," she told him. Her eyes shifted to Niall for a second but he had turned around to get to the kitchen. Having been here a lot of times, he had familiarised himself with her parents' house. He knew his way around here and he even felt like at home here. Kyra blinked her eyes once, twice, before they land on Ryan once again. She'd deal with Niall after this. "How about you?"