Aftershock [ One Direction]

Chapter 8: "They Don't Know What Really Happened"

 Song on the side - Five Years Time by Noah and the Whale

CHAPTER8

Niall walked me home and stayed with me the rest of the day.  We most spent the day sitting on the couch watching tv.  Niall just turned the channel for the 50 time today and it stopped on one of those gossip shows.

“Good evening everyone!  I’m Carly Ridges and this is Evening Talk.  Today on the show, Coldplay will be performing and Cher Lloyd will be my guest today but before we talk to Cher we will be answering Twitter questions.

Okay, lets see, from @1dbmine ‘Will you have One direction on the show anytime soon to talk about Harry…’  Well @1dbmine, I’ve talked to One Direction’s management and they are not speaking to anyone about what happened.  What I’ve heard is that girl, Cora Thomas, Harry’s girlfriend, had dumped him decided he wasn’t good enough for her and he couldn’t take it…I also heard that she was just recently released from the hospital for-“   Niall shut the TV off before we could hear the rest.

I just sat there with tears welling in my eyes, “No, I really wanted to hear what she had to say.”  I said sarcastically with a sad smile on my face.   Niall put his arm around me and pulled me close.  “Please don’t listen to what people are saying…They don’t know what really happened.”  He was smoothing out my hair, trying to soothe me but it wasn’t working.

Niall picked me up and carried me to my bed, laying me down underneath my covers.  He started to leave. “Niall, please don’t leave.   I don’t want to be alone with my thoughts.”  I begged him.  He turned around and got into bed with me.  I was facing him at first but his intense blue eyes made me uncomfortable so I turned away from him. He wrapped his arms around me. 

“Niall?”

“Hmm?”  I could feel his chest vibrate.  “Thank you.” I said.

“Your welcome and thank you.”  He said back.

“Why?”  I asked curiously.

“For coming back to us Cora.”  I didn’t respond back because I don’t think I really came back.  It may look on the outside like I’m back but the day Harry left, he took me with him.  I don’t think I will ever come back.

“Good night Niall.”

“Night Cora.”

I didn’t dream at all during the night.  It was refreshing to wake up for once not feeling exhausted but it also worried me because the idea of never having a memory dream again, scared me.  I needed to see his face somehow…

Niall was still asleep when I woke up, so I gently got out of bed to take a shower and get ready.  Once I was ready I went to the kitchen to make breakfast for Niall.  I still hadn’t really gotten my appetite back.  When the toast popped out of the toaster, I heard the bedroom door shut and a sleepy Niall walk down the hall way.  He yawned widely and sat on the barstool.

“Are you making breakfast?”  He asked with sleep still evident in his voice.

“No, I’m making soufflé.”  I responded sarcastically with a small smile on my face.

He looked surprised. “I’m glad to see you smile.  You have a great smile.”  He said staring me in the eyes, I had to look away because I felt like he was looking right into my soul with his blue daggers.

“Here’s your egg your highness.”  I said bowing handing him the eggs and toast.

“Why thank you!  Aren’t you going to eat?”  He asked already digging in.

“No, I’m not hungry.”  I said honestly.  He stopped eating and stared at me once again.  “You haven’t eaten anything in forever.”  He pushed the subject.

“Niall, I’m just not hungry.”  I said getting irritated.

“Fine, whatever.”  After he finished eating he said he had to go back to his flat and get ready. 

“Do you mind if I come over?” 

“Of course not!  Are you ready to go now?”  He asked, getting his sunglasses that were on the counter from yesterday.

“Yup.”  I said with a smile, excited to hang out with the boys.  Niall held my hand as we walked to his flat and this time I felt a slight tingle from his touch I had never felt before.  It worried me so I detached my hand from his.  He looked a little disappointed from the lost of contact but I wasn’t going to do something stupid…

When we arrived at the flat, all the boys were up, eating breakfast.  Seeing them in the kitchen all together, made me realize one was missing.  One would always be missing…  It looked different, felt different.  I hugged each of the boys and sat down with them. 

“Good morning.”  I said.

“Morning!”  Louis yelled, eating a carrot.  I laughed at his ridiculous-ness. 

They all froze and stared at me.  “What?  Do I have something on my face?”  I asked worried.

“No, its just the first time we heard you laugh in a while or even smile for that matter.”  Zayn said with a small smile on his face.

“Well, I finally got a full night of sleep.”  I said off handedly.

“So…what did you and Niall do last night?”  Louis said winking at me.  My eyes widened.  “Obviously, not what your thinking.” I said throwing one of the carrots at him.  He looked at me like I just murdered someone.

“How could you?!”  He yelled.

“Louis, its just a carrot!”  He started walking towards me and I ran out of the room towards the living room.  Louis caught me and tickled me till I couldn’t breath.

“L-Louis!  C-Cut…It…Out!”  I gasped.  “What?  You want me to stop?  Okay, I’ll stop…” He said.

Out of nowhere, Zayn comes in and yells, “Dogpile!”  Each one of the boys sat on top of me.

“Get off of me you lot!  Gosh you guys have gotten fatter!”  I yelled laughing.

  I realized that was the first time in a while that I felt content…