HIATUS - Ghosting Through Time (Niall Horan AU)

-seven part ii-

THIS IS SO DIALOGUE HEAVY. I'M SORRY. I REALLY AM. BUT IF IT WASN'T THEN I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO WRITE IT. FORGIVE ME? Okay, enough with the caps lock. Here's chapter seven and I hope you enjoy it! Sorry it's so late, btw. Let me know what you think?

-absoLouis <3

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"Ann wouldn't lie to me." Ashlee said through gritted teeth, pulling the duvet well above her head. Lynn had retreated back up the stairs a few minutes after Ashlee had left her with Niall after her rushed goodnight. Lynn sighed as she lazily sat herself at the edge of Ashlee's bed.

"Maybe tonight she did." Lynn said, lying down beside her sister. Ashlee shoved at her sister in anger. Ann wouldn't lie to her, she said so herself that she wouldn't hurt her, so why was Lynn saying this?

"She said he was invited and he didn't show. He doesn't care." Ashlee said, shutting her eyes tightly when she began to feel her eyes sting. Lynn sat up and wrapped her arms around her baby sister's body.

"You don't know that, Leelee. Don't make decisions when you're angry, it'll only hurt you more." And the calmness in Lynn's voice added more fuel to Ashlee's fire. She pushed her older sister off her bed with such a force that Lynn landed on the padded carpet with a loud thud. "Don't get mad at me when I'm only trying to help you." She said, standing abruptly.

"He. Doesn't. Care. Why are you trying to hurt me! Ann said she wouldn't hurt me, so why are you!" Ashlee yelled, climbing down from her bed and running out of the room only to run into the legs of her father.

"What's all the commotion going on up here?" he asked, petting the hair on top of his now sniffling daughter. "What's wrong, Ashlee?" Lynn stepped into the hallway.

"She thinks Niall doesn't care about her just because he didn't come to the wedding." Lynn explained and Eugene's tired expression became knowing.

"But he wasn't invited, so why would he come?" He said. Ashlee's watered down eyes stared up at him in confusion and anger.

"Not you too!" She cried out, pounding on the sides of his thighs. Eugene picked up his smallest daughter into his arms where she continued to pound her tiny fists into his shoulders. Marie retreated from her room from all the ruckus, a patched blanket clutched in her hand.

"What's going on?" Marie asked as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Why are you crying, baby sister?" She said, once her gaze landed on her too-tiny-to-be-a-twelve-year-old sister in their father's arms.

"Ann said he was invited! She said it! She wouldn't lie to me!" Ashlee continued to cry out and the sight became so heart clenching to her older sisters that they began to tear themselves. Lynn made her way to their father and reached out for her little sister.

"Come here, I'll tell you something." She said and Ashlee hesitantly fell back into Lynn's arms. The four of them took a seat in the hallway, forming some sort of triangle. "Do you remember what Niall was wearing tonight when he came?" She asked. Ashlee wiped the tears from her eyes and pursed her lips in thought.

"A blood-red orange jumper that he always wears around this time, he said. Over a white shirt, and black pants. Why?" She answered, looking skeptically at her sister.

"Don't you think that's too casual for a wedding? Wouldn't he be wearing a tuxedo if he were really trying to make it to the wedding tonight?" Lynn asked, resting her head on top of Ashlee's. Ashlee huffed as she slouched forward.

"See? He didn't even try to make it. He was just saying it so I wouldn't be mad at him." The youngest girl's lip began to tremble at the thought of her best friend lying to her. Eugene reached over and stroked her cheek.

"That's not what Lynn's trying to get at, honey." He cooed. "She's trying to tell you that he was dressed so casually because he wasn't invited. I know that you think Ann wouldn't lie to you, but maybe tonight she did to keep you from being frantic on one of the most important days of her life." He explained and Ashlee calmed down a bit.

"Now, I feel horrible." Ashlee sulked, leaning her head against her sister's shoulder. Marie reached out and patted her back gently.

"Me too." Marie agreed which got confused looks from her sisters and father.

"Why do you feel horrible, Maybear?" Eugene asked, using the nickname he gave her when she was a newborn and has stuck ever since.

"My baby sister has been in a relationship for half of her life and I've never been in one. And I'm sixteen!" Marie mockingly sulked and her father barked out in laughter.

"Oh monkey, your time will come." He said, rising to his feet. "Let's all go to bed now and Leelee, make sure you apologize to Niall the next time you see him; no matter what age he might be. It's best to clear the air before the tension becomes too thick to break." He placed good night kisses on his daughters foreheads before heading back downstairs to finish up his work.

"Good night, papa~" they called, imitating an Italian accent, to their father's retreating figure.