The Irish Exchange Student (Narry Storan)

Chapter 33

HEYYYYY GUYS! So I know I haven't been updating but I promise I will try more. I won't be starting any new books for a while after I finish TIES and Stable Boy. I'll update the Instagram story when I can and hopefully, I'll be able to start writing again. I'm hopefully going to get into a school where I'll be focusing on Creative Writing so hopefully, my writing will improve and I'll have more capacity to write longer chapters.

Also... It's the last chapter!!!! (I'll have a probably short 500-700 word epilogue after) but this is it!

3 months later

Harry

Niall did really well throughout his recovery process. He's still going healing a little bit and he's still a bit anxious in certain situations but he has been amazing and has been really strong. Like Liam said he did have some days where he completely shut down and just stopped functioning which was really scary, but I knew he needed to cry, shout, and scream all he wanted. I tried to let him have his space on those days since I worried I would just be a reminder of what happened. Most of the time he locked himself in my bedroom, but he's mostly been living here since we have a therapist who lives down the street so it's easier for her to come over quicker than if he stayed at Liam's. Liam and Louis come over almost every day, so we're not missing them at all. 

Mum informed the school of what happened and they allowed us 3 months to get back together as long as we have someone to get us homework, and as long as we still complete the homework.

Niall's therapist Stephanie comes over 3 days a week and is available on call just in case. Niall calls him mum every Saturday at 3 pm and every Tuesday and 5 pm. One thing he's developed as a side effect of his trauma is he needs things to be scheduled or on a rhythm. We have dinner at 6 - 6:30 every night unless something is happening or Niall is having a bad day, which is the only time we have a more freeform day. Every Friday night we order Nandos and watch a movie (usually Finding Nemo) and Niall and I just cuddle and relax.

He doesn't like to be caught by surprise, and he gets nervous and gets panic attacks every time someone does something unannounced. He's gotten upset with me sometimes when I go out to pick up food without telling him, or when Louis and Liam come over unannounced he starts crying and yelling and holes himself in his room for a while to calm himself down.

He always ends up breaking down and crying apologizing for being such a controlling boyfriend and how he's sorry he's so broken. I don't see Niall as controlling for wanting to know where I'm going. I know most people would, but he's been through so much and he's just worried somethings going to happen and he's not going to know. He's worried he'll be hurt or something will happen.

We have a schedule hanging on my bedroom door, and if I'm ever doing something, or going out he knows about it. He also writes down if he's going to call Liam or if he is going to be on a call with Stephanie. If there are any changes throughout the day we write it on the whiteboard with the schedule so that Niall can know what's going on.

"Hazza? I can't find Bear." Niall whines and comes into the bedroom.

Bear is a teddy bear I won him on a date we went to a week after he got out of the hospital. We went to a carnival, and he fell in love with this small brown bear with big eyes and a big smile and a bow around his neck.

Ever since he got it, it's been a comfort item for him, and whenever he feels anxious or worried he'll cling to it and it relaxes him. I normally would be jealous a bear has taken my place but when we got back from the date he took my cologne and sprayed the bear with it.

"So if I'm worried while you're out it's like you're here with me." He told me, and I couldn't be jealous of that.

"Babe I'm sure it's still in here, you were cuddling with him last night right?" I ask and he nods and looks around the room.

We look around the room for 15 minutes and I know the longer it's taking the more anxious Niall is becoming. He's starting to hyperventilate and I start looking harder.

"Should we look downstairs, love? Maybe you took him down for the movie last night?" I suggest and Niall nods and rushes downstairs. I know he's feeling really anxious as he doesn't remember bringing Bear down with him.

He rushes to the home theater room, and Bear is sitting in the front row of the seats with a bouquet of roses, and around his neck is a ring hanging from his bowtie.

"Hazza? What is this?" He mutters holding up Bear with the ring in his fingers.

"Niall... I know this wasn't on the whiteboard, but I wanted to surprise you. I love you so much, and I know we have only been together a few months, but I know it's you I want, and it's you I'll always come back to. I knew the minute you were gone, you were all I wanted. I have every intention of loving you for the rest of my life. I know it's early to be engaged, we haven't even gotten our college acceptance letters back, but I promise I'll love you no matter what, so this is me promising to love you for the rest of my life. I got you this promise ring so that you'll know I always will love you. Can you promise me the same?" I explain tears in my eyes, but Niall is full-on sobbing.

"Hazza, I love you so much, of course, I'll love you for the rest of my life." He attacks me with a hug and nearly knocks me over. I laugh and cry and hug him tighter than I ever have in my life.

"I have one more surprise for you Ni," I whisper in his ears and he pulls away and looks at me with big eyes.

"It's good I promise," I tell him leading him to the living room with Maura Gallagher sitting on the couch with a big smile.

"Mum!" Niall yells and runs to his mother who embraces him with open arms. Immediately they sit down and start talking Niall showing his mum his new ring and Maura starts gushing over it. I'm soon forgotten. I smile and look fondly at Niall, and I can help but imagine the future.

AYEEEEEEEEE. How did we like it? I'm quite happy with how this turned out! Only the epilogue left! I feel really happy with how this book came out and I hope you enjoyed it. I'm going to have the epilogue in Niall's POV since we haven't really had one in his for a while.

<3

-Wolfie