Turning Pages (Niall Fanfic)

Chapter Sixty-Two

Niall’s POV:

I took a deep breath and stood to my feet.

I opened the front door and quietly slid inside. All of the lights were off except for the dim glow from the Christmas tree. The dishwasher was running and all of the food had been put away.

I walked in the kitchen to check the time. I had no idea how long I had been sitting out there, but it was long enough for my phone to die. It was early morning already.

I snuck back upstairs to find Danielle lying on her old bed. Her back was facing the doorway.

I heard her muffled sniffles. I tiptoed towards her bed and pushed my hands underneath her side. I lifted her up off of the comforter, sat down, and sat her on top of me. She seemed too light and fragile in my arms.

The streetlights from the neighborhood shined through her blinds. Wet streaks became visible on her cheeks and all of her make-up had worn off. Her wavy hair clung to her face.

I squeezed her body tight against mine after she turned to face me. She buried her head in my chest and began crying even harder. I quickly hoisted her up in my arms and shut the door which I had left open. I knew she didn’t want anyone to hear her cry. She was so sensitive when it came to vulnerability. She wanted to be viewed as strong.

I loved her for being fragile. I loved her for trying to be viewed as strong. She carried both of those characteristics in different ways.

She turned her body back towards mine after I sat back down on her old bed. She wrapped her legs around my waist. Her hands clung to my shirt and the back of my neck. Her body trembled under my arms. I pulled her tighter in an effort to comfort her. I hated seeing her breakdown, even if she needed to cry. Her body became limp and her lungs begged for air. Her sobs filled the fabric of my shirt and my bare skin beneath it.

I began stroking her hair while she calmed herself back down. I waited for her hiccups to subside before I spoke.

“I love ya, Danielle.” I whispered into her ear. I moved a few strands away from her face; they were heavy with tears.

“How can you still love me after all of this? Didn’t you hear what my life was like?” Her hands gripped my shirt tighter.

“But you stood up for yourself. Even though you went through so much, look at the person you’ve become.” I smiled at her when she looked up at me. I knew she was saying those words more to herself than to me. She bit her bottom lip. Her eyelashes had gathered together in clumps.

Her shoulders relaxed before she reached in for a hug. “I love you too, Niall.” She whispered into my shoulder and neck.

We crawled under her covers and were rather close to each other. I wasn’t used to sleeping in anything other than a king-sized bed.

I sat up and took off my long-sleeved shirt. I tossed it towards our suitcases.

I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closer to me. She smelled like faint shampoo, sweat, and tears. I was guessing that was what all girls smelled like after they had been crying.

I touched my nose with hers and smiled in the dimly-lit room.

“How much did you hear?” She half mumbled.

“Enough.” I replied. I shushed her. “Go to sleep.”

-

White sunlight which reflected off of the snow shined through her old bedroom window.  I groggily looked around and took in my surroundings; remembering where I was. I rested my head back on the pillow and reached out to grab Danielle’s hip. I found nothing and opened my eyes. I sat up in bed and saw her sitting on the floor with a spiral notebook and a pen. I rubbed my eyes and made my usual morning noises.