Don't Look Back - A Niam Horayne Love Story

Chapter 13 - Love Like Theirs

When I entered the house, the boys were all over me.

“Did you find him?”

“Is Niall okay?”

“Where did he go?”

“Where have you been for so long?”

“Are you okay?”

“Is Niall hurt?”

“Did you talk to him?”

“Are you guys okay again?”

“Does he know you’re with Danielle?”

“SHUT UP AND I’LL TELL YOU!” I shouted, tired of their incessant questioning. The three boys fell over onto the couch, watching me expectantly.

“Yes, I did find him. It took forever, and Louis’ comment about the bakery was a good idea. He was at the bakery and ahs been going there every night, but he might not go anymore because he saw me tonight. Yes, I talked to him, and no, we didn’t entirely work it out.

I thought we were doing perfectly well, and he was actually planning to come home until I accidentally mentioned Danielle. It would be so much easier if he could just get over me,” I sighed, pulling at the roots of my hair.

Louis frowned. “Isn’t there something you can do to make him come home? We have a radio performance and interview in two days, Liam, or have you forgotten?”

He was right; I’d completely forgotten that I was a pop star throughout this emotional mess. Simon had scheduled us an interview and performance in hopes it would bring us back together, but I wasn’t sure if that was a good idea at the moment considering how Niall was taking our split up.

“I can try, but I honestly don’t know right now. I just want him back here at home with the rest of us. I can’t help but worry about him when he’s off on his own like that and I have no idea where he’s even staying, and I need my best mate. I need him here, where I can talk to him and see him and hug him. I just want my Nialler to come home,”

I dropped my eyes to the floor as I felt the familiar sting of fresh tears forming. There was a quick exchange of glances between Louis and harry before the younger stood and pulled me gently to the couch, placing me in the spot he’d previously occupied.

“We know, Liam. We miss him too, but I guess none of us were as… close to him as you always were. Are you sure you miss him exactly as you just said?”

I thought back over my words, seeing nothing wrong with them. Sure, it sounded a bit like I loved him in a different way, but that was acceptable. I loved Danielle, and the boys knew that. This time it was Zayn who exchanged glances with Harry, and the two left the room. I assumed Zayn needed to talk about something, which hopefully didn’t involve Niall and I.

Oh, Niall, we need you; One Direction isn’t the same without you. I begged and pleaded in my mind, but there was no luck. The door never opened, and there was never that flash of blonde or crystal blue I’d become so familiar with. Sighing, I lay back and allowed Louis to comfort me as I fell into my first real sleep since I’d realized Niall wasn’t home.

Danielle sat on her bed, staring at the small phone placed delicately on the side of her nightstand. It was the same location the phone had occupied for the past day, ever since Liam had gone.

She wasn’t expecting him to call, and she knew it could take a while to find the missing boy. If Liam had the chance to talk to him, Danielle knew he would do everything in his power to convince the younger boy to return to the group house, but she didn’t know how successful he would be.

If she was being honest, Danielle did feel somewhat jealous that her boyfriend was out searching for his ex when he could’ve been spending time with her. But she understood that it was a difficult situation, as his ex was also his best friend. She knew she would do the same if she were in his position, which is part of the reason why she told him to go.

Deep down, Danielle saw something that Liam had overlooked. She saw the broken boy who was stressed from the events of the last few months, a boy who was heartbroken over his ex who he refused to consider, and had guilt tearing him apart over the way he felt he was treating everyone around him. She felt awful that she couldn’t do more to help, but she didn’t want Liam to realize what her plan was.

Danielle loved Liam, and she was able to accept that. But she knew that Liam didn’t love her the way she’d hoped he would. He was in love with Niall, and anyone around them who had eyes would notice. Maybe even if they didn’t have eyes. The two had fallen deeply for each other, and Danielle couldn’t understand why he hadn’t come clean with her and stayed with Niall.

If he loved the boy, why did he let him go? Sure, she’d heard the old saying, but everyone knew that wasn’t exactly true. It was just meant to give people hope in the worst of situations. In fact, that’s what Danielle would have to think soon, when she let go of Liam.

The reason she had really agreed to be Liam’s girlfriend was because she knew he was going to try to use someone to get over Niall. She didn’t want to see a love like theirs end, so she stepped up to make sure she was in a position where she could be sure to help Liam realize he was making a mistake. Danielle was a lot wiser than Liam took her for, and that was a good thing.

When she’d told Liam she had no idea where Niall was and hadn’t heard form him, she was also lying. Not about his location, but she had heard his voice. Niall had called her a few days prior, needing to ask her how Liam was doing. He didn’t want to call any of the boys because he wasn’t ready to come home yet, and he knew Danielle was capable of being much more rational than the others.

The two of them had talked for hours, comparing what they had seen and heard from Liam since he split up with Niall. They had come to the conclusion that he might still have a chance to rekindle their love, but everyone knew Liam was stubborn.

So Danielle and Niall decided to make Liam jealous. They would pretend like Niall was angry that he was with Danielle, and make him feel guilty and spend more time thinking about Niall, and once his focus had shifted to the Irish boy he would find a way to make Liam believe he had competition.

Liam had never been good with competition. He always believed he was worse than those around him, especially now that he seemed to believe he could only cause pain. Danielle thought that if he felt broken enough, he would come to her and open up as he had done before, and she could turn those emotions into a realization.

But first, Liam had to talk to Niall, and Danielle was dying to know if he had found the boy or if he was still searching. Her phone had gone untouched all afternoon and into the night, and her fingers were itching to dial one of their numbers, even if it was just to check that they were safe.

With another tingle in her hands, she swiped the device from the table and punched in a number before she could talk herself out of it.

“Niall? It’s me, Dani. I was wondering if Liam found you, because I sent him out earlier on a search for you. What did you say to him? He never called me, and I assumed he would on his way back.”

She heard a bitter chuckle that sounded quite a bit unlike the happy leprechaun the world knew. And she felt herself grow worried. Had something unexpected gone down between the two boys? What if Niall gave up on Liam before they had the chance to show him who he loved? She had never considered that angle of the situation.

“Everything’s going according to plan,” he muttered as a beep signaled that he had hung up. Danielle sighed.

Why did it always seem like she was in the middle of the drama with these boys?