The One Direction Reunion

Learning the Truth

*Chapter 33: Learning the Truth*

*Niall' POV*

"What happened to Amanda's mom?" Harry asked.

"Um," I said, getting a little caught off guard by that question.

I was hoping no one would ask. But I guess it was about time someone asked that question. I mean I am a single father after all.

I cleared my throat before I answered the question.

"Well," I started but I don't know how to say it.

"You don't have to if you don't want to. We were just curious." Paul told him, reassuring him.

"No, it's fine." I replied.

"Are you sure?" Simon asked with concern.

"Yeah, totally sure. I knew someone was going to ask eventually." I told them as they nodded in response.

"So, you all know my girlfriend that I had before we broke up." I started, but I was interrupted by Aubrey and Ariel.

"WHAT?!" They yelled.

"Oh yeah. Forgot that I hid that from the press and the fans." I said.

"How long have you and this secret girlfriend dated?" Aubrey asked curiously.

"A year and a half." Louis said before I could even open my mouth.

"And you kept that from the fans this whole time?" Ariel said in shock.

"We were all shocked too. They were so madly in love with each other, I thought Niall was going to explode every time an interviewer asked us who had girlfriends." Zayn replied.

Soon enough they were all in this little conversation about my past relationship, completely forgetting that I haven't finished telling the story that Harry asked me to tell. Not like I want to tell it anyway, but I can't leave them hanging.

"Are you guys going to let me finish my story or are you guys going to continue to rudely have a conversation about me and my girlfriend." I said in annoyance.

"Wow Niall, I never heard you use that tone before." Simon said in disbelief.

"Sorry." I mumbled.

"You can continue." Ariel said as I just nodded.

"So anyway, obviously you guys remember my girlfriend. Well, right after we broke up, she told me that she was pregnant and nine months later she had Amanda. Well, after she had Amanda,  my girlfriend got really sick." I started to explain, but I needed to stop. I felt my eyes well up with tears.

"You okay?" Ariel asked with concern.

I just shook my head before I exited the bus. We've been stopped at a rest stop for the last 10 minutes but none of us got out, considering that they wanted me to tell the story. But I couldn't do it. I couldn't tell the rest of the story. It just hurts too much.

*Ariel's POV*

"What just happened?" I asked in confusion.

"I have no idea." Paul replied.

"I do." We heard a voice say.

 We all looked at each other in confusion, not knowing who said that.

"Wow, I stay in bed for a few months and no one remembers who you are anymore." We heard the voice say again.

We all looked towards the bunk area to find Liam walking towards us, all of us looking at him wide eyed.

"Yes, I'm up and actually talking to you guys.. Don't be look so surprised." Liam said in annoyance as we all mumbled a sorry.

"Now, do you want to know why Niall could't finish the story and ran off the bus crying?" Liam asked.

"Yeah." We all replied in unison.

"Okay, then. Well, as Niall said, after Amanda was born, his girlfriend got sick. At first they just thought it was some bug, so they let it play out. But she kept getting worse and worse, and by the time to the hospital it was too late." Liam explained.

He didn't need to explain that situation any further. We all knew what happened next and there was not one dry eye in the room. 

"When Niall lost his girlfriend, they were actually engaged to be married. They had been engaged for awhile. Their wedding was set for a month after Amanda was born. But when Niall lost his girlfriend, he couldn't handle it. His girlfriend was the love of his life. He ended up losing his house and had to move in with his parents. That's when he missed the band the most. That's when the splitting of the band really sunk in. That's when it hurt the most for him." Liam explained, once again making us cry hard.

After we collected ourselves a bit, Aubrey spoke up.

"How do you know all this?" Aubrey asked as she wiped her eyes.

"Well, some how Niall found my new number and called me up one day. I was already a disaster. I had been already living in Ireland. The whole reason why I moved out there was so that I didn't have to talk to or see anyone that reminded me of the band, yet I never left the house. Anyway, I hadn't answered the door or phone for weeks, but that day was different. I don't know why I answered the phone that day. Niall must have changed his number too because I didn't recognize the number, but I answered it anyway. I had this strange feeling in my stomach that something was wrong." Liam explained.

"So you knew that Niall had a child already?" Zayn asked in confusion.

"No. He didn't mention that part. He just mentioned that his girlfriend got really sick and that she was gone." Liam replied.

"Oh." Was all that came out of Zayn's mouth.

All of us stayed quiet for a few moments. We could hear Amanda's faint sobs in the bunk area. After a few minutes, I asked the question that nobody else asked.

"Since Aubrey and I had no idea that Niall had a girlfriend, do you mind telling us her name? I mean no one has mentioned it and I feel really bad asking." I said.

All six of them went dead silent. All of them looking at each other cautiously.

"I knew I shouldn't have asked that question." I whispered to Aubrey.

"You think." She whispered back.

"Niall's girlfriend's name was Amanda. Niall's daughter was named after her." Simon told us and I immediately regretted asking the question.