Turning Pages (Niall Fanfic)

Chapter Fifty-Three

Danielle’s POV:

I felt warm lips peck my forehead as a sweet hello. I pried my eyes open and rubbed the sleep away to see Niall standing beside the bed. It was still dark out, as always. “I’m leavin’. I’ll talk to ya later, babe.” His lips met mine and his kiss tasted minty. I’m sure my breath wasn’t pleasant.

I gripped onto his hand in an effort to make him stay. I knew he couldn’t, and also that he wouldn’t, but I always hoped he would. He chuckled and gave me a quick sloppy kiss while his free hand skimmed one side of my chest. He suddenly broke free and pointed at me. “Gotcha!” He laughed at himself while he walked out of the room. I realized that all of his touching made my grip go weak.

-

I woke up to my alarm and stretched my limbs underneath the covers. I called Maura just to make sure she was just getting into town. “Hello, dear.” She answered my telephone call. “Yes, I’m just making it through the city. Would you like to meet up somewhere to get somethin’ t’ eat? “ I’m sure she had been up for hours.

“Sure,” I mumbled “Just send me the address of where you’d like to meet up and I’ll see you there.”

“Alright, love! I don’t mind waitin’. Once I get there I’ll ask f’r the address.” She chimed.

“Alright. I‘ve got to hop into the shower but I’ll be there as soon as I can.” I stood up out of bed and pulled Niall’s white v-neck tighter around my small frame.

-

I hailed a taxi and whipped my phone out so I could read off the address. Niall always had cash in his wallet, due to me, and he seemed to set some out on the counter every once in a while for my use. He paid for everything. He said he didn’t, but he did. It bothered me; the fact that I wasn’t independent. But I wasn’t getting my pay from Eleanor until the interior design was complete. He brought up that situation whenever I brought up finances. I guess he really couldn’t take the credit for what he did.

I thought about money and Eleanor and Maura while the taxi driver hummed to his own radio station and I watched people walk down the sidewalks outside.

I had something special planned during the next few days. Today Maura came down to visit with me and planed on helping me shop for what I hoped to be an amazing Thanksgiving. I needed a few groceries, like produce, but I also asked her to help me shop for some of Niall’s favorite Irish dishes.

I still was a better baker than a cook, but I thought I might as well give the recipes a go; unless they failed.

The taxi pulled up to a restaurant I had never been to before and I paid the driver.

I found Maura flipping through a menu and she flagged me down before I ended up walking in the opposite direction. I took a seat and a well-dressed waiter poured me a glass of red wine. “I know you like your wine.” Maura joked. I smiled and thanked her for ordering.

While I twirled some sort of high-end noodle around my fork, Maura and I talked.

“Where exactly are you from?” She sipped on a glass of champagne.

“I’m from a small town in Connecticut.” I dabbed at my face with a cloth napkin.

She nodded her head. “How did you and Niall meet exactly? I’ve never heard the story.”

I smiled because I guessed I had never told someone the story. “We met the first night I flew into London. It was actually at a Chinese restaurant. He wanted my number and a date, to trade in my luggage which I left at the table. At first he really bothered me, but then he turned out to be sweet.” I felt my face flush while the words were rolling off my tongue.