stranded with one direction. ➳ horan.

Chapter Twenty One.

Peyton’s POV

I could not help the child like grin that spread across my face as I was, once again, Niall’s girlfriend. It was amazing that he was willing to stick by me even with all the shit I put him through. I guess he really was falling in love me. I knew you we not supposed to fall in love, because everything that fell, broke. But what happened if you knew there was going to be someone who would be there to catch you? Wouldn’t that make the fall worthwhile? I mean, who wouldn’t jump if they knew Niall Horan would be at the bottom?

We were walking back through the jungle, trying to find a beach, in hopes we could catch the eye of a helicopter. I kind of had a bittersweet feeling about this whole situation. I mean, yeah, I wanted to get off this island because I was in desperate need of indoor plumbing and fresh clothes. But at the same time, I didn’t want to go back to reality. I didn’t want to have to deal with school stuff and my parents, if they cared. Never mind the fact that I was now in a relationship with an international pop star, with some very obsessive fans.

And with that thought, I immediately started to think about how the fans would react to Niall having a girlfriend. I mean, they should be happy for him, because at least, he found a princess. But Niall was the sweet, innocent one and I was more than sure that they would become possessive of him. Saying I was not good enough for him and that I was not pretty enough, or thin enough, or smart enough, or funny enough, or whatever else they thought. The fans were going to hate me. How could they be accepting of our relationship when I still had doubts about us?

Indeed, I did still have deep concerns about Niall and I actually lasting, even for a short period. I didn’t think we could become much, he still didn’t know things about me. And this was why I wouls keep the wall around my heart up, and it would stay that way for quite sometime, until I could see that Niall and I had a glimmer of hope. Until then, that wall became invincible.

Clearly, with me lost in thought, no one else noticed that I was falling behind, or that I wasn’t paying attention, or that there was a hill right in front of me. I took a step, thinking there would be a pretty level ground beneath me, but no, there wasn’t.

So instead, I went flying to the ground, landing on my ass with an unpleasant thumb and a shriek, and then I continued on a journey down the hill. Just like in the movies, it was pretty steep, but unlike the movies, my path wasn’t clear. I had to avoid a bunch of random branches by using my arms to protect my face. The rocks were not that easy to avoid. Those I kept sliding over and with my momentum, I would slide off of them, only to land on my ass harder than the last.

I swear I should get an award for being the most clumsy, uncoordinated, unbalanced person in the entire world. I was ninety-nine percent sure there was no one more clumsy than me. I finally reached the bottom in what felt like a matter of a second. I would say, though, that I avoided major injuries. Just a few cuts and scrapes on my arms. I smiled proudly as I pushed myself up, cleaning my ass and the back of my legs of any dirt.

As soon as I was just about cleaned up, I hear five distinct accents calling after me. I chuckled to myself and decided to have a spot of fun. I immediately drop to the jungle floor, lying on my back with my eyes closed, having one of my legs form an almost “L” shape, the other twisted slightly. My arms are just stretched out the side of me, and I try to calm my breathing down.

As soon as that happens, I heard twigs snapping, leaves rustling, and a bit of panting.

“Oh my god. No. No. No. This can’t be happening. I just got her back, I will damned if I lose her again.” A concerned Irish accent addressed.

“Mate, she’s going to be okay. See, her chest is moving, so she’s breathing. Let’s just get to the beach, and hopefully a rescue chopper will be there, or we can signal for one quickly, okay?” A certain voice I immediately recognize as Liam’s answered.