Tiger Teeth - Terms & Conditions // Book Two

Chapter 16

When I came out of the bathroom, Chroi was standing in front of the mirror fiddling with her hair. I smiled, gave a small shake of my head and went about getting dressed. Her parents and grandparents would be here any minute. My parents were also headed home. Snow was falling lightly outside. A thin, peaceful blanket now covered the grounds of my house. Dallas, Josh and Willie were all in the kitchen cooking breakfast while they loudly sang along with the Christmas music from someone's phone. I couldn't have imagined a more perfect way to wake up on Christmas Eve.

I was finished dressing when I realized Chroi was still standing in front of the mirror toying with her hair. But she'd also started to tug at her cheeks and pinch at her hips,

"I feel like I have bags the size of suitcases under my eyes."

I snorted as I walked up behind her,

"Maybe I should let you sleep more."

She shot me a look but continued to slap at her cheeks,

"I'm the oldest 22 year old I know."

I stepped forward. I pressed my fingers into her neck gently and then a little harder when I felt how tense she was,

"Baby, why are you so tense?" I asked as I continued to massage her neck and shoulders.

"I don't knowwww. I don't know." She whispered as she shook her head and dropped her chin, "I was alright until I woke up this morning."

I wound my arms around her waist,

"It's gonna be a great day. We're gonna spend it with family. No expectations. Just a really relaxing day ok?"

She nodded,

"Yeah."

She didn't sound convinced. She swatted my hands away,

"Just...leave..." She said as she stepped away from me.

My hands stayed in the air for a bit, rejecting the fact that she'd just been in my arms and now she wasn't. I turned to her,

"Chroi, it's gonna be a good day."

She seemed on edge, though I wasn't sure why. She only ever got this way when she was about to put on a show but we weren't anywhere near a stage.

She pulled at the sheets as she angrily made the bed,

"Look, I know that you're worried about appearances and that we might not look like the perfect couple in front of everyone but I'm doing the best I can alright?"

Her words spit out with such anger and irritation that it almost knocked me off my feet. Where the hell had this sudden annoyance come from?

I took a step towards her,

"What the hell does that mean?"

She gave me a hard look,

"You know what that means." She threw her hands up, "You're always worried about what other people think, what other people say, how things look in the press and on TV and I just..." She lifted her arms, shaking them in frustration, "I can't take it anymore. I am who I am, Niall. Take it or leave it."

My eyes popped in shock. I took another step towards her,

"Leave it? Leave...it...leave what?"

She shook her head as she finished making the bed,

"Me." She finally said, "Leave me. If that's what you want."

The air in the room was heavy, with her anger and my confusion. We'd had such a great few days in Ireland that this was out of left field in more ways than one.