*Mackenzie’s POV (Afternoon, Sunday the 8th)

Thanks to Zayn, I’ve gotten thousands more followers all over the internet and lots more people have bought my album on iTunes. Ever since he talked me up on the radio, his followers have become my followers too. I gave him a big hug when we got back from Chicago and I must’ve thanked him a million times.

I expected that after all this happened, Mr. Horan would try extra hard to give me more gigs and maybe even get my album in stores. On the contrary, he’s been giving me more time off. Usually at this time on Sundays, Mr. Horan goes golfing with his buddies but every weekend since we got home, he’s been staying here just lingering around the house.

He never did mention the magazine cover Niall spotted when I was away. I’m relieved but at the same time very paranoid. It doesn’t seem like the kind of thing Mr. Horan would do but it could be that he is playing with our minds. He could have known all this time about the magazine and figured out our secret.

He’s either thinking that we don’t know about the cover and that he’s got the upper hand, or that we do know about it and he’s waiting for us to come clean. I mean that magazine was literally everywhere we went for a week or so after I got back. The only explanation I can think of for Mr. Horan not telling us, is that he is choosing to be passive aggressive about it.

We just had lunch and Niall and I are in his room talking about it. “Lovely, everything is fine. He hasn’t mentioned anything about it so as long as we don’t say anything either, things will be okay.” he says rubbing my arm. “I’m still not sure, Ni. How could he have not seen it? He has to know. Who knows? Maybe if we come clean, we’ll convince him to finally approve. Our 1 year anniversary is in 3 days after all!”

He gets up and starts pacing. “Now that I think about it, he does know. That story was everywhere we went when you first got home and ever since he’s been at home a lot more. He even seemed to be spying on us a few times. Plus he’s given you less work since then so you’ve been home more. Probably to keep an eye on us more often. This is definitely not a good sign.” Wow, and I thought I was paranoid.

Well this really doesn’t make me feel better. It feels like not only my career but now my relationship with Niall is hanging in the balance. I feel so guilty about keeping this from Mr. Horan now that I know he knows. I want to just tell him and get it over with. But then I’d be risking Niall and I breaking up as well as my career being compromised. If he’s that upset with us for going behind his back for almost a year, he could drop me from the label.

This is not easy because I don’t want to lose my career that’s barely taken off finally, or Niall. I guess Niall knows I’m thinking about all this since I’ve been silent for a bit. He comes and sits back next to me and gives me a hug. “No matter what happens with this mess, I love you so much.” he says. I smile and hug him tighter. “I love you so much too.”

All of a sudden Zayn comes in asking where Emily is but we haven’t seen her since lunch. He leaves and Niall and I go back to hugging. We really don’t have much to say considering we’re both so nervous. We’re lying on his bed cuddling when we see Zayn and Em going downstairs. A minute later we hear Mr. Horan calling. “Niall, Mackenzie, can you come down here please?”

We look at each other. Could this be the start of the conversation we’ve been dreading for months? I wanna hold his hand so bad but we go downstairs separately just in case this has nothing to do with us. Both he and Mrs. Horan are sitting on the living room couch. Emily and Zayn are nowhere to be seen. “Come, sit.” he says. We cautiously go to the loveseat across from them and purposely sit without our legs touching.

There are a few moments of uncomfortable silence while Mr. Horan just stares at the two of us. “What’s this about, pa?” Niall asks him. “Yes, what is this about?” He gets up and starts to pace the room. “Well, Mackenzie’s career is starting to really get going now. Her album is popular on iTunes, she’s done a fair amount of gigs in the LA area, and her social media following has grown exponentially. However, recently something…intriguing has come to my attention.”

We’ve been made. “And what is that?” Niall asks. Good for him for holding his ground. “I was at the store a few weeks ago standing in line, looking at the magazines like I always do. I like to see what crap the tabloids put out that they take to be the truth. On one of the covers I saw two very familiar faces: you two looking ever so chummy mini golfing.” At this point Mr. Horan sits back down. “Now, you two either tell me the truth or we’re gonna have a problem.”

Ni and I look at each other and know the time has finally come to reveal ourselves; we don’t have a choice. “Mr. Horan…it’s true. Niall and I are dating. We’ve actually been dating for almost a year, even after you told us we couldn’t we never stopped.” I say.

“If Mackenzie and I were together long enough without breaking up, we thought that you would be more inclined to approve of us.” Niall adds. His father is quiet for a minute, probably a little surprised that we actually told the truth.

“So I suppose that when you went to Chicago for Christmas, you didn’t just go to see the city?” he questions. “No, I met her family and guess what. They all approve of us! All of Mackenzie’s friends approve of us, and I bet you didn’t know this but even mum approves of us! She’s known almost the whole time about us and kept our secret from you, because for some strange reason you’re the only one in our lives who refuses to accept us!” Niall shouts at his father.

“I’m sorry, is it bad that I care about the reputation of my label being tainted, should the two of you split?” he retorts. Niall stands. “Yes it is! Who cares about reputations? I don’t anymore, and it’s because of her!” Ni says gesturing to me. “She has made me a better person and I refuse to end our relationship. For God’s sake, I’ll have been with her for 1 whole year in 3 days and goddamn it, I love her dad!” he finishes. Mr. Horan rises as well.

“Love? Love?! You’re both too young to know what love is! At your age, it’s the easiest thing in the world to meet someone else and change your mind in a heartbeat. For all you two know, it’ll happen to you tomorrow.” Mr. Horan says. I stand to join Niall and take his hand.

“Actually, sir, we are both very aware of what love is and we know that we love each other. Also, Niall has made me a better person! Because of him I feel so much more comfortable with letting loose and being myself, not caring what other people might think of me. Love is when two people care about each other more than themselves, and make each other better; more complete. That is what Niall and I have had for almost a year and I am begging you to please let us be together!” I finish.

Mr. Horan sits back down and I feel kinda bad that Niall ratted out his mother. She’s probably gonna get a talking to from him later. The two of us also sit again and just stare at him. “I would have more inclined to give your relationship a chance if I was in on this test of yours from the beginning. But since you both deceived me you leave me no choice. Mackenzie, you can have my son or my label, but you can’t have both.” We look at each other wondering what this means.

“If you try to have both, there’s no point. Everyone at Capitol has been informed to report to me if they see anything suspicious. The only way you will be allowed to date my son is if you’re no longer with my label.” He just said what?? “We’ll leave you two alone. You, young lady, have a choice to make.” Mr. and Mrs. Horan get up and Mrs. Horan gives us a sympathetic look before they leave the house leaving Niall and I alone.

As soon as I’m sure we’re alone, I burst into tears. Niall and I stand up and hug each other tightly. “I can’t believe him! He wants me to choose between you and my career?! He’s insane!!” I collapse back into Niall’s arms and he sits us on the couch and kisses my head, shushing me trying to calm me down.

However long later, I hear the front door open and wonder if it’s Niall’s parents back already. We don’t move in case it is. I feel someone sit next to me on the couch and then hear two voices ask “What happened?!” It’s Emily and Zayn, thank goodness! I’m definitely crying too hard to speak though so Niall tells them everything. “How could he do that?! It’s an impossible thing to decide! What are you gonna do?” Em asks.

I feel Niall move his head to the side. “We’ll just give you two some privacy.” Zayn says. Both of them rub my back before going upstairs. Once they’re out of the room, Niall sits me up. “Mackenzie Jayne O’Brien, I love you more than words can say. You’re different than any girl I’ve ever met and you’ve made me change my ways for the better. I only want what’s best for you and I want you to be happy and successful in everything you do. So, there’s only one thing to do.”

“No.” I refuse. “You need to stay with the label.” “No.” Not happening. “Being a singer is your dream and you need to chase it and see it through. I know that means losing you, but I know that this is best for you.” “No!” Absolutely not! “I have to let you go.” “NO!” I stand up.

“Mackenzie, you can’t give up your career for me. I won’t let you.” “But I can’t lose you!!” I shout. “I’m still in your band, we just can’t be together. I’ll always love you, you know that. …I mean he’ll change his mind one day…”

He is right about that. It’s not that we’ll necessarily be broken up forever, just temporary for an unknown amount of time. That didn’t really cross my mind before. I thought of the absolute worst: once I lose Niall officially, I lose him for good. It will be difficult but if Niall and I love each other like I think we do, we’ll never give up on each other. He’s the one for me, and I’m the one for him.

“Okay…when your parents get back home, we’ll tell them I choose the label. And then we wait?” He strokes my face. “And then we wait.” We hug and decide to watch some TV while waiting for his parents. I don’t care how long it takes. I will wait, patient as I can, for Niall James Horan to be mine again.

Notes

Were you expecting it? Did you see it coming? Whatever the case, I hope you're liking how things are wrapping up so far. Yes this section of chapters is the last one :( But the last chapters were my favorite ones to write even though it's bittersweet. Until tomorrow, take care lovelies! <3