First You Fall

Chapter 24

Niall's body felt unnaturally light as he rolled over onto his back. His arm was caught underneath something heavy and warm. He turned his head to the side to see the same brunette with a slight twinge of red in it that he'd seen for the past week. It took him a moment to realize he wasn't dreaming. His chest was slightly damp, he guessed from having had himself pushed up against her back while they slept.

The most amazing sense of calm washed over him as he turned back onto his side and pressed his lips up to her bare shoulder. He smiled when she stirred, rubbing his stubble back and forth on her skin.

She drew a deep breath into her lungs as he watched her face relax into a lazy smile,

"I thought you said we were gonna sleep in."

Niall nodded, shrugging gently,

"I said we'd stay in bed all day...didn't make no mentions o'sleepin'."

She pushed her hips into his,

"We should probably replenish fluids if we keep this up."
Niall kept his lips pressed into her skin, tracing them up the skin of her shoulder to the nape of her neck and then to her ear,

"I'll get you some water if you want." His cock was hard, already aching and throbbing to be sheathed inside of her, "But first I need ya, Angel."

She lifted her hand to thread her fingers into the hair on the back of his head while his fingers snuck down between her legs,

"Niall..." She breathed.

"Love you, Maze." He whispered as he pushed his cock into her slowly.

Niall jolted so hard when his eyes snapped open, he gave himself a neck ache. He was breathing like he'd just run a mile, his eyes so wide it kind of hurt and he was drenched in sweat. But he was alone. No Maisie.

He blinked rapidly, staring up at the ceiling while a million thoughts flew through his brain. The only coherent one being "What in the fuck was that?".

Once his breathing evened out and his heart rate slowed to an acceptable pace, he pushed himself up to sit. His room was the same way he'd left it last night. A pile of clothes on the floor in the corner for him to wash later. His shoes he'd left haphazardly thrown where they landed after he flung them off and his phone still sitting on the nightstand next to him.

But definitely no Maisie.

Niall's emotions roller coastered from grief to anger to confusion to regret. Regret that she wasn't there. Niall had never and most likely would never feel the same type of warmth he felt when she was in his arms. And he was pissed as hell that he knew that and that he couldn't forget about it.

He kicked the covers off of his feet angrily and walked into the bathroom.

---------------------------

"Did you know?" Maisie asked as she walked into Janina's office the next morning. She'd decided to let herself ruminate on Mere's information before demanding answers. Maisie and Janina were still rebuilding their relationship and Maisie didn't need to go off half cocked and ruin everything.

Janina looked up from her computer screen,

"Did I know...what?" She asked.

Maisie sat down in one of Janina's chairs,

"Niall...his record company won't let him go on tour unless I sign off on his progress?"

Janina pushed her computer back, reached up to pull her glasses off and let out a deep sigh,