Turning Pages (Niall Fanfic)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Danielle’s POV:

I could smell the homemade bread as soon as I stepped foot inside of the house. I slipped off my shoes and set my purse down next to the wall. As I bent down, I felt a hand slip and grip the phone from my back pocket.

“Hey!” I nearly shouted. “Private property!” I swatted his hand away from my butt.

“I paid for it.” Niall argued as he slipped off his hightops.

“I meant my ass.” I pointed to my bottom.

“Ohh…” He said and raised his eyebrows. You think you’re clever but you’re not.

I heard Maura call for us from the kitchen and I sat down at the kitchen table. Chris sat in front of the T.V. in the living room but had dozed off. I watched as Niall shuffled up next to his mom and kissed her on the cheek. He eyed the bread that sat on the counter. It was baked and cut into perfect slices. He grabbed a big piece and started to munch. He mumbled something to his mom and laughed at whatever she said. It was almost like I was watching a movie. I felt like I was in the middle of things but was invisible. It didn’t bother me one bit. Not in the least. I actually enjoyed it. I got to witness these precious moments.

He walked back over to where I was sitting and ripped his piece of bread in half. I took the piece that didn’t have the bite marks from where his teeth had sunk in. He took one last big bite of his piece and chewed. I watched him walk over to the fridge and push a clear glass against the lever that sat against the freezer door. Water filled his cup and he gulped down a full glass. Maura brought fresh sandwiches over and sat them around the table. Niall filled his glass again and sauntered back over to the table, bending down to kiss my cheek on the way to his seat. Maura brought over hot soup and set the white bowls down in front of us. Niall began to inhale his homemade food as Maura went over to stir Chris awake. He swore he was only resting his eyes.

-

Maura and I cleaned up the kitchen as Niall and Chris drank a few beers and yelled at each other over an old rerun. I glanced over at the T.V. screen and watched as the male players kicked a soccer ball back and forth. One player missed the goal and Niall flailed his hands up in anger as Chris laughed at his enthusiasm. I rinsed off the dishes and handed them to Maura as she placed them in the dishwasher. What’s funny is that she placed each dish exactly where I would have placed it. She liked to be organized and had a way of doing things, just like me.

“You know…” She half whispered as I dried my hands off with a towel. “Niall must like and trust you.” She started. “You see, when I asked him to bring a date here, I thought he would blow me off and come anyway. I had seen your pictures all over the internet and a few magazines at the grocery store and I wanted to meet you… I just didn’t know if you and him were one of those made up stories or not. Now, I see that you’re real.” She smiled at me and shut the dishwasher.

“To be completely honest with you, I don’t know if we are anything.” I wiped off counters as she started up the dishwasher. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. I like Niall. He’s a gentleman, he’s sweet, and he genuinely cares for everyone. I’m just not used to all of this publicity.” We heard a victory shout from the living room and glanced over.

“Well, just make sure you know what you want before things get too complicated. Believe me, things will get complicated.” She giggled. She didn’t want to come off as demanding. But, I knew that she wanted me to figure things out. “I’m going to be very honest with you. I haven’t seen Niall this happy and smiley in a long time. I like you. Chris likes you. Niall definitely likes you. I want to see you again.” I could tell that she was very genuine and meant every word she said.

I sipped on an open wine cooler that Niall popped open for me. I could never get those tops off. He ran over to me but kept his eyes on the T.V. screen, not wanting to miss a single second. I thought he was just coming back to stand by me but instead, he pulled my new iPhone out of his deep pocket and handed it to me. It buzzed in his hand.

“Sorry. I had forgotten that I had it.” He apologized. I took it in my hand and saw that it was Cat.

I answered quickly before the call went to voicemail and sped down the hall and opened the front door. I closed it behind me and sat on the cement porch. I overlooked the long grass and the few houses that sat occupied in the distance. I told Cat all about my stay here. She asked so many questions that I had no answer to. Eventually I got to last night. I told her about our stay at the fancy hotel and how we were headed back there tonight.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, what?” Cat stopped me in midsentence. “Please tell me that you-“

“God, Cat! Is that all you ever think about? We didn’t do anything. We just slept in the same bed.”

“You can’t blame me! That’s kind of what my job is. I give pleasure. Ugh… that reminds me who I have to do tonight. Just come back here already so I can vent more to you.”

“I don’t want to know about your sex-life! Especially since it’s with many many men.” I heard the front door open and I looked behind me.

Niall stepped out with a case of beer and wine coolers, my purse also hung over his shoulder as he made his way to his mum’s car. He looked silly as he filled the backseat and set my purse on the front passenger seat. He nodded at me as an indication that it was almost time to leave. I could tell that he was getting tired just from the way he carried himself.

“Listen, Cat. I’ve got to say goodbye to Niall’s family and I’ll text you when we get settled again, okay?” I breathed into the phone. She agreed but was reluctant. I could tell that she was lonely.

I hung up and met Niall as he stepped back up onto the porch. He drew me into a long hug and rubbed my head with his fingertips. I could smell the beer on him already. I wondered how many he had already. He smelled intoxicated but didn’t act it. His tolerance must have been pretty high.

We walked back inside and I used the bathroom quick. I walked back out into an atmosphere of thick Irish accents. I could hardly keep up with what Chris or Niall were rambling on about. Maura was pretty good at keeping her accent on the soft end. I hugged her goodbye and chatted briefly. She asked where I was staying and if I had a job. I told her the truth but left out the intense details. I gave Chris a sturdy handshake as Niall went out to start the car.

“I really wish to see you again, Danielle.” Maura sang. “You may be shy and meek, but you’re a strong beautiful woman.” She pulled me into another long hug.

She smelled like hairspray, wine, and good food. We were the only two people left in the foyer. We both released our hug at the same time and waved goodbye. I shut the door behind me and stood for a moment with my hand still on the door handle. For the first time, I felt like I had a real mother.