Change Your Ticket [n.h.]

Chapter 9

I wake several times during the night. I just don't feel well. I have the covers pulled up to my chin and yet I am still shivering. My whole body hurts. This is all my fault. I have gotten sick all because I ran rather than letting Niall diffuse the situation. How embarrassing. I hope I don't wake him.

He is sprawled out on the floor next to the bed. He is perfect. His shirt has risen so I can admire his amazing abs that I had caught a glimpse of on the plane. They are even better than I remembered. He talks in his sleep but I can't make anything out. Watching him is the only distraction I have from feeling ill.

I check the clock on his nightstand. I have been waking every hour. This is exhausting. I am going to look like hell in the morning but I can't fathom enough energy to care. I close my eyes and drift off again.

-*-*-*-*-

A noise near me rouses me again, I open my eyes to see Niall sitting on the bed next to me.

"Morning, love, how are you feeling? You don't look like yourself," worry etched on his face. He strokes the back of his hand from my temple to my jaw. "You're burning up."

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine," I notice the room has a warm glow coming from the windows. It must be morning. "I need to get up and get back to my apartment to get ready for work," I go to sit up and my head starts spinning. "Whoa..." Niall pushes me to lay back down.

"You are not going anywhere, missy. I'm going to take care of you," he says with a determined look on his face. I can't believe he is seeing me like this. I usually prefer to quarantine myself and have no outside contact when I am sick at home. Maybe having this gorgeous man taking care of me won't be so bad.

"Niall, I need to get to work. If I miss too many days I will be kicked from the program. I don't want to miss any at all," I say, trying again to sit up but his arm stops me before my head even leaves the pillow.

"No," he says firmly. "You are staying here with me and I'm going to see to it that you get better. Now stay in bed, I'm going to go make you soup," he smiles at me and leaves the room.

I don't want to lay here like an invalid so I get up slowly, ignoring the bout of dizziness. I wrap the comforter from the bed around myself and make my way slowly to the kitchen, following the sound of Niall's voice. He is singing as he cooks, I wonder if he always does that. I can't smell much but what I can smells delicious. I make it to the stools at the counter and sit down to watch.

"I knew you weren't going to listen," he says, not looking up from the pot on the stove. He reaches for the cutting board on the counter next to him and dumps its contents into the pot. He gives it a good stir and puts a lid over the pot. "Still dizzy?" he asks, turning to me.

"Not really, once I got up and moving it wasn't so bad," I give him the best smile I can manage.

"In the future, don't run off in the rain. I need to you healthy. How else am I supposed to bring you with me?"

"What? I can't go with you! That's crazy!" I am gaping at him. What could he possibly mean by that? He knows I have commitments here.

"No it isn't. Why would it be crazy to want to bring you with me for our next show?" he looks almost hurt. I am incredulous that he wants me with him. I'm beaming like a crazy person, despite being ill.

He comes around the counter and wraps his arms around me and the giant comforter I am encompassed in. Kissing my forehead tenderly, he whispers, "I was going to ask you to come last night but then our dinner plans were interrupted."

"You are so sweet, Niall, but you better keep your distance today. You can't afford to get sick what with leaving in a few days."

"Tomorrow, it was pushed up again. Which is why I have to do everything in my power to get my girl better today. I won't go without you, love," he is beaming at me. He saunters back to the stove and the simmering soup and stirs it again, filling the room with its delicious aroma. I can't stop smiling to myself. I am Niall's girl. Me, Emily from Oklahoma, a nobody by anyone's standards is dating one of the most desirable men on the planet. What did I do in a past life to deserve this happiness?

"Soups done," he announces, ladling out a rather large bowl full and placing it in front of me with a spoon. "Eat," he orders. I do as I'm told and eat my soup slowly. It is scalding hot so I have to blow on it quite a bit but it tastes even better than it smells.

"This is delicious," I say between sips.

"Thank you, I love cooking for someone that genuinely enjoys food. It's a refreshing change," he looks quite pleased with himself.

"Well if you keep cooking for me like this, you will never get rid of me," I joke, finishing off my bowl.

"What makes you think I want to be rid of you? Come on, I want to cuddle and catch up on the news if you will join me," he says, coming around the counter and taking my hand. He leads me to one of the couches in his living room and pulls the comforter loose from me, wrapping it around both of us. He lays back on the arm of the couch and pulls me so that I lay on his chest. He smells amazing. He flips on the TV and tunes it to the news. I can barely pay attention to it, my full belly and his steady breaths are lulling me to sleep.

I suddenly feel him tense and it wakes me up. I open my eyes to see what the cause is and there we are on the TV. Pictures of us from our picnic in the park and our first kiss. What are they doing on the news? Oh, right. I am dating an international pop star. The headline on the bottom of the screen reads: New Mystery Girl for Niall? The lady on the screen is going on about his recent split from Melissa, saying that no one knows what happened between them.

"I'm sorry, they really are vultures. They are always splashing mine and my mates' personal lives about as if they are news worthy," he whispers.

"I'm sorry," I whisper. I can't imagine how it must feel for him to have his every move photographed and paraded around like that. It is weird seeing my picture on the news though.

"Unfortunately that is a down side of being with me, I hope it doesn't change your mind," he sounds sad. I lift my head up to look at his face.

"Nothing could change my mind. I will get used to all the extra attention. I have to, right? I don't want something as silly as having pictures of us splashed around come between us," I try to sound convincing all the while I am freaking out inside. Losing my privacy scares me. Not enough to make me leave though.....yet.

"Good. You really are amazing you know?" he leans up and kisses my forehead again. "Now back to sleep, beautiful." I smile shyly up at him and lay my head back on his chest. He is rubbing my back now and every slide of his hand pushes me closer to sleep.

-*-*-*-*-

The buzzing from Niall's pocket wakes me up after what feels like hours. He fishes it out slowly, trying not to disturb me, and answers it.

"What Linda?" I can't hear what she is saying but it sounds like she is not happy with him. "That was the only run in we had with the paps, just our date in the park," he says tersely then listens to whatever she has to say. "No, I will not make her sign an NDA, there is no need!" Now he sounds upset. I don't think I like that woman. "Well it is my decision. Also, I am bringing Emily with me for the next bit of the tour." It sounds like Linda is not too happy about that. "Well I am not the one that invited Melissa onto our tour. I don't care how it will make her feel." That makes me smile. He is mine. Not hers. " I won't pretend to be with Melissa to boost ticket sales. I cannot even believe you suggested that. Look, I've got to go. Emily is ill and I am trying to get her better before our flight tomorrow and I'm sure me arguing with you is going to wake her from her much needed sleep. Bye," and he hangs up and takes a deep breath.

I lift my head to look at him and find his eyes squeezed shut tightly. Linda seems to stress him out. "Everything okay?"

"What? Oh, yes love. Just dealing with Linda and her nagging. She had the audacity to suggest I pretend that Melissa and I are still together to sell tickets. She even wanted us to sing a romantic song to her on stage. Gag me. I'm just glad that you will be there with me." I still haven't agreed to go. It seems like too much too soon to go on a trip together, even if it is just for this weekend.

"Niall, I don't know if I should go..."

"Of course you should. If you are worried about your internship, I probably should've mentioned that I already talked to Simon. You are guaranteed to keep your spot in the program so don't worry about that."

"Fine, I'll go," I surrender.

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