FOREVER [Niall Horan] ✔

Chapter 43.

"Love is like the wind, you can't see it but you can feel it." -Nicholas Sparks

Ana's POV

I play with the cup of coffee in my hand, seeming to lose my appetite, as I impatiently tap my legs against the tile floor, chewing my nails and thinking that it wasn't a good idea but I know that there is no backing down now. Every time the bell would ring, indicating the arrival of a new customer, I would get more nervous, thinking that it was him but fortunately it never was.

When I received Tyler's message in the morning from his own number and not any unknown number, to say I was surprised would be an understatement. What shocked me the most was that he actually pleaded me to meet him. I initially rejected the thought of meeting him even though I did not reply him but when I took time to think about it, I realized that I needed to meet him. Not for him but for me. I wanted to end whatever this is going on. I wanted to be free from him, for I'm still a bit scared of him. Even though I was terrified to meet him, I knew that he wouldn't do anything in public and that was what fostered me to go.

It was almost half an hour later that I decided that he isn't going to show up, it isn't the first time that he stood me up but it doesn't matter anymore. A major part of me was relieved but another part of me still wanted some kind of closure.

I always knew that this was a stupid idea, a very stupid one, but I couldn't stop myself. In the morning when Niall came to the living room, asking me why I was up so early, I contemplated to tell him about it but the thought vanished just as fast as it appeared, knowing that it was impossible that he'd actually allow me to go anywhere near him, at least not after my confession about what he did to me and those texts that he sent me.

I shake the thought out of my head and stand up from where I've been sitting. I walk out and drive myself to my house, Tyler still on my mind but I force myself not to think about him anymore.

I unlock the door to my house and step in only to see Niall sitting on the couch, playing with a little cardboard box. He looks up as soon as I open the door and I gulp, his eyes holding a hint of something I can't quite decipher and I contemplate if I should tell him about everything or not. He's awfully quiet as I walk towards him and I wonder if he already knows about it.

"I-" Me and Niall start at the same time. He tells me to continue and I take a deep breath before speaking.

"What are you doing here?" I ask in a small voice, for he told me that he was going to be very busy tonight and I had offered to say at my place which he agreed to.

"I'm going to Birmingham tomorrow early morning, for a few days, so I thought that I'd come over." He shrugs and I give him a nod.

I just awkwardly stare at him as I don't know what to say. Niall stays just as silent and I know that something must have happened. Niall pats the empty seat beside him and I nod before sitting right next to him. He leans closer and pecks my lips and a smile breaks out of my lips.

Niall hands me the cardboard box and I furrow my eyebrows at him. "It came while you were gone," He says answering my question. I examine the box for a couple of minutes before taking a deep breath and tearing it open.

I gasp when I see what's inside it and my breath catches in my throat. I take out a small, white teddy bear, which has turned a bit brown due to the dust, and my eyes well up. I stare at it and feel the tears burn at the back of my eyes. I blink and try to avoid the unnecessary tears that threaten to fall. I run my head on top of it as the memories of it flashes back in my head.