How to Save a Life (Niall Horan)

Chapter 4: Let Me Explain

Niall's POV

I looked at the article and read it over. My jaw dropped in shock. How could they have managed to get a picture in the few seconds I was there with my hood down?! Why would the press turn this into a story? Do they think that a person would want to the rest of the world to know of their near death experiences? Especially when she was in that state? I was just glad that they hadn't gotten Ellie's name to put it into the article.

Ellie.

My head snapped up and I looked around and saw that she was gone.

"What was that?" Liam finally spoke up. I turned and saw the lads standing behind me, looking confused and uncomfortable.

"Nothing. I have to go find her." I said quickly and tossed the article down onto the couch heading towards my room to go get my jumper and shoes.

"Wait mate! What's so important about this girl? She clearly doesn't want to be involved with your kind of lifestyle." Zayn said, following after me. I shook my head as I pulled my jumper over my shoulders and zipped it up, pulling the hood over my head and grabbing my shades from the top of the dresser where they were sitting. I sat down on my bed and put my sneakers on quickly.

"I have to at least apologize." I spoke fast.

"For what? You didn't do anything wrong." he stated in confusion.

"That's not the point. There's more to this girl then what you lads just saw. I know there is." I said, not really understanding why I felt this way myself. I knew there was something more, as I had just told Zayn, but that's a very general statement. What was the more that was there?

"She may be fit mate, but don't you think you're overreacting a little bit?" he asked, following after me as I made my way back towards the front door. I looked at him and shook my head.

"That has nothing to do with this." I told him and the others who had started to listen in before shoving my phone and key into my pocket and leaving, hurrying down the stairs and out towards the back entrance of the hotel.

"Niall lad, where are you running off to?" Paul called after me when he saw how fast I ran past. "Why does this girl keep showing up? Who is she?"

I paused before opening the door. "A friend." I responded before opening the door and walking swiftly down the alley and in the direction of the house she had walked me to yesterday. I remembered the way clearly, and something tells me, I wouldn't forget it anytime soon.

Ellie's POV

I burst through the front door of my house and slammed it shut behind me. I was breathing heavily and even though I wasn't crying, I still felt hurt and upset. The emptiness from yesterday was back as well as an aching pain in my stomach that had arose recently. I stood there for a moment, just breathing, in and out, inhale and exhale, and feeling more and more pain consume me with each breath.

After a few seconds I walked over to the kitchen table, expecting to find my father sitting there, tapping his finger against the table impatiently and trying, but failing, to keep his concentration on whatever news article or sports magazine he was reading. I expected to see his phone lying next to him and I imagined him looking over at it every few seconds, hoping to find a call or a text from me letting him know where I was and what I was doing. I expected this because this is what he always did when I was gone and he didn't know where I was. This is what he always did when he worried. And I knew this because I saw him do it every other day after Mom passed away, when he was worrying about Derek.

But when I turned the corner, Dad wasn't sitting there. His magazine was closed and neatly placed in his spot on the table. I was able to see his coffee mug from this morning sitting in the sink. It scared me to be honest. I had no idea where he was. I had just ran out on him without answering any of his questions and when I came back he was gone.