Broken Glass Slipper
Summer Love
Niall's Point of View
I chewed my fingernail as I watched her consider my question. I don't know why I asked her right now. She'll probably say no.
But lately, all I can think about is her. Emma. She's taken over my brain, and this is the only way I can think of to tether her to me without her knowing. I'll never have to let her go.
I think about her when she's not with me, and even more when she is. I think about how her eyes are beautiful, but clouded with pain and abuse. I think about her lips, and how I've never heard her laugh, how I've never seen her smile. I think about the way she speaks, softly and on the verge of something important, like she's telling me her secrets every time she speaks. I think about how skinny she is, and about the bruises and healing scrapes that decorate her pale skin. And about her pale skin, so pale, that she could almost be transparent. It's like she's never seen the light of day. I think about what I can do to help her, to put her back together.
But what glue can fix a broken glass slipper, seemingly cracked and shattered beyond repair?
Friendship first. Then trust, and finally, love.
I love her. I love Emma. I won't tell her yet; she doesn't completely trust me. I think.
I just want her to love me back someday.
I blink quickly, breaking out of my silent reverie. Glancing up, I see her twisting her fingers together. Her mouth is opening and closing, words obviously tangled up in her mind.
Suddenly, she asks, "What does being your, quote unquote, girlfriend entail?"
I looked blankly at her before realizing that she was searching for attached strings.
"Well," I started nervously. "We go on dates, and we spend more time together. It's like, uh... Courtship? Yeah. Courtin'."
She nodded slowly, twisting her fingers again. "Am I obligated to kiss you or become physically and intimately active with you in any way?"
I stuttered for a moment before pushing out a timid, "no."
She nodded again before letting out a string of questions.
"Do I have to share a bed with you? Or even a room?" As her questions became more difficult, Emma began breathing harder and speaking faster. "Is it possible for me to go with you because I don't have anywhere to go and I don't want to be alone. And can I-"
She stopped quickly and stood extremely still.
"Emma?" I ventured carefully. "Are you okay?"
She looked down and whispered, "I don't know."
I moved closer to her and cautiously wrapped my hand around hers. Her eyes grew wider and she pulled her hand away, but slowly put it back when she realized that I was not trying to restrain her.
"This is nice," she said, focusing on our hands. I nodded and took her other hand in mine.
"This is one of the things you do when you're dating someone," I explained.
"What else can you do?" She asked, but with curiosity instead of suspicion.
"You can hug, and you can read together, and listen to music together, and you can kiss each other on the forehead, and you can cuddle..." I trailed off, noticing a determined look in her eye.
"Show me," Emma said. It was almost a question.
I gave a small laugh and pulled her closer. I carefully embraced her, and we stood like that for a good few minutes. "I like this," she said, before releasing me.
I kissed her on the forehead, and she brought her fingertips to the spot where I kissed her. Emma nodded and I nodded.
"What's your favorite one?" she asked me.
"Cuddling," I said immediately. I tugged her hand and led her to my bed. I got on and laid on my side. She hesitated, but slid next to me in the end. I carefully put my arms around her and she settled her head into my chest.
She was silent for a while. I heard a quiet cough, and she spoke.
"Niall?" She asked, almost like she was afraid.
"Yeah?" I answered.
"I'll be your girlfriend," she replied.
I sat up with her. "Really?" I exclaimed.
"Yes," she nodded, quirking a corner of her mouth, almost smiling. I kissed her on the forehead again, and then my mum came in.
"Time to pack," she said, her eyes flicking between me and Emma, her mouth widening into a smile.
I nodded and let go of Emma, getting off of the bed.
~~~
Twelve minutes later, I was packed and in the car with Emma by my side.
My mum chattered the whole time about everything she could think of. Recipes, neighborhood gossip, embarrassing baby stories, everything. Emma listened attentively; I watched her. Eventually, my mum started to include Emma in the conversation.
"Do you like to read?" Was answered with a quiet "Yes."
The follow up, "What do you like to read?" Was answered with an even quieter "Everything."
When Mum finally got around to music, I was ready to take mental notes. If you play the music she likes, maybe she'll warm up to you faster, I thought.
"What about music?" My mum asked, never losing her enthusiasm. "Do you like music?"
Emma hesitated and stared at her hands, twisting the fingers again. "I'm not sure. I've never really..." She trailed off, looking scared.
"You've never listened to music?" I cried incredulously.
"I have," she replied, staring at me with her blue, blue eyes. They were brighter now, as she was explaining instead of being interrogated. "It played in the background of the movies I used to play for the kids at the daycare. But nothing really recent. It was all instrumental."
Mum and I were silent for a bit. This is probably the most we've heard Emma speak.
~~~
Actually, we were all silent the rest of the drive to the airport. The security was a breeze, and before we knew it, we were on the plane. First class, baby.
Emma was sitting by the window with me on her other side. I was scrolling through my phone, trying to decide what song to have her listen to first. 'What should be the first song Emma hears?' I finally decided on one of our songs, Summer Love. I don't know why, but it's pretty and I'm secretly hoping she'll be a fan.
The flight attendants did their routine, the pilot makes a short speech and the plane starts moving. Emma gasps and tenses, her hands clenching the armrests.
"Hey, love," I whispered softly, trying to distract her. "Hey. Look here, look at me."
She looks at me, fear etched loud and clear all over her pretty face.
"You'll be okay. Would you like to hold my hand?" I offered, hoping she would. Emma's shaking hand slid over to mine, and she lightly placed her palm to mine. I laced my fingers through hers, and she looked less afraid.
"Feel free to squeeze as hard as you like," I said. She nodded and continued to breathe deeply. And then the plane took off. And my fingers just about lost circulation. Emma's eyes were screwed shut, her body facing me instead of the window.
"You okay?" I asked a couple minutes into the air. Slowly, the pressure in my hand dropped, and Emma sank back into her seat, blinking rapidly. She looked out the window and immediately whipped her head around to face me.
"You don't like planes?" I asked. "Have you been on one before?"
She nodded. "Once. But it's not really the plane. It's the height."
"Oh..." I carefully touched her face, and she looked at me. "Would you like to listen to some music?"
She nodded enthusiastically, and I grabbed my headphones. Once they were plugged in and situated over Emma's ears, I pressed play.
She closed her eyes and sat still for the whole song. I watched her listen, hoping for a reaction somewhere. Once the song ended, Emma opened her eyes and took the headphones off. Only then did I see tears.
"Did you like it?" I asked impatiently.
Emma bit her lip, thinking. Then she nodded. "Yeah. I did like it."
"Want to hear the whole album?" I grinned.
But when I looked at Emma, she was different. Her eyes were shining, she wasn't hunched over. She was smiling. A real smile!
I put the headphones back over her ears, and set up the album. It began playing, and she leaned her head against my shoulder.
I smiled. Things were finally going well.
I chewed my fingernail as I watched her consider my question. I don't know why I asked her right now. She'll probably say no.
But lately, all I can think about is her. Emma. She's taken over my brain, and this is the only way I can think of to tether her to me without her knowing. I'll never have to let her go.
I think about her when she's not with me, and even more when she is. I think about how her eyes are beautiful, but clouded with pain and abuse. I think about her lips, and how I've never heard her laugh, how I've never seen her smile. I think about the way she speaks, softly and on the verge of something important, like she's telling me her secrets every time she speaks. I think about how skinny she is, and about the bruises and healing scrapes that decorate her pale skin. And about her pale skin, so pale, that she could almost be transparent. It's like she's never seen the light of day. I think about what I can do to help her, to put her back together.
But what glue can fix a broken glass slipper, seemingly cracked and shattered beyond repair?
Friendship first. Then trust, and finally, love.
I love her. I love Emma. I won't tell her yet; she doesn't completely trust me. I think.
I just want her to love me back someday.
I blink quickly, breaking out of my silent reverie. Glancing up, I see her twisting her fingers together. Her mouth is opening and closing, words obviously tangled up in her mind.
Suddenly, she asks, "What does being your, quote unquote, girlfriend entail?"
I looked blankly at her before realizing that she was searching for attached strings.
"Well," I started nervously. "We go on dates, and we spend more time together. It's like, uh... Courtship? Yeah. Courtin'."
She nodded slowly, twisting her fingers again. "Am I obligated to kiss you or become physically and intimately active with you in any way?"
I stuttered for a moment before pushing out a timid, "no."
She nodded again before letting out a string of questions.
"Do I have to share a bed with you? Or even a room?" As her questions became more difficult, Emma began breathing harder and speaking faster. "Is it possible for me to go with you because I don't have anywhere to go and I don't want to be alone. And can I-"
She stopped quickly and stood extremely still.
"Emma?" I ventured carefully. "Are you okay?"
She looked down and whispered, "I don't know."
I moved closer to her and cautiously wrapped my hand around hers. Her eyes grew wider and she pulled her hand away, but slowly put it back when she realized that I was not trying to restrain her.
"This is nice," she said, focusing on our hands. I nodded and took her other hand in mine.
"This is one of the things you do when you're dating someone," I explained.
"What else can you do?" She asked, but with curiosity instead of suspicion.
"You can hug, and you can read together, and listen to music together, and you can kiss each other on the forehead, and you can cuddle..." I trailed off, noticing a determined look in her eye.
"Show me," Emma said. It was almost a question.
I gave a small laugh and pulled her closer. I carefully embraced her, and we stood like that for a good few minutes. "I like this," she said, before releasing me.
I kissed her on the forehead, and she brought her fingertips to the spot where I kissed her. Emma nodded and I nodded.
"What's your favorite one?" she asked me.
"Cuddling," I said immediately. I tugged her hand and led her to my bed. I got on and laid on my side. She hesitated, but slid next to me in the end. I carefully put my arms around her and she settled her head into my chest.
She was silent for a while. I heard a quiet cough, and she spoke.
"Niall?" She asked, almost like she was afraid.
"Yeah?" I answered.
"I'll be your girlfriend," she replied.
I sat up with her. "Really?" I exclaimed.
"Yes," she nodded, quirking a corner of her mouth, almost smiling. I kissed her on the forehead again, and then my mum came in.
"Time to pack," she said, her eyes flicking between me and Emma, her mouth widening into a smile.
I nodded and let go of Emma, getting off of the bed.
~~~
Twelve minutes later, I was packed and in the car with Emma by my side.
My mum chattered the whole time about everything she could think of. Recipes, neighborhood gossip, embarrassing baby stories, everything. Emma listened attentively; I watched her. Eventually, my mum started to include Emma in the conversation.
"Do you like to read?" Was answered with a quiet "Yes."
The follow up, "What do you like to read?" Was answered with an even quieter "Everything."
When Mum finally got around to music, I was ready to take mental notes. If you play the music she likes, maybe she'll warm up to you faster, I thought.
"What about music?" My mum asked, never losing her enthusiasm. "Do you like music?"
Emma hesitated and stared at her hands, twisting the fingers again. "I'm not sure. I've never really..." She trailed off, looking scared.
"You've never listened to music?" I cried incredulously.
"I have," she replied, staring at me with her blue, blue eyes. They were brighter now, as she was explaining instead of being interrogated. "It played in the background of the movies I used to play for the kids at the daycare. But nothing really recent. It was all instrumental."
Mum and I were silent for a bit. This is probably the most we've heard Emma speak.
~~~
Actually, we were all silent the rest of the drive to the airport. The security was a breeze, and before we knew it, we were on the plane. First class, baby.
Emma was sitting by the window with me on her other side. I was scrolling through my phone, trying to decide what song to have her listen to first. 'What should be the first song Emma hears?' I finally decided on one of our songs, Summer Love. I don't know why, but it's pretty and I'm secretly hoping she'll be a fan.
The flight attendants did their routine, the pilot makes a short speech and the plane starts moving. Emma gasps and tenses, her hands clenching the armrests.
"Hey, love," I whispered softly, trying to distract her. "Hey. Look here, look at me."
She looks at me, fear etched loud and clear all over her pretty face.
"You'll be okay. Would you like to hold my hand?" I offered, hoping she would. Emma's shaking hand slid over to mine, and she lightly placed her palm to mine. I laced my fingers through hers, and she looked less afraid.
"Feel free to squeeze as hard as you like," I said. She nodded and continued to breathe deeply. And then the plane took off. And my fingers just about lost circulation. Emma's eyes were screwed shut, her body facing me instead of the window.
"You okay?" I asked a couple minutes into the air. Slowly, the pressure in my hand dropped, and Emma sank back into her seat, blinking rapidly. She looked out the window and immediately whipped her head around to face me.
"You don't like planes?" I asked. "Have you been on one before?"
She nodded. "Once. But it's not really the plane. It's the height."
"Oh..." I carefully touched her face, and she looked at me. "Would you like to listen to some music?"
She nodded enthusiastically, and I grabbed my headphones. Once they were plugged in and situated over Emma's ears, I pressed play.
She closed her eyes and sat still for the whole song. I watched her listen, hoping for a reaction somewhere. Once the song ended, Emma opened her eyes and took the headphones off. Only then did I see tears.
"Did you like it?" I asked impatiently.
Emma bit her lip, thinking. Then she nodded. "Yeah. I did like it."
"Want to hear the whole album?" I grinned.
But when I looked at Emma, she was different. Her eyes were shining, she wasn't hunched over. She was smiling. A real smile!
I put the headphones back over her ears, and set up the album. It began playing, and she leaned her head against my shoulder.
I smiled. Things were finally going well.
Notes
IM SUCH AN AWFUL WRITER DONT LOOK AT ME
Hi. So, as you can probably guess, I did not write at all while in my camp and at my family reunion. But, I've been working on this for about four days, and I finally found some extra time to post it!
Im also not feeling great. I'm having some issues with myself, so please be patient with me. I love you guys so much, and thank you for listening to my pathetic self.
xx- PickNandos
I love this story too and u have worked too hard to give up. Plz take my advice and continue writing
10/25/15