Chapter Sixteen word count: 3985
Trigger warnings in this chapter: Mentions of both abortion and death
(a/n: wow I updated almost a week from my last update I'm so proud of myself. Oh and this ch. Is a bit shorter than usual but it still meets my 3.5-5k work requirement so I thought I'd post it anyways!!! That way the next chapter could be a fresh start and I wouldn't have to cut any other scenes short by jamming them into the end of this. Soooo enjoy and please please let me know how you feel about this chapter!!! You learn a lot xx )
Other people may have just let these frail little men in suits push Niall around but it's not going to happen with me here. Whatever Niall wants the public to know about his son and his life is completely up to him, and I think that's what both our publicists seem to be forgetting.
I guess the real goal of the meeting is to come up for a way for Niall to keep his good-natured, small town, sweetheart status with the knowledge out there that he's a single dad.
The easiest thing, it seems, is to simply say what really happened. Niall's late wife gave birth to Grayson a few months before passing away, however Niall had made it very clear from the beginning that, that wasn't an option.
It didn't make much sense to any of us, but judging from Niall's face, we all knew he was serious. So, if the baby can't be Mallory's, who's is it?
"What do you want to do, Niall? People are already calling this the scandal of the decade! If you want to have a career after this you need to come up with something realistic." One of the people on Niall's PR team nearly screams at him. I glance heavily at the man. Niall did nothing wrong and they're treating him like he just murdered an entire city. I understand this situation is frustrating, I'm a part of it too, but there's no need to yell. I glance up at Niall to see he's got his lips pressed tightly together, his eyes closed as he faces his lap. He's breathing through his nose quite rapidly, and I instantly know he won't be able to take much more of this.
Things that may trigger your loved one's PTSD: Situations that feel confining (stuck in a group of people, traffic, crowds, etc.), relationships, family, and work stress or arguments.
I know I need to get him out of this situation before it gets to be too overwhelming for him. It'll be easier and faster for him to relax if he doesn't have a full blown panic attack right now in front of all these people. I ignore them completely as I lean in towards Niall, my hand resting on his upper back as my forehead presses to the side of his head.
"Do you need a break?" I whisper quietly, only Niall being able to hear me. He nods his head slightly his eyes clenching shut even tighter. I allow my hand to fall to his which is resting in his lap and squeeze it gently. It's a secret promise to get him out of here soon.
"Do they know about your PTSD?" I whisper quietly to Niall, making absolutely certain that no one else would be able to decipher my words. He glances up at me then, eyes afraid for a reason I'm not sure. There doesn't have to be a reason; Niall feels unsafe every day and all of this uncertainty is only making it worse. He nods his head gently, relaying to me the information, that yes, his PR team is fully aware of his condition. These people know that Niall is stuck in a constant state of alert, making him feel unsafe and vulnerable. I don't expect anyone to treat him any way besides normal, but having this aggression and power towards Niall is the extremely unnecessary. Niall understands the gravity of this situation plenty well on his own.
"Go upstairs, Ni. It's alright. I'll talk to them." I tell Niall quietly, him instantly glancing at me with clear apprehension, as if to ask 'are you sure?'. I give him a gentle smile, hoping to ease some of his worries. It seems to work, as he returns the smile and nods slightly, leaning in towards me and pressing the lightest little kiss on my cheek. I know it's his silent way of saying thank you, and I can't help but blush a bit. Niall's got to be one of the sweetest people I've met. I watch quietly as Niall leaves the table, opening the baby gate silently and walking up the stairs.
YOU ARE READING
Without a Clue {Diall}
Fanfiction"It never leaves. It never goes away. Why won't it go away?" Niall's secretive, always has been, but no one could've ever guessed that he would hide something this big. It turns out trying to cope with your past is a lot harder when you're hiding fr...
