The door dings above my head, signalling my presence. There were only a few people in the building, and none of them looked like those ‘Directioners’, so I assume that he had not arrived yet. I walk up to the counter and order a medium coffee, as I don’t know how long this may take and if not I will need it to spill over his head.

I scanned the room for an empty booth at the back where there wouldn’t be a lot of attention towards us. His benefit and mine. I still can’t believe at how quick the pace had taken since my arrival. It’s as if he had known that I was to come back. Or had he found out?

Note to self, interrogate Mr. Tomlinson regarding how much information he knows for Black Cove still.

“Hey, there you are.” I look up and to my surprise it was Ryan. His hand fishes into his pocket and pulls out my phone. “You left this back at the hotel. Thought you would want this.” I’m sure that I did grab my phone? I go through my purse and pull out a phone. His phone. Oh.

“Sorry, I grabbed yours by mistake. Here you go.” We swapped phones and left them on vibrate. We should really get them covered.

“Not here yet, huh?” Ryan asks, looking around the cafe.

“He tends to be late. It’s who he is.” I shrug, playing with my sleeve. From the corner of my eye I see him sit in the seat across from me and cross his arms over his chest.

“I see. Something you always knew about him, and cherished?” He questions, gaining my attention.

“What is that supposed to mean?” My heart starts to race at what he is trying to point out, which is obviously isn’t true. My feelings for him had vanished the moment that I had been recruited for Black Cove. He never came for me, so why should I bother going back to him?

“I’m pretty sure those feelings haven’t vanished completely, Ariel. They are still there. You are just leaving them trapped in there.”

“What are you trying to do? I don’t like him, Ryan. Not anymore. He has a girlfriend,” I leaned closer to him so I wouldn’t have to say it out loud. “Which is the same person we are after, mind you. So get off the love boat because that ship had sunk.” His amused expression grew a smirk, shaking his head.

“Whatever you say.”

The bell rings and a few amount of screaming girls were heard from the outside. In came Mr. Horan himself along with some men in black, restraining the girls outside from entering the building. Niall looked around and when he saw me he started to grin, quickly speed walking towards me, then slowly stopping when he had seen Ryan. His smile started to fade.

“Guess this is my cue to leave.” I nod in agreement. “See you later, Ariel. Call me if anything happens, yeah?” He asks of me. I nod silently. Niall finally stood by us and in front of Ryan.

“Mr. Horan. A pleasure.” Ryan greets him with a curt nod. Niall returns the gesture quickly and firmly before Ryan’s departure from us.

My gaze travels back to Niall who had taken his seat across from me and removed his jacket. I noticed that his hair had become more brunette at the roots as his head tilted down. When the jacket was fully removed and hung on the hanger on our booth he clasps his hands together and stares at me.

“What is it?” I question him, sitting back against my seat. He only shrugs, looking down to his hands, circling his thumbs. He is nervous.

“Nothin’. Just thinkin’.”

“Of?”

“Why was he here?” He quickly asks, making me roll my eyes. “Thought it was just the two of us.” He jerks his head towards the door where Ryan had left through.

“He brought me my phone. I accidentally took his by mistake in my rush to get here.”

“‘Your rush’?” His head is picked up, his blue eyes staring right at me, a smirk growing on his lips.

“I didn’t want to get caught in the traffic of those screaming teenagers that tend to wait outside of the building any of you are in. Seems like they had found you already.” I say as I look over to the window at the far left of us where you can see a small glimpse of the girls screaming and trying to take photos. I move my hair to the side to shield my face from them so from that angle they can’t see me.

“Yeah, they do that, alot. It’s like they are a part of the FBI, or somethin’. It’s amazing.” He says, turning his head a full 180 to wave at them, making their muffled screams audible.

“I see.” The lady at the front desk calls out my cover name, allowing me to excuse myself and go up to the counter to retrieve my coffee.

“Elizabeth Rogers?” She asks me.

“Yeah.” She hands me my drink along with my receipt, eyeing me suspiciously. I gave her a confusing glare and she rolls her eyes at me before walking to the back. She probably spit in my drink. Tasty. I returned to Niall who was on his phone, sending a text. I briefly saw the contact name ‘Rebecca’ followed by a bunch of hearts after it.

“The girlfriend?” I blurt out, taking my seat. His eyes quickly shot up to me as he shoved the phone into his pocket.

“N-No.” I raise an eyebrow, making his head lower. “Yes. She is just asking me where I am. I swear.”

“What did you tell her?” I quickly ask, becoming more alert.

“Uh, that I was out with Harry here?” He says in a more questioning tone, unsure if he was right or not.

“You know she would come here, right?”

“No, she gives me my-”

“MOVE OUT OF MY FUCKING WAY, YOU BITCHES… Fucking hell.. Where is Niall? I heard he is here.” I roll my eyes at the sound of her perky voice, followed by the clicks of her high heels.

“Gives you your what?” I ask innocently, leaving my head in my hands. He shakes his head at me.

“I swear she-”

“Niall, there you are babe!” She says once she had reached us, cutting him off. She shoves Niall further down the booth quite forcefully to give herself room. “So, what are we talking about?” She asks, taking a sip from my coffee.

“What are you doing here? I thought you were working?” Niall asks her tiredly.

“Well, they gave me the day off so I thought it would be nice to spend it with my boyfriend. I thought you were recording?” She fires back, leaving me third-wheeling.

“It’s not my day. It’s Louis and Zayn’s day today.” Louis..

“Oh, so you decided to spend your morning with… Who are you again? I could've sworn the text say Harry..” She looks at me up and down.

“I'm Elizabeth.” I smile tightly, extending my hand out to her. She looks at it in disgust so I retract my hand back to me.

“Right. You’re that girl… Look, I appreciate you keeping him company but you can go now. I’m here. Thanks.” She shoo’s me, taking another sip of my coffee.

“Course, I’m sure that I’m just being in the way.” A kick to my knee turns my head to Niall, who vigorously shook his head quickly.

“She can stay. I was only catching up with her.”

“Old friend?” She immediately asks.

“Yeah. So…” He slowly motions for her to leave, but she had taken that the wrong way.

“Okay, let’s go.” She tugs on his arm, but fails to get him to stand up.

“I’m staying. You can go on ahead.”

“This shouldn’t be very long anyway.” I interrupt with my mutter. She squints her eyes at me, planting the palms of her hands on the table and leaning in. Don’t. Fight. Her... Yet.

“You try something sneaky on me, you will be sorry. I may be just another pretty face, but I am more experienced than you will ever know.” She whispers harshly, probably because she doesn’t want Niall to hear. Does Niall even know of her being in the A.R.Y.A.?

“No problem, Rebecca.” I sneer. She stands up more properly and flips her hair, before walking back to Niall and planting a sloppy kiss to Niall. When all was over she walks out, swaying her small hips out the door.

“I’m sorry about… Her…” Niall tries to apologize.

“You definitely did better, didn’t you?” I say sarcastically, picking up the coffee cup and getting out of my seat to toss it out.

“No way. This is getting painful to be in.” He says sadly, resting his head in his hand.

“I see.” I roll my eyes. “So, the reason why you wanted me to come here is because…?” I ask, changing the subject.

“I want us to really start over.” He states, leaving his hands on his lap.

“You’re kidding.” I scoff. “You’re a bit late for that, Horan.” I tell him, crossing my arms.

“Ari, I know you missed me, you can’t deny it. The way you acted towards me yesterday was so obvious that you did.” He smirks, mimicking me.

“I didn’t. I’ve changed, Niall. In more ways than one. I’m not the same person back in Oak Hills. I’m different, and I’ve come to accept it. You and Louis need to do the same.” I explain to him, catching him off guard.

“Your sassiness hasn’t changed, though. That’s still there.”

“Do you really want to push me there?” I challenge him. He leans in closer over the table, a smile over his face when he spoke.

“Try me.” He leans back, a satisfied look on his features, happy with what he is doing to me. He looks down to his phone and mutters a profanity before getting up and putting on his jacket.

“And where are you going?” I ask him.

“I have work to go to. Gonna have to cut this meeting short, Princess. But I’m gonna leave you with this. Consider it a peace treaty, and the start of something great.” He pulls out a velvet box from one of the many pockets in his jacket and sets it on the table. “Hope you can still stick around.” With one last smile, he was out the door.

I study the box in front of me, while his words replaying in my mind. I didn’t miss him anymore, I didn’t. It was just a moment of weakness, when the past catches up with you. Yet, I didn’t protest when he called me ‘Princess’. I shake my head and decide to take the ‘peace offering’ that Niall had described it.

Slowly but surely, I propped open the box to see a strip of paper inside slipping out and landing on the table, softly as a feather. It had revealed a glimmering necklace in gold, a pendant of a Peace Tree in the middle, reminding me of the Tree. Our Tree.




I reached for the slip of paper which read:

Ariella,
This necklace was meant for you the day you disappeared. I was planning to ask you to Prom at our tree, but we were cheated out by Brittney. It was a mistake to have her write a letter to you saying to meet me there, as she wrote two different letters. Yours said to meet me that day, while mine said to meet me there the next morning. Hope this Peace Tree will get us to truce, and hopefully start over. I did try for you Princess. Believe me. Text me sometime.

xxx-xxx-xxxx. -Niall

Notes

I'm sorry about my absence, I got a bit caught up with D.V.R.... I'm gonna try and slow that one down and continue writing this one more often. Again, sorry about that. Hope you enjoyed! x