First You Fall

Chapter 25

Maisie plodded her bare feet into her kitchen after having changed out of the suit she'd worn to Niall's meeting. The entire thing had taken so much out of her. Seeing Niall again had her shook. She didn't realize how much he truly did hate her until she saw his eyes flash when she walked into the room.

Maisie didn't blame him. She'd told him she didn't care about him, that she'd used him to get over Clarice, and then thrown the fact that he'd been in a brothel in his face. She'd hate her too if it had been her. Maisie had so many regrets about her life, but what she'd done to Niall far outweighed anything else.

She grabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator when she heard the doorbell ring. Hoping it was the pizza she'd ordered when she got home, she opened the door without hesitation.

Her heart hit her feet when she saw Niall standing in front of her, eyes still flashing like they had when she walked into the conference room. He pushed past her, barging into her foyer. The anger was echoing off of his whole body. Maisie closed her door and turned to face him. Niall whirled around,

"What the hell was that?" He demanded.

"I'm sorry wh-"

"Don't play stupid with me!" He yelled.

Maisie had been rapidly approaching her limit of him yelling at her. She set the bottle of water down and lifted her eyes to his,

"You shouldn't cancel a tour just because of me." She said calmly.

He took a step towards her,

"I told ya t'stay outta me life!" He yelled.

"Then don't be a complete tool and screw up your life just so you can blame me for it!" She yelled back, her chest heaving with deep breaths.

Niall's eyes were wide with shock. Maisie shook her head defiantly,

"Cancelling a tour just because you don't wanna talk to me is stupid."

Niall was breathing like a freight train,

"I don't need anyone takin' up for me."

"Well obviously you do or they wouldn't have required it."

"They weren't gonna cancel the tour." He retorted angrily.

"Jason doesn't bluff, Niall. You know that as well as I do."

She softened slightly. God, Niall was so angry. So hurt. She hadn't been able to see it due to his refusal to see her, but now standing in her foyer she couldn't miss it. He was completely filled to the brim with unbridled hatred for her.

And it broke her heart.

At one point, Niall had been her safe place. And he still might be, which was the most terrifying part. Maisie couldn't imagine not ever feeling his arms around her again. Out of everything she'd lost the last few months, that was by far the scariest.

"You've worked hard for this." Maisie said softly, "You deserve the opportunity for people to hear you."

She stared back at him, thinking for a moment that he might forgive her finally. Her heart fluttered just slightly. If she could get him to forgive her he might be open to allowing her in his life again.

Niall's emotions were everywhere. Anger for the way she'd brushed him off. Pain for how bad it hurt not to be around her. Regret for how many different things he'd done that he wished he hadn't. He wanted to pull her into his arms, kiss the hell out of her, tell her he forgave her for what she'd done. But then the words she spoke that day she told him she didn't care would echo in his ears again and he would close down.