Crave You -N.H-

Chapter Five; Daylight [EDITED]

Chapter Five:

I follow Jean through the quiet field until we reach a smaller stone path leading to the large head stone. I had stood here reading, crying, screaming a billion times before but today was different.

“It’s your father,” he says quietly. He stands just behind me almost unsure if he’s allowed to get any closer. “All those photos on the wall.”

I turn and take the blanket from her to lay it on the ground, Jeanie jumps on once it is flattened and unzips the backpack. He stands for a moment his face completely blank from any emotions, I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

I was regretting my choice to allow him to come here, just from his reaction he thought this was a weird thing to do. I don’t blame him, having a picnic in a graveyard with someone’s dead parent was pretty damn weird.

As always the sun was peaking through the two large pine trees that stood tall to the left of us. The air was fresh and so clean and the trees swayed as the breeze blew through them. I enjoyed this place like a second home, in all the dark days I had, this place was always sunny and willing to listen.

He took a deep breath and sat down beside me on the blanket, he removes his hat and grabs a bottle of water from the pile.  “You were close to him?”

I look at the engraved letters that sunk into the stone, beloved father. I nod and unwrapped a bag of carrots setting them in front of Jean, she makes a sour face but proceeds to grab a handful any how.

“Most assume it was my mother who made me who I am,” I start “but it was my father.”

He looks at me for a second, it was the first time we had really talked about something other than football.  “Well he did a fantastic job,” he says “He must have been a great man.”

I swallow the words only wishing more people would have known the man my father was, even when he was losing hope… he never lost himself. I watch as Jean teases Niall with a bag of candies, it lasts about ten seconds before Niall pounces on her. She tries to wiggle free, her laughter erupts in echos through the quiet cemetery.

I smile at the two of them as I eat carrots and take in the fresh air.

“Is that a real smile?”

Niall looks up from Jean and smiles at me.”Maybe,” I admit to him. “This is the only place in the world other than the arena that makes me happy.”

He doesn’t say anything in return he just enjoys the afternoon with us. It was relaxing without the worry of tryouts and stress of waiting for the call. Sitting there I realized I hadn’t texted Bradley yet and quickly took out my phone.

3:19 pm: Guess who’s a Junior?

3:25pm: No fucking way? Congrats Bug!
3:27pm: We can celebrate tonight!

As usual he was just as if not more excited that I had been, he had been patiently waiting for the moment I made it. We both knew it meant leaving Jean but he would take care of her for me and it put me at ease.

Niall eventually gives up on playing with Jean and lets her play in the grass alone. He sits back on his elbows and lets his hat fall to the ground from his head. “You’ll bus with us to London on Friday morning. You’ll find your dorm and Monday you’ll start classes.

Even though we were on a national team most of the girls were seventeen. Meaning a lot of them still had to finish school, including me. I only had about a month left before graduation though making it a little easier.

The team is fully sponsored meaning we can attend university if we wished and it had never crossed my mind before. If I hadn’t of made the team, I would have been screwed.