He's Inevitable || N.H.

T H I R T Y - O N E

"The plan is simple really." He says pouring us wine into crystal clear glasses as I place the plates upon his wooden table. "We just have to tell the truth, Ems. That's all."

"What if maybe, I just speak? You know, instead of you telling him."

"That would be better." He says pulling out my chair so I can sit down. "Can you do it though?"

"I owe dad that much, at least."

Niall takes a forkful of pasta and smiles widely, "God damn, you can cook."

I roll my eyes, "And you doubted me."

"I didn't doubt you."

"You just didn't think it would be this good."

"Guilty as charged."

There is a comfortable silence as we eat, both of us hungrier than we had thought.

"This isn't the last time." Niall says between bites.

"What?"

"This isn't the last time we do something like this? You know...?"

"You mean...have dinner, go to the cinema..."

"Go on a date?" He tries.

I nod, "Why do you say that?"

"Because, I have a feeling about what's going to happen tomorrow, and I just want you to know that no matter what Harry says...this isn't the last time."

"How do you know I'm not going to listen to my dad?"

He smiles, "Are you going to?"

I smile, "You caught me."

"I don't want to put you up against your dad, Emma. That's not what I'm here for."

"I know."

"But I also want you to know that I will fight for you."

"You're getting all caught up in cliches again." I say swirling the red liquid in the glass and taking a sip.

He smirks, "Can't help myself, princess."

He knows I don't mean it, the constant chiding and sarcasm. He knows I simply don't want to succumb to the cliches, although I already had in my mind.

"Let's talk about something else." He mutters, trying to turn back the conversation to something easy, and light. "How's Janice?"

"She's alright. Got a job at a shop down in the hills."

"Oh, that's great."

"Yeah."

I put down my fork, my hunger subsiding at the thought of dad and the entirety of this mess.

"Are you done?"

"Yeah. I'm good."

He takes his few last bites, picks up his plate and picks mine up with it. He looks up at the clock on the wall and smiles as he places the plates into the sink, "How about a cuddle then?"

–❈–

When Niall had mentioned a cuddle, of course I had jumped at the thought of lying comfortably intertwined in his arms on the couch. But he hadn't led me to the couch...

"Um." I look at his bed, his room, his blue walls. I could feel my heart race. "Why..."

"Well, I figured..." He flushes, shaking his head, "Never mind, we can just go to the living room."

I stifle a chuckle, Niall was thirty six. Thirty six. He was a fucking grown man, and yet he was acting like a bloody teenager. He couldn't work up the nerve to press me to his bed, to say, "Emma, I just want you in my bed already."