Little Things ( A Niall Horan Love Story )

Chapter 13

"Little Things" Chapter 13

Carrie's POV

Today, I was going to be upgrading. Instead of being stuck in a wheelchair all the time whenever I wanted to go anywhere, I would now be allowed to use crutches. Now that's what I like to call improvement!

We were currently driving back home from the hospital. We, meaning Louis, Niall and I. Liam, Harry, and Zayn decided not to tag along. And honestly, I didn't blame them. It was boring as hell.

I was still surprised that Niall had wanted to come with us. And I had to admit, I had a bit of a soft spot for him. He was just so different from all the other guys that I'd met in the past. He was so gentle and kind. And he really seemed to understand me, and he didn't push me to talk about what had happened or to do anything that I wasn't completely comfortable with.

Okay, so maybe I had a bit of a crush on him. Just a little bit.

Just then, I felt someone's hand on my arm. "Hey, you okay, Carebear?" Niall asked. "You haven't said a word the entire way home," He added, his bright blue eyes showing concern, and something else that I couldn't identify.

I smiled at him, pulling myself roughly away from my previous thoughts. I really didn't want him to worry for no reason. I was fine. Completely fine.

"Yeah, I'm okay, Ni. Just a bit tired is all. And bored. Visiting the doctor sure is boring!" I exclaimed, surprising myself when I actually let out a real yawn. Okay, so maybe j really was kinda' tired. Not exactly a lie.

Niall stared at me, obviously still not completely believing me. I sent another smile his way, hoping to placate him. After a moment, he returned my smile with his own adorable smile.

He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and said, "Well, we'll be home soon and you can sleep all you like. I'll personally make sure no one bothers you for the rest of the night!" He exclaimed loudly. I just laughed and rested my head on his shoulder.

Louis grinned at us from the driver's seat. "No PDA in my car!" He yelled, smirking, and I felt myself blushing all the way from the tips of my toes, to the roots of my hair. That asshat!

I chanced a small glance up at Niall, only to see that he was staring down at me. We both blushed and look away at the exact same time. It would have been quite comical if I wasn't quite so embarrassed. But, I was, so it wasn't in the least bit funny. Not in my eyes, anyway.

Louis smirked at us again and made a tisk tisk sound under his breath, but thankfully, he kept his attention firmly on the road. And I turned my attention back to the beautiful Texas scenery flying by in the window.

I wasn't looking forward to leaving Texas. It was the only place I had ever known. And I loved it here. I loved the heat of the summers, and I loved the unpredictability of the weather. Like everyone in Texas says, if you don't like the weather, just wait about twenty minutes and it'll change.

I didn't like the cold. I mean, sure, Texas was known to get fairly cold during the winter, and we even got snow sometimes, like right now. And it was beautiful in it's own right. The way the snow just seemed to blanket everything, and the way it made time seem to stand still. But, it was heat that I really loved. I thrived on heat. I needed it.

I think the main reason why I loved heat so much was because inside, I always felt cold. So cold. Sometimes I wondered whether or not my heart was actually made of ice. Or just surrounded by ice.

I had spent so much of my life just pushing everyone away. Not letting anyone in. Because I didn't want anyone to see how much pain I was in. I felt like I had to keep it to myself.

So, I distanced myself from others at all times. I never let myself feel really happy. Ever. Because, I knew, just knew that if I was happy, my father would know, and he would put a stop to whatever was making me happy. Even if he had to hurt someone else to do it. He didn't care what it took. Just as long as his precious punching bag was as miserable as possible. Just as long as he could get what he wanted.

And I was aware of the fact that all of the boys were worried about me. I knew that I hadn't been very forthcoming lately. I just didn't feel like talking yet. Sometimes, I'd get it into my head that I wanted to talk to them. That it would make me feel better to get some of this stuff off my chest. But, then I thought about how much it would hurt them and worry them, knowing how upset and lonely I felt. And I never wanted to make them worry more than they already did. It could interfere with their careers. And I was not going to let that happen. Ever.

Niall's POV

I could tell that something was bothering Carrie. Call it a sixth sense, if you will, but I knew something was up. She'd hadn't been speaking hardly at all over the past four weeks. At first, I though she was just pissed off at being stuck in a wheelchair all the time. But, pretty soon, I realized that that couldn't be it. That was just too small of an issue, and she defenintly didn't seem like the type that would get depressed over something that was only temporary.

I knew that she was uncomfortable around us still. She didn't quite trust us yet. I wasn't even sure whether or not she completely trusted me!

I was so confused. In the beginning, I had really thought that she trusted me. Like I'd made some progress. But, after a few days, she just started to shut me out. To shut all of us out.

I didn't really think that Carrie was depressed. I thought that maybe she just wasn't sure if she was safe with us. Maybe she still thought we might hurt her. Which we wouldn't, by the way.

And I knew, whether or not she would admit it, she was still having nightmares. And I had a pretty good idea what they were about. The attack. Her getting raped.

But, I was afraid to mention it to her. I was afraid that if I pushed her too hard, she might shut us out forever. Shut me out forever. I wasn't going to force her to talk about something that very obviously still terrified her. And probably would terrify her for the rest of her life.

But, the bottom line was this. I will do whatever it takes to prove to her that she can trust me. That I would never do anything to hurt her or take advantage of her. Whatever it takes. No matter what.

Author's Note: Hey everyone! I'm so sorry I haven't updated this story in like forever! I'm so sorry that I've kept y'all waiting for so long!

So, as y'all have probably noticed, this chapter is more about reflection rather than action. I just felt like I needed to do this. And I'm sorry if it's shorter than y'all like. Please bear with me. And I'm trying desperately to fix the problem that's not letting me reply to any of yalls comments or dedicate chapters.

So, please comment, vote, and fan me!

Peace Out!