WRONG // (Harry Styles)

t h i r t y t w o

CHAPTER 32

Claire's point of view

"Claire!" Niall has to shout in order to get my attention. I finally look up at him, blinking a few times to get out of my daydream.

"Huh?" i raise my eyebrows, and he smiles.

"How many slices of bacon do you want?" he asks, his prominent in the bright sunlight.

"Oh uhm, just one please." I rest my elbows on the counter in front of me. It's about 10AM, and Niall is making breakfast as I struggle to sort out yesterday's events.

It's hard to think so much came crumbling down in just a single day. I can't even open my eyes without being reminded of how i hurt him. And how he hurt me. And Niall.

The cut on his lip is but a dark line of dried blood, the swelling has gone down.

I have never been scared like that before. Harry was completely out of his mind, unwilling to think clearly. His swollen red eyes, his weak and defeated posture made him strangely foreign to me. And now to look at Niall, with a black eye and a cut on his lips, makes me regret ever pulling him into my mess.

"I'm really sorry Niall, about yesterday. If I knew he would do that I would never have come here," I apologize, wanting him to know that I never meant for things to be like this between them.

"Claire, that's the fifth time you've apologized in the last hour,"

"It's alright, i'm fine," he leans his upper body towards me, placing hand under my chin and lifting it up to look directly at him.

"Ok?" he asks and waits for an answer, but all I'm able to do is nod my head.

"Now, you sure you don't an extra piece of bacon?" he asks, dangling it over the pan. I laugh and finally nod.

As we sit down to eat, I try to forget everything for at least fifteen minutes so we can have a nice time. But it doesn't take much effort with Niall. Once he starts talking, i get completely absorbed by his irish accent.

"So, Claire," he says after a while. I look up at him after I take the last bite of my breakfast.

"Hm?" I say with my mouth still stuffed with food.

"I need you to do me a favor," he says, joining his hands together, leaning his elbows on the table. My curiosity grows as I wipe my mouth with a napkin.

"Of course, what's up?" By now, I owe Niall a million favors.

He brings up his phone from his pocket and hands it to me.

"Call Louis," he says, as i see the phone number already up on the screen. I look back at him, and my smile disappears.

"Niall, i..." I try to protest, staring down at the screen.

"Claire, i know you miss him, and i know he misses you." I have a feeling that he won't give up before I press Call.

"First step out of this situation is making amends with your brother," he says, pointing to the phone. I know he's right, but I'm scared. Really, really scared.

Scared that Louis will reject me, and that he won't want to see me. But after all I have been through these past few days, I think I'm ready to take a chance, and try.

I press the green button and take a deep breath before leaning it against my ear. I hear the dialing beep a few times before I hear him pick up.

"Hey Niall," i hear through the phone, and I close my eyes. Choking back a lump in my throat from hearing his voice.