First You Fall

Chapter 23

Niall kept his attention focused on the console in front of him. He toyed with a few knobs that didn't actually do anything, but Maisie didn't know that. All he could think about once her perfume invaded his senses was the last time they'd been in this room and how soft her skin was beneath his calloused, rough fingers. And then the anger raged up from somewhere beneath his toes.

He took a deep breath, mostly to keep his cool but also because he'd been holding it since the moment she walked in. He didn't turn around. He promised himself he wouldn't. If he looked at her, there's no telling what he would've been willing to let go.

"Niall-"

"Whatcha doin' here?" He interrupted, his voice forceful and full of anger.

Maisie could feel his fury. It was terrifying. She didn't think anyone had ever resented her more than Niall did and he had good reason. She felt her insides shake,

"Niall, please."
Niall stayed silent, his jaw clenched so tightly it actually hurt.

"Niall, I'm so sorry." She whispered, the shake in her voice doing nothing to ease his irritation. She glanced down, trying desperately to swallow the huge lump in her throat, "I shouldn't have said what I said."
"Doesn't matter." He answered, his voice stoic.

"I know I hurt you."
He shook his head,

"Didn't hurt me."

Maisie felt helpless. He was cutting her off at the knees before she ever got to explain. She stepped forward,

"Can you look at me please?" Niall didn't move to turn around, he simply kept playing with the knobs in front of him. Maisie reached out to touch his arm, "Plea-"

She didn't even get the word out before he ripped his arm out of her grasp, the movement so intense it turned him around. Niall's eyes made one pass over hers before he looked down,

"Don't fucking touch me." He growled.

Maisie pulled her hands back,

"I'm sorry." She whispered, "I'm sorry, I don't-" She stopped abruptly. Niall wasn't sure if it was because she didn't know what else to say or because of the tears currently choking her throat. Maisie put her hand over her mouth, a slight jolt of her shoulders as a sob rolled through her, "I've never done this before." She said as her hand came away from her mouth, "I've never hurt someone the way I hurt you. I was so upset that night. You were in that video and I-"

"Don't care. Leave." He said, finally staring her dead in the eyes with such a hardness it made her freeze.

She blinked once,

"I'm not leaving."

"I said leave." The rage in his voice doubled as he stood up.

"I'm not leaving until you-"

"I SAID LEAVE!"
"LISTEN TO ME!" She screamed out the same time he did.

Both of them stopped, their chests heaving with deep breaths. Maisie had never yelled at anyone like that nor had she heard a voice with so much loathing in it since she'd lived with her parents.

Maisie's eyes met his, tears streaming down her cheeks,

"I was wrong. I was wrong from the moment I kissed you until the moment I said I didn't love you. I was wrong for dragging you into this when you saw what happened with my father. I was wrong for allowing you to get attached to Clarice. I was wrong for putting you in a position where I was cheating on Steven. I was wrong about all of it."

Niall blinked a few times and then moved his gaze away from hers and down to the floor. Despite his earlier claim, once she started talking he actually did want to hear more, though he would never tell her that.