First You Fall

Chapter 15

The weirdest thing about Niall and Maisie lying in bed together after they'd made love was that it didn't feel weird. There was no awkwardness. She was propped against his back while his fingers intertwined with hers over and over. Neither of them were worried about the world outside Maisie's door. It was just them.

Niall kept her in his warm, tight, soft embrace and never moved to get up or leave. He didn't want to. Everything he needed was right there. He frowned when his stomach growled. Except for maybe a sandwich.

Maisie turned her head towards his chest, giggling softly,

"Are you hungry?"

Niall let out a deep sigh,

"Sorry, guess I haven't eaten a whole lot today."

Maisie nodded, her smile fading slowly,

"Yeah."
"It's fine." Niall rushed on, "I'm good."

Maisie glanced up at him again,

"I could go get us something."

Niall crooked his finger under her chin. He pressed his lips to hers,

"I'm alright." He whispered against her mouth.

Maisie snuggled back into his chest, turning onto her side. She wound her arm around his waist. Niall kissed her forehead,

"Are you comfortable?" He whispered.

She nodded, tightening her arm around his waist,

"I don't think I ever thanked you." She started, "For reading my words." She shook her head, "Don't think I would've gotten through that."

Niall trailed his fingers down her arm,

"Don't need t'thank me, Maze. I mean...I know she was your grandmother. I know you knew her your whole life but..." He shrugged, "I miss her too."
Maisie nodded,

"I know you do. She loved you, Niall. She did."

Niall pushed away the thoughts rolling around in his head. He didn't need to tell Maisie about the song he'd recorded. This wasn't about him. He'd let her know when the pain of losing Clarice had faded some. Though he wasn't sure if it really ever would. If the emptiness felt like it was swallowing him whole, it had to be choking Maisie.

Niall pressed his lips to her hair and breathed her in. For the rest of his life he would associate anything apple scented with Maisie.

He knew what had happened between them was big. He knew they would need to discuss it eventually. But he didn't want to ruin this. Did it sound odd to say it was probably the best night of his life? Considering it happened due to Clarice's death, it seemed a bit inappropriate. But he couldn't deny the feelings coursing through him while he replayed his night with Maisie. She felt so good underneath him, like it's where she was meant to be. And he didn't know if he could handle admitting to himself that it would only happen that one time.

Maisie had a boyfriend. Niall was her client. The conflict of interests in this were a tangled web on just about every front. And Niall didn't want to pressure her or make her feel like she had to choose.

But man...his whole body came alive when she touched him. And his desperate attempts to calm himself down didn't work at all. He had reserved himself to the fact that he was going to stay hard if she was around no matter what he did.

Being with her had awakened something in him he didn't even know was there. Love. He was in love. He probably had been for a while he was just far too stupid to realize it. His body had always reacted to her and now that he'd admitted (to himself anyway) how he felt, there was no going back.