The Guardian

Chapter Thirteen

Days had gone by and I couldn't get Niall's stupid grin out of my mind. Although in the moment it brought happiness and butterflies, now it brought nothing but a feeling of negativity: guilt and regret, nerves and anxiety- was I overreacting? Does he really feel that way about me? I doubt it. I was an emotional mess that night and was searching for any tiny bit of positivity in that moment and twisting it into something greater simply to lift my spirits. Niall doesn't love me. But someone else does.

**

I woke up that morning with a smile on my face, it was a Saturday, and I replayed last night's events in my mind. Brian had taken me to dinner at the hibachi restaurant in town, and he was being quite the gentleman.

"Two iced teas please," Brian said to the waitress as we overlooked the menu.

"And for dinner?" she asked.

"I'll have the hibachi shrimp," he said. "And she'll have the..." he paused, looking at me.

"Hibachi chicken," I finished.

The waitress smiled and took our menus, and the chef soon appeared at the grill in front of us. I've been to hibachi before, but this restaurant was pretty new and the show was quite entertaining. The two of us chuckled as he flipped the eggs and caught them in his hat, made a volcano out of oil and onions, and put out the fire with water which squirted from a plastic doll that appeared to be peeing.

We applauded the chef when he finished and dug in to our meal, which was delicious.

"How's the chicken?" he asked.

"Good," I replied, putting a piece on his plate for him to taste. "And the shrimp?"

"It's good," he answered, repaying the favor and putting a piece on my plate. "My favorite part is the noodles though," he said. "And you know, I've always wanted to try that lady and the tramp thing," he added with a wink.

"No thanks, I don't need soy sauce splattered all over my white top," I giggled.

He smirked at me. "You're so adorable."

I couldn't help but blush.

Brian paid the check and escorted me to his car, where he opened the passenger door for me. We slowed at a red light as we drove home, and he looked over at me shyly. I smiled to myself as his green eyes glowed underneath the street lights.

"Ali?" he asked, his focus back on the road now that the light had turned green.

"Mhm?" I replied, my nose buried in my phone.

"I've been thinking, and I was wondering if you uh, wanna make this official." My eyes darted up from my phone and I directed my attention to him as we slowed at yet another red light. "Like, make us official," he laughed nervously. "In other words, um, Ali, will you be my girlfriend?"