This Town

Chapter Forty Six

That night, I met up with Thomas at a pub to ring in the New Year. I honestly wasn't in the mood to celebrate but a small weight was lifted from my shoulders after my encounter with Siobhan. She had spoken to me without malice or bitterness. She had held my hand and in her own small way, let me know that one day we'd be okay. So I did have a small smile on my face that evening.

The pub we had gone to was having a big 1920s inspired bash, so we all dressed accordingly. When we walked through the door, it was filled with other revelers dressed as well. After I got my drink, I noticed Conor on the other side with Siobhan. She looked beautiful in a champagne colored flapper dress. Her long hair was pin-curled to her head. She really looked the part.

Conor saw me and turned them both away but later there was a moment when he was alone that I approached him outside.

"Go away, Horan. I don't want trouble tonight," he said as he lit a cigarette.

"I don't either. I just wanted to apologize to you. And tell you I'm sorry about Rory."

He snorted, "No, you're not. You hated him. Not that I blame ya for it. He treated ya like shit."

"Yes, he did. Not lying about that. But I am sorry. I can only imagine what it must be like and my imagination is pretty vivid sometimes, so..." I trailed off.

"It fucking sucks."

"Yeah." We stood there, outside, in the cold, silent, awkward. "Please, just take care of her."

He turned to me and nodded, "I am. I'm not the guy you want to think I am."

"So everyone keeps telling me."

"Ha! Yeah." He finished his cigarette and walked back inside. I stood out there for another moment before I did the same.

I rang in the New Year with an old friend and then called it a night. 

I was almost asleep when I heard something outside my window.  It kept making noise so I got up and opened the blinds to find Siobhan, still in her flapper dress, trying to break in.

I opened the window and a flush of cold air tore into the room. "Siobhan, what are you doing?" I whispered to her harshly as I helped her inside.

She stumbled in, and probably woke everyone else up in the process. She stood up and in the moonlight, I could see her face, she was definitely drunk. But happy drunk.

She didn't say anything at first. She just kicked off her shoes and placed her bag down on the floor. She started unpinning her hair. I watched as one by one her hair fell free.

"Siobhan, what are you doing here? Where's Conor?" I whispered.

"At his house, I imagine," she responded before facing me. "It's where I left him."

"Why aren't you with him?"

"Because he got a little too drunk and is most likely passed out. Plus, I wanted to come see you. I wanted to tell you something."

She looked at me for a moment, the shadows dancing across her face. "And now is the time? In the middle of the night?"

"Yes, because tomorrow will be too late."

I looked at her questioningly, "What does that mean?"

She began to laugh, loudly. I told her to hush but she kept laughing, so I grabbed her to me and put my hand over her mouth. She stopped laughing as she brought her finger up to my lips to mimic shushing her. I could feel her body next to mine, breathing, pulsing.

"What do you want to tell me?" I asked as I let go of her mouth, suddenly really wanting to know what it was.

"I, uh, wanted to say..." she trailed off as her eyes darted around the room. She pulled away from me and walked towards my bed, climbing in, dress on and all.

"What are you doing?"

"Just come lay next to me, Niall, please?"

I was too tired to argue and too intrigued to deny I wanted to place my body next to hers again. So, once again, I did. Once I had laid down next to her, she turned and threw an arm and a leg across me, snuggling deep into my side.

"This is what I miss most," she whispered.

"Me too," I said as I gently wrapped an arm around her and lightly touched her skin. "Siobhan, what are you doing here? Really? Why aren't you with Conor?"

"I thought you would've wanted me here, but I can go," she started to sit up.

"No! Please, don't. I just, uh, don't know why you're here."

She laid back down and began fiddling with my shirt, something she always did when she was nervous, "I just wanted to see you. And thank you, again, but you can stop now...with the money. I don't need it anymore."

"Siobhan, I want to help you--"

"Ssshh, I appreciate it, Niall, I really do but I can't accept it anymore."

She hoisted herself up onto an elbow to better look at me. She then leaned down and placed her lips onto mine. A flash of electricity went pulsing through my body and before I knew it, our clothes were in a pile on the floor.

I flipped her over so I was on top. As she continued to kiss me, I plunged into her, sending shockwaves through us both. I didn't want to waste anymore time, something had brought her here and somehow she was mine again, if only for this moment, and as horrible as it was to be the one she was cheating with, in that moment, I didn't care.

The next morning, somewhere between still dreaming and being awake, I felt her body move away from me. Awhile later, the smell of her perfume still lingering in the air, I rolled over to wrap myself around her and kiss her but all I found was empty space. I opened my eyes and she was gone.

I quickly got dressed and ran to her house. I banged on the door but no one answered. I found the spare key in the same place it was always kept but ended up not needing it. The house was open and as I walked through the door, I knew she wasn't there.

I went into her room and saw nothing disturbed. Everything in that house was where it had always been. The only thing missing was the photos on the wall. Our photos from the fair. They were gone. She was gone.