I Thought You'd Care
Chapter 25: That's It
Chapter 25: That’s It
Niall’s POV
We spent a few minutes in silence as we drove into London, Harry driving, and me and Nell in the back seats. I think all of us were contemplating how strange it was that she was going to be living with us. It only took me a minute to get past the weirdness of it all when I started to get excited. A girl that I happened to very much like was moving into the bedroom next to mine. Things were bound to happen. Good things. Possibly even very good things.
It was while I was contemplating what those very good things might be when this girl spoke up, sarcasm dripping from her voice. “It appears I’ve been misinformed my whole life. According to this very reliable source, my name is not Nell, it is, in fact ‘Slut-Bitch-Face’. I can’t believe I’ve been wrong this whole time.”
I looked over at her, a laugh starting, when I saw she was on her phone, on twitter. I winced and sat back in my seat, sighing. “Yeah, about that. I’m sorry. I love the fans, but sometimes they can be a bit…” I searched for the right word. “Dedicated.” I decided.
She grinned and passed me her phone so I could look at the tweet.
@NiallsLove: omg your such a slut bitch face I bet that’s your name you cunt
As much as it hurt me to see fans insulting her, I couldn’t help but laugh at that one. “I mean it.” I said, giving her phone back to her. “I am really sorry that people say this kind of thing.”
Harry glanced at us in the rearview. “It’s pretty awful, what they say, sometimes. Usually it dies down pretty quickly, though.”
She only nodded and kept scrolling through her mentions. “It honestly doesn’t really bother me. I used to let people get to me, but I don’t anymore. Especially not over twitter. And every once in a while, through these hundreds of tweets, I find one person who says, ‘You guys are cute together’ or ‘I’m sorry about all these people who think it’s okay to insult you.’” I watched as she exited twitter and went to her messages, sending a quick text to someone. “And then I think, there are actually a few good people in the world. It’s nice.”
“I just wish that they would let us be happy and not scorn every girl we cross paths with.” Harry said, taking another quick look at us in the mirror. “It’s just not fair.”
“Seriously, guys, it’s fine. I really don’t even care that much. Let’s just talk about something else.” She sent another text, replying to one that had made her phone buzz. I couldn’t help but wonder who she was texting.
“So…I guess we should brief you about the flat.” I said, grasping for something to say.
She laughed. “Yeah, that would be good. I still feel quite strange about it, but it was really nice of Liam to offer. And it’ll be fun.” She squeezed my hand quickly. I looked up at Harry, but he hadn’t noticed, so I just grinned at her.
“Well, you’ll be staying in the guest bedroom, which is right between Harry and I’s. We don’t have a tour or anything, and we’re actually going to be on break for these next two weeks, so we should be home most of the time.”
Harry piped up. “Niall, Liam, and I share a bathroom, and it sounds like you’ll be lumped in with us. Sorry.”
“Okay, that’s fine. It’s not really a big deal. And I’ll try not to take too long in there.” She winked at me, making me swoon a bit.
“Oh, and another thing,” I added. “The other three lads sometimes stay at their girlfriend’s flats, maybe three or four times a week. They go back and forth.”
We continued to talk, making jokes and briefing Nell about the flat all the way into London. We finally pulled into the garage where Harry keeps his cars, and grabbed Nell’s suitcases. She tried to get them herself, but Harry and I insisted, so she only carried her backpack and phone over to the elevator. As Harry fumbled with the keys I noticed that she was biting her lip nervously, which was simultaneously adorable and really sexy, so I reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. She smiled at me, but looked away rather quickly. I didn’t have time to analyze that, though, because Harry opened the door and I heard the others yell, “You’re back!” Zayn and Louis jumped over the couch and gave her a hug—jealous—and Liam came over and kissed her on the cheek—more jealous. She laughed at all the attention we were giving her, and answered all the questions that the boys threw at her. Finally, I’d had enough, and I wanted to talk to her anyway, so I said, “Here, I’ll help move you in. Harry, can you start dinner?” He nodded in response, and I led her and the suitcases over to the guest bedroom.
She looked inside and peered around, grinning. “This is awesome,” she said.
“Yeah, it’s a nice flat. Um, listen, can we talk?” I was getting straight to the point.
She looked down and shifted her feet. “Sure, yeah.” I closed the door and sat down on the bed, where she sat next to me.
“So, I’ll just get to what I want to ask. What are we?” I asked, motioning between us. “I mean, are we dating or what? I just…I’m not sure.”
She stared at her hands. “I think that maybe we should…not label it. We shouldn’t be anything. I don’t really want to date right now.”
My heart sank. “Yeah, yeah, that’s cool. That’s all good. Can I have one more kiss before we become just friends?”
She finally looked at me and laughed. “Niall, when I say I don’t want to date, it doesn’t mean we can’t, you know, do anything. Like kissing or whatever. I just don’t want to do it in front of other people.” I nearly died contemplating what ‘whatever’ could mean.
I grinned. “That sounds good. Do I still get my kiss?” I asked cheekily.
She laughed. “Okay, blondie. But don’t make it last too long. They’re probably already getting suspicious.” She leaned in and kissed me lightly on the lips, leaving me aching for more.
“That’s it?” I asked, pouting.
“For now,” she said, and stood up, walking back over to the door. She opened it and headed back into the living room, me in tow, shaking my head. The things she did to me.
Niall’s POV
We spent a few minutes in silence as we drove into London, Harry driving, and me and Nell in the back seats. I think all of us were contemplating how strange it was that she was going to be living with us. It only took me a minute to get past the weirdness of it all when I started to get excited. A girl that I happened to very much like was moving into the bedroom next to mine. Things were bound to happen. Good things. Possibly even very good things.
It was while I was contemplating what those very good things might be when this girl spoke up, sarcasm dripping from her voice. “It appears I’ve been misinformed my whole life. According to this very reliable source, my name is not Nell, it is, in fact ‘Slut-Bitch-Face’. I can’t believe I’ve been wrong this whole time.”
I looked over at her, a laugh starting, when I saw she was on her phone, on twitter. I winced and sat back in my seat, sighing. “Yeah, about that. I’m sorry. I love the fans, but sometimes they can be a bit…” I searched for the right word. “Dedicated.” I decided.
She grinned and passed me her phone so I could look at the tweet.
@NiallsLove: omg your such a slut bitch face I bet that’s your name you cunt
As much as it hurt me to see fans insulting her, I couldn’t help but laugh at that one. “I mean it.” I said, giving her phone back to her. “I am really sorry that people say this kind of thing.”
Harry glanced at us in the rearview. “It’s pretty awful, what they say, sometimes. Usually it dies down pretty quickly, though.”
She only nodded and kept scrolling through her mentions. “It honestly doesn’t really bother me. I used to let people get to me, but I don’t anymore. Especially not over twitter. And every once in a while, through these hundreds of tweets, I find one person who says, ‘You guys are cute together’ or ‘I’m sorry about all these people who think it’s okay to insult you.’” I watched as she exited twitter and went to her messages, sending a quick text to someone. “And then I think, there are actually a few good people in the world. It’s nice.”
“I just wish that they would let us be happy and not scorn every girl we cross paths with.” Harry said, taking another quick look at us in the mirror. “It’s just not fair.”
“Seriously, guys, it’s fine. I really don’t even care that much. Let’s just talk about something else.” She sent another text, replying to one that had made her phone buzz. I couldn’t help but wonder who she was texting.
“So…I guess we should brief you about the flat.” I said, grasping for something to say.
She laughed. “Yeah, that would be good. I still feel quite strange about it, but it was really nice of Liam to offer. And it’ll be fun.” She squeezed my hand quickly. I looked up at Harry, but he hadn’t noticed, so I just grinned at her.
“Well, you’ll be staying in the guest bedroom, which is right between Harry and I’s. We don’t have a tour or anything, and we’re actually going to be on break for these next two weeks, so we should be home most of the time.”
Harry piped up. “Niall, Liam, and I share a bathroom, and it sounds like you’ll be lumped in with us. Sorry.”
“Okay, that’s fine. It’s not really a big deal. And I’ll try not to take too long in there.” She winked at me, making me swoon a bit.
“Oh, and another thing,” I added. “The other three lads sometimes stay at their girlfriend’s flats, maybe three or four times a week. They go back and forth.”
We continued to talk, making jokes and briefing Nell about the flat all the way into London. We finally pulled into the garage where Harry keeps his cars, and grabbed Nell’s suitcases. She tried to get them herself, but Harry and I insisted, so she only carried her backpack and phone over to the elevator. As Harry fumbled with the keys I noticed that she was biting her lip nervously, which was simultaneously adorable and really sexy, so I reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. She smiled at me, but looked away rather quickly. I didn’t have time to analyze that, though, because Harry opened the door and I heard the others yell, “You’re back!” Zayn and Louis jumped over the couch and gave her a hug—jealous—and Liam came over and kissed her on the cheek—more jealous. She laughed at all the attention we were giving her, and answered all the questions that the boys threw at her. Finally, I’d had enough, and I wanted to talk to her anyway, so I said, “Here, I’ll help move you in. Harry, can you start dinner?” He nodded in response, and I led her and the suitcases over to the guest bedroom.
She looked inside and peered around, grinning. “This is awesome,” she said.
“Yeah, it’s a nice flat. Um, listen, can we talk?” I was getting straight to the point.
She looked down and shifted her feet. “Sure, yeah.” I closed the door and sat down on the bed, where she sat next to me.
“So, I’ll just get to what I want to ask. What are we?” I asked, motioning between us. “I mean, are we dating or what? I just…I’m not sure.”
She stared at her hands. “I think that maybe we should…not label it. We shouldn’t be anything. I don’t really want to date right now.”
My heart sank. “Yeah, yeah, that’s cool. That’s all good. Can I have one more kiss before we become just friends?”
She finally looked at me and laughed. “Niall, when I say I don’t want to date, it doesn’t mean we can’t, you know, do anything. Like kissing or whatever. I just don’t want to do it in front of other people.” I nearly died contemplating what ‘whatever’ could mean.
I grinned. “That sounds good. Do I still get my kiss?” I asked cheekily.
She laughed. “Okay, blondie. But don’t make it last too long. They’re probably already getting suspicious.” She leaned in and kissed me lightly on the lips, leaving me aching for more.
“That’s it?” I asked, pouting.
“For now,” she said, and stood up, walking back over to the door. She opened it and headed back into the living room, me in tow, shaking my head. The things she did to me.
8/19/13