Aria’s P.O.V.

After five long, boring days at the hospital, they finally released me. After I changed out of those hideous hospital clothes, I slipped on my jeans and struggled to put on a shirt because of my shoulder.

The nurses were such bitches to Niall and I. They never let us get out of bed to go see each other, but freaking let us out of the hospital on the same day. As I tried desperately to pull the shirt over my head, there was a knock on the door.

“Just a second.” I called, grunting as a hand slipped through the whole arm hole of the shirt.

“It’s Niall.” The Irish voice said from the other side. Oh my god. Niall? I hadn’t seen him in forever. Fuck the stupid shirt.

“Fine. Come in.”

He stepped inside my room, and when he saw my predicament, closed the door quickly and came over to help me.

“Arms out.” He commanded with a grin, looking straight at my eyes. I did as he said, and he stuck the shirt through my arms, then pulled the shirt down over my head.

“What a great way to start our reunion.” I smirked, before using my good arm to pull him into a hug. But when his arms fell around my waist, I flinched. Every touch and any touch seemed so frightening to me. I pushed it aside, thinking about how Niall and I fit together like puzzle pieces. Perfect.

“I missed you, princess.” He said quietly, resting his chin on my forehead. He held me in his arms protectively, as if he couldn’t let go. Finally I leaned back, the smell of his favorite shampoo making my skin tingle.

“Niall, I never got to say it earlier, but thank you.”

He smiled, kissing my right cheek, then left cheek. Then he kissed my nose, and my forehead. And lastly my lips.

I missed that feeling, the feeling where I felt like I was walking on clouds. The lightheaded feeling, and the one that sent shivers up my spine. The feeling of his lips massaging against mine. It was addicting.

When the kiss broke, Niall pulled me back into a hug, before picking me up and twirling me around. I don’t know how he was doing it, with his hand all bandaged up, but if he could manage, then I wasn’t complaining.

“We should go.” Niall laughed, pulling away for the last time.

“Yeah.” I took his hand, our fingers lacing together.

“Have I ever mentioned how much I hate hospitals?” Niall asked as we made our way up to the reception desk.

“No. But I can see why.” I snorted. “It’s so depressing.”

The secretary looked up at us as shot us a dirty look. Niall leaned forward against the counter.
“I’m checking Aria Lubianco out.” Niall said. The secretary narrowed her eyes at Niall.

“You look a little young to be her father.”

Niall’s grip around my hand tightened. “Well, see, thing is,” Niall cleared his throat. “The reason why she was here in the first place was because she was involved in a life-threatening event. Her father killed her mother, and was constantly abusing my girlfriend here, so I stepped in to help. I almost got killed myself, but my best friend killed her father, and saved the both of us.” He snorted. “So will you please just shut the fuck up?”

Wait. Niall didn’t kill my father?

The secretary looked alarmed, and immediately nodded, pressing keys on her keyboard and doing whatever it took to check me out. She wished us a good day, to which Niall calmly responded,

“Have a good day, bitch.”

“Niall,” I warned, squeezing his hand. He just shrugged and pulled me out of the hospital building. Maura and Gregg were waiting for us outside. I ran out to her and gave her a hug, which she kindly returned.

“Ready to go?” Gregg asked, once we were all in the rental car.

“Yup.” Niall answered for the two of us.

We drove off, towards our hotel.

---

Gregg and Maura dropped us at our hotel then went off to theirs, which wasn’t so far away. The boys were kind enough to let Niall and I get our own room, while the four of them shared one room. I protested, telling them it would be okay, but I secretly did want to be alone.

As soon as we entered our room, I crashed onto a bed, and it felt like heaven. I mean, the hospital beds weren’t much better than that chair I was strapped to for three and a half weeks straight. Niall kind of just stood in front of me, his hands shoved in his pockets. An adorable smile played on his lips, and his blue eyes sparkled.

“You’re being creepy.” I smirked, but grabbed his hand and pulled him into bed beside me. Niall laughed and drew me into his arms, humming softly.

“Niall? Who really killed my father?”

He looked down at me, his warm breath making me skin tingle. “Liam.”

“Liam told me that you killed him, though.”

Niall frowned .”Well, he was lying. I guess he just wanted me to get all the credit.”

“He’s such a sweet guy.” I sighed, noticing how Niall’s smile dropped a little. “But don’t get jealous. So are you.”

He grinned happily. “And you’re a great girl.”

I flipped my hair. “I know.”

We were silent, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Nothing was uncomfortable compared to what life in a freezing man cave was like.

“Hey, Niall, can you promise me something?”

He took one of my hands and intertwined our fingers. “Of course.”

“Promise me that you’ll forget what happened. I just want to forget it. Please.”

“Anything for you, princess.”

He kissed my nose and rested his head in the crook of my neck, breathing softly.

“I love you, Aria.”

The words were so beautiful, I almost forgot he was telling them to me. “I love you more, Niall.”

“Not possible.”

“But it’s true.”

“Not it’s not. I love you more.”

“Are we seriously arguing about this?”

“Yes. Yes we are.”

“Shut up, Niall.”

“Kay.”

I rolled my eyes as he hugged me, but secretly, I loved when we bantered lightly over stupid things. It was really entertaining, especially when I won, like I just did. He always lets me win, anyways.

“Aria, can I ask you one thing about your…time, at uh- your mum’s?”

I gave him a warning look. “Fine.”

He gulped, looking down. “Did he…did he touch you?”

My silence answered his question.

“Oh my god,” Niall whispered. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I ever let you go. I’m so-“ I pressed my finger to his lip, shutting him up.

“Niall, we are supposed to forget it ever happened.”

He nodded quickly. “Okay.”

I think we both knew that it would never truly be forgotten.

He looked down towards my collar bone and rubbed his thumb over one of the necklaces he had given me. The charm he was playing with was the gold Eifel Tower necklace with a letter N attached to the charm.

“I remember this one.” He said quietly, then dropped that necklace back onto my skin and picked up the other charm, which read “Princess.”

“I gave this one to you for your birthday.”

“I never take them off.” I whispered. “Never.”

He smiled down at me, before combing his finger through my hair and kissing my lips softly.
I laughed lightly. “What was that for?”

“That was for being so perfect.”

“But I’m not-“

“Don’t even say it.” Niall said, raising as eyebrow. “You know you’re perfect to me.”

I smiled, looking down. Because the truth was, Niall had seemed to find a way to make me feel beautiful. It was the way he told me he loved me, the way he kissed me, the way he touched me, the way he held me. It was the way he wasn’t embarrassed to show me off, and the way he told me I was beautiful, that made me truly feel that way.

“Liam told me that the only way to make up for you practically saving my life is to marry you.” I said with a slow smile. Niall shot me a smile back.

“Oh really?”

“Yup.”

“Well, I guess that is a fair deal.” He teased, tapping his chin as if he was thinking. “Want to know what my mum told me?”

I nodded.

“She told me that one day, she wants you to be her daughter-in-law.”

“I guess I’m okay with that.” I smirked, followed by a giggle.

“We got all the time in the world, princess.” Niall laughed, caressing my cheek with the back of his hand. “We can take things slow.”

“Yeah.” I agreed. “We’ll just take little steps.”

Niall nodded, repeating my words.

“Little steps.”

Notes

awwww finally everyone is safe and soud. FINALLY.