This Town |NH|

Chapter Fifty Six

I didn't hear from her for a few weeks. I assumed David was still around and she didn't want things to be weird for any of us. I can't imagine that David was that naive except it could easily be me who was naive. I could've misread everything. But I didn't think I did.

One night, about five weeks later, she texted me, "Hey, Niall. Wanna get together for a songwriting sesh?"

I didn't immediately answer, but then, couldn't help myself, "Sure" I wrote back.

I met her at her flat and we spent a few hours working, the way we had been doing. She played a few bits of what she had been working on and I did the same. Neither of brought up the last time we had seen each other. At the end of the day, I said goodbye and went home. But, once again, I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned for a while before I finally couldn't take it anymore.

It was two in the morning when I got there but didn't pay attention. I knocked on her door until she answered. "Niall? What are you doing here?" she sleepily asked as she let me in.

"I, uh, forgot my notes," I said, knowing I didn't.

"So you decided now was a good time to come get it?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"That doesn't mean I wasn't."

I turned to look at her for the first time since I walked in and saw her hair was a mess and she was wearing a large t-shirt. An old One Direction t-shirt, at that. I laughed when I saw that. "You still have that thing?"

She looked down and giggled, "Yeah, I do."

"It's huge on you."

"Yes, it is." She laughed some more before walking into her kitchen. "Do you want anything?"

"Yeah, you," I whispered.

She poked her head out, "What?"

"What?" I panicked.

"Did you say something?"

"I said I was fine. I can just get my stuff and leave. Sorry I woke you."

"Niall, wait." I stopped in my tracks. "Is something bothering you?"

"What do you mean?"

"We both know you didn't leave your notes here."

"Yeah, uh, sorry," I mumbled.

"So what's wrong? You can't sleep. Whenever you can't sleep you used to always come climb through my window and wake me up. I did the same to you. It's been a while but we still know each other pretty damn well, Niall. What's wrong?"

She crossed her arms as she leaned against the door frame. My eyes slowly drifted down her body and back up. Her face had an odd expression on it, like she was daring me to confess. And I fell for it.

I swallowed gaining my courage and walked over to her, slamming my lips onto hers, pinning her against the wall. She pushed me back away from her but didn't say anything, at first. She looked stunned. I took that moment to try again. I stepped back up to her, pressed my hands to her cheeks, and kissed her again.

This time, I momentarily felt her respond before she pushed me back but held onto my arms, "Are you drunk?" she asked.

"Nope. Perfectly sober. You?"

"Same."

"Good, so we're doing this in our right minds," I said, as I kissed her again. This time, she didn't stop me. This time, she hungrily kissed me back. I wrapped my arms around her waist and hoisted her up, bringing her legs around me. She held my head in her hands as I carried her to the sofa.

Despite not wanting to, I unattached my lips from hers to place them along her jaw line and her neck. I pushed the fabric of her t-shirt down across a shoulder and placed kisses along her collarbone as my hands began to make their way up her shirt. But then she froze. I felt her body tense up.

"Niall, we can't do this."

I held myself up above her, "But you want to," I stated, matter-of-factly.

"No, I don't." She pushed me off of her, "I'm dating someone. I'm happy with him."

"Are you?" I asked, not believing her.

She looked at me a moment, "Yes, I am." I knew she was lying.

I sat up, "I don't believe you, Siobhan. You were kissing me back."

"I got caught up."

"What about the last time we were together? What did that day mean to you? I could've sworn had David not been here, something amazing was going to happen."

"Niall..."

"Siobhan, no. You can't deny that there is still something here. I know there is. I feel it. And I felt it from you."

"You're mistaken."

I looked at her. "Then why am I still here? Why haven't you kicked me out yet?"

"Because I thought we were friends again."

"We are." She looked at me like I was crazy; like I'd forgotten the last five minutes. I took a step back, "I'm sorry, Siobhan. I don't know what got into me. Please, let's just forget this ever happened. Please?"

She slowly nodded. "Of course." She paused, "But I think you should go."

I nodded. I ran my hand through my hair and got up off the couch. She stood at the door as I walked out. I looked back at her, knowing she was lying. She felt it. She just wasn't ready to accept it. I got on the elevator and went home. I didn't see her again for four months.