Happy Place || A Jerrie Fanfiction

XX - I CAN'T REMEMBER

The first thought I had the first time I laid my eyes on this Niall Horan guy is that he's ridiculously good-looking. I could not help thinking that this guy is gorgeous enough to be a celebrity — probably more, to be quite honest. Perrie sure seems to have a lot of charming friends in here.

He shows his pearly white teeth as he shakes my hand. "Jade, nice to meet you."

My eyes inadvertently flit to Perrie at the bar, and I try to contain a smirk when I find out that she's been observing my and Niall's interaction, or particularly at our handshake that seems to last forever. Though my hand along with my stomach drops when she resumes her conversation with the woman from awhile ago.

"You, too," I say, looking back at the blonde boy in front of me.

Leigh places a hand on my shoulder as she smirks. "I'm gonna go get us some drinks at the bar, yeah?" She cuts a glance at the blonde man in front of me. "Niall, take care of Perrie's girl for me, babe."

Niall raises his eyebrows in shock, and I roll my eyes but didn't say anything. With a squeeze on my shoulder as a form of apology, Leigh winks at me and saunters toward the bar. Once again, my eyes gravitate towards Perrie who is still talking to the woman.

I scoff and mutter, "Might as well just kiss the woman."

"Sorry?" I start and whip my head to look at him with wide eyes as I realize that I got caught. Niall has his head tilted in confusion as he looks at me. "I didn't get that."

I shake my head and smile nervously. "Nothing."

A corner of his lips tug upwards, and he nods vaguely over my shoulder. "So, you and Perrie . . . ?"

"Oh, no, no," I shake my head almost vigorously it seems like it would rip off any second now. I jab a thumb over my shoulder and laugh loudly which probably startled Niall as he took a step back. "Perrie and I — we're nothing!"

He furrows his eyebrows. "But Leigh said you're Pe —"

"Perrie and I are not together," I assert. I didn't know why I had to voice out the statement sternly, I just felt the need to do so.

Niall simply stares at me, a bit scared if his unmoving position is of any indication, before his handsome smile appears again as he nods. "So you're not seeing anyone then?"

Handsome and straightforward, I think to myself.

He seems to have recovered from whatever held him back and made him bashful, because suddenly the tables have turned and he's all up in my personal space at a drop of a hat. He takes a step forward, his arms crossed, his hauntingly beautiful eyes boring deep into mine.

"Oh-uh, no, I'm not seeing anyone right now." I blink rapidly at the sudden question. I had to cross my arms as well not to look smug, but to build up a barrier between me and him.

I have a feeling Niall hasn't experienced being turned down before. Hopefulness is written all over his face as he asks me that, but I can also see that presumptuous look underneath his eyes, and I'm certainly not lying when I say I wanted to turn him down instantly.

Hearing my answer, Niall's smile widens even more. "That's good to know."

"What's good to know?" Leigh swoops in beside us, smiling widely as she hands the both of us an opened bottle of beer.

Niall takes a step back and clears his throat, nodding in thanks when he accepts the beer Leigh offered. He glances at me (and I could not help noticing there was a tinge of panic within his eyes) before he looks back at Leigh and shrugs casually.