Water Under the Bridge ›› n.h. mature

Eight

Niall Horan

"Kate, what the hell is going on?"

We were sitting on the floor, leaned against the back of the couch, half empty glasses in our hands, listening to the thunder boom and the rain pound against the roof.

"Don't worry about it. Pour me some more?" She held her glass out and so I did.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you and everything but...I'm a little confused." She texted me that she needed to come over and then barged in with alcohol and the most sour of looks on her face.

"I had a horrible weekend and I didn't know who else to go to."

"Oh. I'm sorry." She didn't say anything else. She just took another drink. "Can I ask what happened?"

She shrugged. "It doesn't matter."

"Well if you're upset then it does matter," I said.

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You're in my apartment drinking on a Monday night."

"Fine." She stood up from our spot on the floor. "Never mind. I'll go."

"Kate, that's not what I meant! I just want to know why you're here."

I grabbed her hand and pulled her back down to sit beside me. She leaned against the back of the couch again.

"I don't even know why I'm here," she said as she started crying. "I have no friends in London and I didn't know who else to go to but now I realize how stupid it is that I came here of all places."

"It's not stupid," I assured her.

"Yes it is! We're not even friends! Just because we've hung out a couple times to watch a movie doesn't mean we're friends and I know that but I'm so pathetically desperate right now that I came here anyway."

"Hey," I mumbled, trying to soothe her as my hand reached forward and cupped her jaw. "Look at me." She didn't so I pulled her face up a bit. "Katie, look at me."

She finally did and her eyes were wide and sad but beautifully bright green.

"I think we're friends. Okay?"

"Okay," she mumbled like she didn't believe me.

"We were friends when we were little. I know we aren't as close right now but I promise I'll always be here for you, okay? Katie, I promise."

Her tears had stopped but the sadness hadn't left her eyes.

She was looking at me with her beautiful eyes and my hand was still holding her fragile face. I swear she leaned into me. I want to kiss her. So badly I want her lips on mine.

But she suddenly dropped her gaze so I let my hand fall from her face.

She rested her damp head on my shoulder and let out a massive sigh. We both leaned against the back of the couch.

Kate Marshall

"So are you going to tell me what happened?" Niall asked.

It took me a minute to process his question. I was still thinking about his hand on my face. It was so much gentler than I would've guessed. It was gentler than he was with me that time at the fundraiser at my parents house when he...

"Kate?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." I was getting ready to explain when his phone dinged.

I tried to play like I hadn't seen but it was definitely a booty call text. I sat up, no longer leaned on his shoulder, and he typed a reply that I didn't bother to try and peek at.