Stand Up and Remember (One Direction Fan-Fic)

Chapter 40

SNIFFLES - Author's Note

Hey there. Well, as you can see... this may or may not be the last chapter. Please read the Author's Note at the finish. Enjoy and thank you for being so patient and a fantastic reading audience. You kept me going :) thank yoU!

- xx

~Chapter 40~

Bella's POV

I didn't know how Josh did it. How he kept those feelings bottled up inside, spilling slowly out, in private.

Whereas I had run off, gone into hiding, trusted no one with anything, except for Austin, who I had lost slowly over time.

I admired Josh for being such a good friend, perhaps really too friendly but he wasn't holding back, we had such a good time in London. Niall and the boys were performing whilst we were attending premieres for different parts of London, because it had gotten so big. I also discovered that SImon was ready to release a single of mine, and I was going to film the music video in America. Everything was going to plan. Except I couldn't explain how trapped I felt that I would have to leave the boys behind, for what looked like a year.

I had two weeks before I would be moving back to america, and maintaining a probable extended period of stay.

Niall had then decided it was only fair to take me on a date, and where else to, then the river side park for a romantic picnic.

"Close your eyes," Niall whispered against my ear and I trembled a little. Not in fear or excitement, but with happiness and sadness mixed together.

We were sitting on a plaid, checkered picnic rug, with a picnic basket and some music floating up from Niall's phone attached to a blue speaker. 

Something tickled my nose and I giggled. "Wait a minute," he said and I waited patiently, watching the world through darkness.

"Okay, you can open them now," he said soflty and my belly flopped and I tingled a little. I felt nervous.

I opened my eyes and gasped. He had laid out lily and rose petals, lit a few candles (as it was getting darker) and had a bottle of champagne somehow balanced with the basket a couple of feet away. I looked up at niall and beamed before he took a shaky breath and I felt my breath hitch.

"I know we've had some rough moments, some hard times, and some brilliant ones that we may remember until we die," Niall began and I couldn't help but smile. 

He knelt down and looked me in the eyes with his cheeky, serious and all in one smile.

"Bella, I will love you for a very long time, no matter what happens in life, this will be the first of many promises to come." My breath hitched in my throat and I thought for a moment I would choke, then it passed.

He brought out a box and I covered my mouth with my hands, and screamed, just a little.

"I'm not asking for forgiveness, although that would be nice, I'm also not asking you to marry me, just yet." He continued and I couldn't tear my gaze away from his eyes.

"All I'm asking is the chance to be yours forever, and let's start with a new promise, to let life lead us where it does, and take everything with a smile, so this," he opened the velvet box and I gasped again and smiled. 

It was a charm bracelet - silver and just delicately made. I couldn't stop the inevitable tears from coming, and chuckled in late response to his reference to getting married.

As I looked closer, it held one charm with my name scrawled elaborately into its oval surface. It was beautiful.

"Niall, of course I accept your promise," I smiled before whispering a little. "I love you."