More Than This (A One Direction Fan Fic) DISCONTINUED BECAUSE CARROT

Chapter 18: The Truth

*Niall's POV*

I watched with horror as Nicole and Jake left the restaurant. Ow, a little voice in my head complained, reffering to the stab of pain I felt in my chest. My brows furrowed.

"Why..." I whispered and someone patted my back. I looked up and saw Liam smiling gently at me.

"'S'alright mate." he said. Although I knew that he was just saying that to calm me down. And his smile didn't reach his eyes. Something was definitely wrong with this guy, I'm just too upset to ask him what it was. 

"Oh don't be such a baby, Niall" Kaidi suddenly scoffed, breaking the tension. She was just joking around to make us feel less uncomfortable, I know. But I still glared at her.

"I am so not being a baby" I snapped. Hmp. I don't even know why I'm acting this way. I mean, okay, Nicole is pretty and we've be gotten a bit close over the day. And she's smart and funny and beautiful and.. and..

Oh dear God. No. I'm just overthinking this.

"You like her." Kaidi concluded. My heart dropped.

"I do NOT like Nicole. I mean, not like as in like like. But I like her as a friend." I rattled on and saw everyone's eyebrow raise.

"Sure you don't, Niall." Kaidi winked. I scoffed. "Now why don't you tell us what happened, you seem to know a lot more than all of us do."

"I'm not sure if I should be telling you this....." I started to say but Kaidi just waved me off. 

"Nicole would tell us later anyways, just spill it. Come on." everyone nodded as they agreed to Kaidi's words. I sighed, this girl is impossible.

"Fine," I groaned. "Well, when we were left alone in the hotel...." and I told them the whole story. jake being there, kissing Ella, the whole lot. And yes, all of them were shocked and angry and they pitied Nicole just as I had.

"That was what I was tryn'a tell ya all." I pointed out, feeling a bit smug. "That was the reason why I didn't  want Nicole to talk to that scumbag"

"They still need to talk, Niall.... they didn't have an official break up or something.." Hazel replied in a small voice. I looked at her, she had a point. I didn't argue because Zayn was giving me a look that says   "say- something-rude-to-her-i'll-get-you-afterwards-" so I let it go.

"Are we going to wait for them here or are we going back to the hotel?" I asked, acid clearly heard in my voice.

"We should head back to the hotel" Harry said, "We have a long day tomorrow" Oh yeah! The concert was tomorrow. That was why we were practicing. Or rehearsing. 

We started to walk back to the cars that brought us here. 

"Do you want me to ride with you, mate?" Liam asked, probably worried of me because I looked like hell right now.

"Nah, s'okay," I smiled, "I need time to clear things up in my head  ."

"Okay" and he walked away from me, climbed in the car and the car drove away. Everyone else's cars drove away except for mine. I wasn't getting inside the car yet. I was gazing at the stars and thinking. What if... What if, I thought.

I knocked the window of the driver and his window rolled down, "Yes, sir?" he asked politely.

"Do you mind staying here for a while? I want to walk around for a bit"

"Not at all, sir, not at all."

"Thanks" i said as I put my hands in my pocket and walked away. This restaurant is great, what is it called again? Mary's, right. Mary's had a garden at the back of the building, and it was beautiful. So was this night, it was breezy and the stars were shinig brightly.

And all of a sudden a picture of Nicole laughing popped into my mind. My heart beat started to raise. I put my hand on my chest as if to grasp my heart, "What are you doing to me?" I whispered and closed my eyes.

This is crazy, I know. I've met her only yesterday but that doesn't matter. I'm starting to fall inlike with Nicole. I'm starting to fall for her. That was the truth. How can I not? How can i help myself from falling for someone so endearing? So sweet and cheerful? Someone so... so strong.

I know behind those smiles and laughs is a person torn apart, a person with a bleeding heart. And I would give anything just to fix that bleeding heart. 

But I don't want to rush things. What if I'm just jumping to conclusions? What if I'm just overwhelmed with this foreign feelings I'm starting to feel? What if I just see her as a really close friend and I just truly care for her? What if? What if... what if I really like her?

I groaned. Shit. This situation is a fucking mess but I don't want to get out of it. I'm utterly confused. 

I tried to picture Nicole with that dumbass Jake and I remembered seeing her cry. It was really heartbreaking to see someone cry over a boy that hard. It was just... not right. And I know to myself that I can change that, I can make her happy. I can do things that Jake can't.

And suddenly everything was clear. Click! A switch in my head clicked. I started to walk back to the car with a smile on my face. "Sorry if I took long" I told the driver as I climbed inside the car. 

"No problem at all, sir" he replied and he started to drive away.

And I knew, at that moment in Mary's. In the garden under those stars, that I wanted nothing more but to take Nicole there and fix her heart.