Broken (a Niall Horan love story)

Chapter 49

***Niall's P.O.V.***

My hands were shaking as I busied myself with reading the label of the Aloe Vera tube in my hands. Something was wrong; something was seriously wrong this time and it wouldn't be fixed with cuddling or comforting words whispered in her ear. I couldn't even fucking touch her without her freaking out and that worried me so damn much. It made me so incredibly scared; I wanted to push her so that she would tell me what happened but then again I was too afraid to know the answer. It had to be something absolutely terrible, after all, and I didn't think that I would be able to sit and listen to it without bashing that man's brains in.

Navaeh came out of my bathroom with only the towel wrapped around her. She looked beyond uncomfortable in doing so which was another unfamiliar thing. If it had been under other circumstances my mind might have been having a field day with the sight. However, the circumstance was what it was and I just wanted to make her comfortable in any way that I could. So, I quickly grabbed her backpack that was by my bed from the night before and held it out to her. She dug through it quickly to find her clothes and I turned away so that she could slip them on with just as much speed. When she was done she mumbled my name and I turned back around with the Aloe still clutched in my hands.

She was clad in her usual sleeping clothes: a slightly baggy shirt and pajama shorts that stopped mid-thigh. Hesitantly and gently, I reached out to grab one of her wrists and then slowly pulled her towards me. It was almost painfully obvious that I was treating her as if she was the most fragile thing on the planet; she sent a small glare my way when she realized that and I only sighed. I pulled the cap of the Aloe tube off with my teeth before squeezing some of the cold, green liquid out onto her left palm. At first she let out a small whimper of pain, but then it turned into a soft sigh of relief.

"You're not going back there, Navaeh," I spoke up as I gently rubbed the Aloe into her red and irritated skin. I had spoken so softly that it was a wonder that she even heard it and there was a small break in the words. I just couldn't stop thinking about how she had responded to me last night; it was almost as if she thought I was going to... no, no I can't think like that. She was just scared because her step father hit her again. That was all. And he wasn't going to do it again if I had anything to say about it.

"Niall," she sighed heavily along with my name and was about to go on with a pained look on her face but I interrupted her.

"Come to Mullingar with me again," the suggestion was a split second decision but I believed in it whole-heartedly. I just needed to get her away from that house for a little longer. "I'm leaving on Monday anyway to celebrate St. Patrick's Day; we could stay there and never come back. Get that restraining order and be completely away from that sick man. Please?"

"Niall," I could tell what her answer would be just from that. She wouldn't even look me in the eyes when she said it and I hung my head. "You know that it won't work." Yeah, I knew it wouldn't work; I knew that it was outlandish at best and could end badly. I just wanted to believe that I could help, though; I wanted to keep her away from harm and the only way I could do that would be to keep her away from him.

Her finger hooked beneath my chin so that I would look up at her once again as she offered me a sad smile. I held the gaze for as long as I could before it became too much and I had to shift it to her hands as I continued to rub in the Aloe. Eventually, there was a small sniffle from Navaeh and my eyes snapped up to look at her faster than a jet. Sure enough, there were a few tears slipping down her cheeks and she tried to cover her face with her hair but it was still damp and wasn't doing the best of jobs. "Navaeh," I started with the worried and confused tone in my voice.

"I'm sorry, Niall," she cried with that heart brokenness. I was just getting through with the Aloe when she said it, and it pained me to hear the words. I couldn't even figure out why she was apologizing, but I didn't have to wait long to figure out. "I know that you just want to help and I wish that I could go, but-but..."

She trailed off as if the words were too painful or too complicated to say and I waited with a puzzled expression before tugging on her wrists to bring her closer. I grabbed her favorite blanket from behind me and then wrapped it around her shoulders. "It's okay, Navaeh; I just want to protect you that's all," I rubbed her arms over the blanket and tried to reassure her but she was still crying.

"Niall, I'm scared," she finally forced out the words that made my eyes widen and my heart beat pick up. For a moment, I could only gape up at her with a slightly mortified look on my face. Never, in all of my years of knowing her, had she actually gotten to the point where she would admit that she was scared. I couldn't imagine that it could mean anything good. "I have to make it to the end of the school year but I don't even know if I can make it until then. I'm sorry, Niall." And I swear that I stopped breathing altogether right then; she was saying sorry again and now I knew why.

A long silence filled the air after that and was only broken when I managed out some words in a small and scared voice, "Please don't leave me; you said you wouldn't." Navaeh's cries only grew louder and she stumbled forward so that she could sit in my lap. I took her into my arms and hugged her as tightly as I could as if letting her go would make me fall to pieces.

"I don't want to," she cried into my shoulder as I started to rock her back and forth.

I kissed the top of her head as I tried to calm her down, but there was little I could do. I just wanted this all to end; I wanted to keep her safe and keep the dark thoughts away. There had to be a way that I could make her happy. I would do anything at that point; I just wanted to see her so incredibly happy every single day of her life. I didn't want her to have to worry about anything at all.

With a wavering voice, I began to sing the first song that came into my mind. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine..." and I continued with the familiar chorus of the song until I reached the last line and I couldn't hold in my own tears anymore. I broke down with her as I sang the last line that I knew, "...so please don't take my sunshine away."