When Someone Stops Loving You (Narry AU)

Chapter 22

After a second or two I find my shaking hands typing on the device. 

Why?

What could you possibly have to say to me after all this time? 

I just want this all to be over...

Once I see that the three messages were delivered I turn my phone over and lay in my bed. 

That's all that happens. I find myself just lying there, sleep drifting further and further from my mind as it becomes full of thoughts and possibilities. What could he have to say? Why did he come here? Why was whatever he has to say so important that he would travel all the way here?

I hear the small object on the nightstand buzz. Signaling a message. The need to check it is too strong, so I look. 

Please, just ten minutes. I want to explain. 

Explain. Maybe that's what I need for this to all be over. So that I can move on.

Ok. I will meet you at the coffee shop by my apartment at 9 am tomorrow. 

I will not wait for you so don't be late.

If I'm going to meet with him it will be under my own terms. In a place I can easily escape. I know this area pretty well. 

-

Liam and Jerry don't know I'm meeting him. I just said I was going to go for some coffee and a walk. I didn't mention who would be accompanying me. If I did they would talk me out of it, or try to come. I have to do this on my own. 

I show up at the shop and walk in the door right at 9 and am met with Harry, in his tight black jeans and hair tied up in a bun at the front of the line ordering coffee. I join the fairly short line for this time of the morning so that I can order my own beverage. 

"Harry?" I hear a barista call throughout the small shop. The lean frame walking towards the counter, then spotting me. 

"I got yours, 2 sugars right?" He says making his way over to me, and I realize he has a cup in both hands, one extended out to me. 

"Ah, yeah, thanks. You didn't have to" I answer taking the cup closer to me from his hand. 

"You did agree to meet me," he insists while leading us to a two person booth. One on each side. "I love the songs you have out," Harry says a small smile appearing on his face after a moment of silence. I missed that smile.

"I'm here for you to explain. You can't just pull that," I reply trying to not let his presence get to me. He hurt you, Niall. You have a good thing going. You don't need him. 

"You're right. I promised you an explanation. I owe you that" I nod to signal him to go on. "When you posted that video of you singing This Town it got so many likes, comments. They never stopped coming. I knew by the second week of it being out that you were going to make it big. That some record producer was going to claim you and that song and all the other amazing songs you had up your sleeve. I loved when you would show me what you were working on. I loved coming home from being with my mates and seeing you passed out on the couch, your guitar next to you, your song book on your lap with a pencil tucked behind your right ear. Seeing you playing on the small stage at the local pub really showed me that that's where you truly belong. On a stage, with your guitar, playing for crowds you never thought you would gather. It killed me when I realized I was not enough. I was scared for you. I was scared you were going to settle-"

"Harry-" I try to interrupt. 

"Let me keep going ok?" I nod and he continues. "Breaking up with you was the hardest thing, I have ever had to do. I loved you, Niall, hell, I still love you, so much. But, I know it was the right thing to do because look where you are now. In America with your songs playing on the radio worldwide. The first time I heard the song you wrote for me on the radio, I felt so proud. All I wanted to do was tell you that. That's when I knew I did the right thing, for you,"

"How do you figure that what you did was the right thing for me? Do you know how much pain I was in?" I say after a moment of taking in what he said. He still loves me. 

"I know you wouldn't have come here if I was still in the picture. You would've stayed in London with all of your songs wasting away in the apartment and on the small pub stage. You deserve so much more than that and I wasn't going to be what held you back. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I let that happen" He continues, so much emotion displayed in his eyes and face. "I didn't mean to put you in any pain. I really didn't. I didn't know you were going to take it as hard as you did. When I saw you at the pub the night before you left, I knew what I did was right. You were going to be living your dream without anyone holding you back" 

There were tears in my eyes. I don't exactly know why, but they're there. "What did you think was going to happen when you came here. Why did you come?" I ask. The question popping up in my mind along with all the other emotions. 

"I'm actually here for work, but I extended the trip a bit when I heard you were playing at the station. I needed to see you. See how you were doing. Hear you play This Town somewhere that wasn't the apartment or the pub. When I found out where you were staying and I just had to go see you. I was going to explain that night. I never thought you were going to react like that. It killed me to see you like that knowing I was the cause and I couldn't do anything about it" 

I let his words sink in and try to make sense out of my mind that feels like it's running a thousand miles a minute. "God, Harry, do you know how complicated you just made this?"

"Niall-"

"No, you got your time to talk. I spent basically the last year thinking you didn't love me and now I hear that you did this for me? What the hell? I missed you, scratch that actually, I still miss you. So much. I think about you everytime I sing This Town, because, shit Harry, everything comes back to you."

~

1162 Words

Oh snap. Some Niall and Harry action. (It's about time right?) What a time. 

What do y'all what/think is going to happen? 

Thank you for reading!

Rebecca