He's Inevitable || N.H.

T W E N T Y - S E V E N

"What do you mean, 'Niall'?" Dad says with an utterly confused look upon his face. I cringe internally, hoping that the Earth would somehow swallow me whole.

"I...I wanted to..."

"To?"

Fuck. I couldn't do this. "I just wanted to know if...um... you knew how Uncle Niall was...um...really doing."

Fuck me. I couldn't do anything right.

"Oh." He doesn't let go of my hand, but he loosens his grip a bit. "What do you mean, baby?"

"Well, I don't know...getting divorced, losing his dad, moving back...bit much has happened hasn't it?"

"Yes. But...he seems fine doesn't he?"

"I guess." I say trying to end the conversation.

"He's just...he's been through a lot, Ems. Give him some time."

"Yeah, I know."

"How has he been acting?"

"Oh, fine. I was just...wondering. You know? I know he'd never really tell me how he was feeling." And in part that was true. Every time I'd try to even mention anything of the subject, Niall would get extremely defensive.

"Well, you know...Niall and his dad were really close. It's just been a really rough time for him."

"What about his wife?"

"It just didn't work out, I guess."

"But they were only married for what? Four years? That's not a long time..."

Dad furrows his brow, "Why does that matter?"

"I was just...wondering..."

"Emma?"

"Yeah?" I'm digging a hole for myself with this question, I can feel it. I should have never brought it up.

"You remember when Uncle Niall got married?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you come to the wedding with us?"

"I was sick."

"Baby, we all knew you weren't sick."

I recall that day, all those years ago. I hadn't been sick, I had feigned it. But I couldn't muster the strength to watch Niall marry a stranger. I just couldn't. Instead, I stayed at home and counted away the hours.

"I was too." I try to protest.

"Ems, baby, I know you weren't sick. We all knew you weren't sick. You just...you didn't want to see him get married did you?"

"Dad..." I say turning away slightly, feeling my face flush.

"It's...It's okay Emma. You can tell me the truth."

His grasp tightens around my hand and I look down at it, willing myself not to say anything that would implicate me, "I just...you know I really liked Niall then. I couldn't..."

"You didn't want to see him leave forever?"

"No. I didn't."

My mind immediately goes back to phone call I made to Niall on his wedding day, his voice urgently telling me "I love you Emma, I promise you, one day I'll make it up to you. One day I'll be back for you. But you know I'm here for you, love. I always will be."

He had broken my heart that day, I didn't think anyone but Uncle Louis had really known.

"He came back." Dad says with a slight smile.