Chapter Twelve: Skinny Love [EDITED]

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Chapter Twelve: Skinny Love

I stand in the bathroom of the hotel room and look at myself carefully. I had been looking

forward to being alone and away from everyone for a day or two. Everything was so quiet and peaceful, there was not a single thing to stress about here.

I couldn't stop thinking about finally meeting Niall’s mum, she was so sweet and caring. How anyone could ever hate that woman was beyond me. I pull off my dirty shirt and toss it to the floor. Looking in the mirror you can see the small bruises that had begun to form along my skin.

Everything I bumped into lately left an ugly purple spot that soon would fade into a pale green and yellow color. They painted my entire body now, my things and arms, around my ankles where my cleats were tied too tightly.

I sigh and began digging in my bag for a clean shirt, pulling the white fabric over my head. Not realizing that Niall is standing in the doorway staring at me. He runs his fingers along the hem of the shirt and pulls it back up over my stomach.

His face was stone cold, there was no trace of happiness or lust on his face only worry. “What are these from?”

“Football, chairs, desks,” I say “I’m fairly clumsy you know.”

I force a smile but I know he knows that its complete bullshit.  He runs his index finger over the one large bruise that kisses my hip bone. “You shouldn’t bruise like that.”

I try to argue but he drops the shirt and backs up out of the bathroom, I follow him out and sit down on the edge of the bed.

“Football isn’t that rough of a sport and unless you’re wrestling with tables I don’t think that would give you those.”

“They’re bruises, not gaping wounds Niall. They don’t even hurt.” I pull my boots up over my skinny jeans.

He turned away from me and starts to fiddle with his phone, I chuck a pillow to the back of his head and smile at him. “Lets go out?”

He looks at me his expression still stained with worry and fear but he nods before slipping his hat over his head and opening the door for me.

“I have the perfect place.”

We walk down the street hand in hand. His hand is so much bigger than mine and I giggle at the comparison. I am not sure even what town we had stopped in but it was nice, quiet and almost abandoned like. The homes are all older and made of brick, equally beautiful and rising flush against the bright blue sky.

“Where are we going?” I ask curious.

We have been walking for a while and the sun was starting to set in the sky. He shrugs his shoulders and keeps walking towards a gated area. I can see just behind the large fence is a small carnival like set up. The lights were off and none of the rides were moving, it must be closed.

“This doesn’t look open.”

“It hasn’t been for almost three years. We moved here just before my brother left so that my dad could play football and coach the Juniors. This place was amazing, like a little home away from home. Greg and I spent hours here, laughing and goofing around.”

He grabs my hand and guides me towards a little break in the fence, it made it very easy to break into the fairgrounds.

“It closed down because the town couldn’t afford to keep it running much more than once a year. So just before summer break ends in August they open for two weeks.”

He spins around and throws his arms out to me, he drags me past closed up toy hunts and small food carts before we stand in front of the large carousel.

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