Mirrors |NH|

Chapter Forty Seven

Two Months Later

The holidays had arrived in London and Niall was getting ready to go home to Ireland for a few days while Edie would be spending it with her brother.  The last two months had been a little odd for the two of them.  They continued to spend nearly every day together but there was something off.  Niall felt that she was pulling away from him while also getting closer to him.  It was like she was just out of reach.  He tried to push those thoughts out of his head because he figured if she wanted to go, she'd go.  Just like the last time.

He finished his packing and went downstairs to look for her.  He had left her reading on the couch.  She was no longer there.  He went into the kitchen.  No luck.  He searched every room downstairs and even went outside.  She wasn't there.  He started to panic a little when he heard a door creaking upstairs.  He hadn't even checked up there.

The door to the guest room, which was essentially her room now, was ajar so he knocked lightly before opening it further.  He turned and found her standing in the bathroom.  She was just standing there, staring into the mirror.  She leaned over the counter a little as she lifted her head up.  He knew what she was doing as she ran her fingers along her scars.

"We're scars and we're beautiful," he ever so softly whispered.  'Where did that come from?' he wondered, as he knocked a little louder.

She turned and saw him.  "Hey, you," she said, coming out of the bathroom.

"Hey.  Whatcha doing?"

"Finishing getting ready." 

He looked at her questioningly.  "You going somewhere?"

Now it was her turn to look at him oddly, "Yes.  With you.  To lunch?  Did you already forget?"

"Oh, yeah, whoops."

"Gee, I feel so loved," she said as she walked out of the bedroom.  "You done packing?"

"I think so."

They were having lunch before she took him to the airport.  He placed a wrapped item into his pocket - her gift - before grabbing his bag and walking down the stairs to meet her.

As they sat down in the little, hole-in-the-wall cafe they had recently discovered, Niall suddenly had an eerie feeling of dread come into his head.  She was looking through her bag when she pulled out a wrapped gift of her own.

She slid it across the table, towards him and smiled.  He felt less nervous now as he pulled his gift out and slid it across the table towards her.  She smiled softly at him as she picked it up.

"Actually, you go first," she said, placing it back down.

"Okay," Niall said, as he picked up his own gift.  He unwrapped it.  Inside the box was a guitar pick.  At first he was a little disappointed, he had plenty of these, but then he saw a piece of paper beneath it.  He picked that up and it was a certificate of authentication that stated the pick had been used by Johnny Cash and it was signed on the back.  "What the fuck?" Niall said, surprised.  He looked back up at her and she had a huge smile on her face.

"You like it?"

"I love it!  But how?  This must've cost a fortune."

"Actually, I already had it."

"What do you mean?"

"My father loved Johnny Cash.  He saw him perform several times.  One time, he actually got to meet him.  My dad had been learning to play and so I guess he signed one and gave it to him.  My father, of course, went and immediately got it authenticated and insured, placed it in this box, and stuck it up on the mantel.  He gave it to me two years ago."

Niall couldn't wrap his head around it.  "But why would you give it to me?"

"Because I know it'll do better hanging around you.  Maybe even inspire you."

"Edie, I don't know what to say..." he trailed off as he looked at this gift.

"Well, a thank you for starters."

"Of course!  Thank you! I honestly can't believe you just gave me this."

She just smiled at him as she picked up her own gift.  Niall suddenly felt that sense of dread reenter his body.  His gift was nothing compared to this.  She opened it and lifted up the lid.  "A key?" she asked, confused.

"Uh, yeah, to my house." He cringed as he said it, knowing this was pathetic next to hers and looked like a damn afterthought, except it wasn't.  "I, uh, figured you should have one.  You practically live there anyway.  I've been wanting to give you one and thought it would be cute as a gift.  But now it seems sad next to this," he said, holding up the pick.

She just smiled at him as she lifted the key up.  "It's not sad.  It's cute.  Really."  She found her own key ring and added his key to all of hers.  "Thank you, Niall," she said, reaching across the table to grab a hold of his hand.

After lunch, she drove him to the airport.  He made her park so that he would have ample time to say goodbye to her.  He had grown so used to having her around that he wasn't quite sure how he was going to get through the next couple of days.  He held her hand as they made their way to the farthest point she would be allowed to go.  The line through security was rather long but he knew he had to say goodbye before he got in line, otherwise, he'd get to his turn and wouldn't be prepared and would end up holding others up.

He stopped, let go of his bag and hugged her.  She wrapped her arms around his waist, while his went around her neck.  He heard her inhale and hold on a little tighter.  "What am I going to do without this scent wafting through the air all the time?" she said, jokingly.

"Well, you got a key now.  You can always go lounge around the house," he said back to her, not letting go.  He nestled his nose into her hair before kissing her cheek and letting go.  He knew if he didn't, he wouldn't be going anywhere, or else he'd be buying her a ticket.  "I'll see you in a few days.  Still going to the New Year's party with me?"

"Of course.  I want this god awful year behind us."

"It hasn't all been bad," he softly smiled at her and almost....almost went in to kiss her.  Instead, he squeezed her hand and let go.  She stood around as he stood in line.  Once he got through security, she waved and then was gone.