Chapter 9

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After the meeting, they were immediately sent home. Still, the silence is thick. No one dared to speak as their minds are full of thoughts. Too many questions swimming in their minds, too many words buzzing in their heads. They ought to bring out all of these from their brains, yet, they kept still. Their heads will explode soon when the car suddenly stopped. They're now home. 

One by one, they filed out the car, Niall last. 

"Thanks Paul," He said. 

"If you really want me to accept your 'thanks', then promise me Niall that today is gonna be the last." Paul said, as if begging. 

Niall looked out and when he saw the last figure, Harry, disappear inside the house, he looked back again to Paul. 

"I'm so sorry Paul." He looked down before going out of the car. 

Neither he nor Paul knows what that sorry was for- whether it's for doing 'it' again today and troubling Paul or it is another way of him saying, 'Sorry, I can't promise you that.' 

Whatever the reason is, Paul can't help it but sigh and pity the lad.

Liam's POV 

Troubles, troubles, troubles. Problems, problems, problems. Sigh.  

I don't know what happened back there. I don't know why I didn't stopped Louis and Zayn from hurting each other. And I certainly don't know why but, I felt uneasy and worried when I heard the words 'Niall's problems.' 

So he really does have problems. Sigh.  

And we, the band One Direction, really do have problems, too. 

And you have your own problems too.  

Sigh. 

I've been sighing a lot lately. Is that bad? See now, I'm talking to myself. 

I don't know what to think anymore. I don't know why anger is eating me. I don't know why I let hatred creep up through me. It's like I'm blinded only with dark thoughts. 

I tried to shake my head to clear the dark clouds that's roaming inside my head. I want some sense to get in my brain. I want to be myself again: the responsible one, the sensible one, the one that can be trusted, the one everyone can rely on, the one that can forgive anyone easily, the one who gives advices not the one who's asking for it. 

I ran my hand on my face before tugging on my hair. I groaned. And then I felt a hand on my right shoulder. I sprang up from my seat and turned, I saw Niall. His face surprised and amused. He let out a chuckle. 

"Look like you've seen a ghost, mate." He said before sitting on the sofa that I'm just sitting on earlier. He taps the space beside him, motioning for me to sit which I did.  

Right after I sat, he hugged me. 

You know that hug that is so warm and welcoming? Like you're a child who broke something yet your mother just laughed and hugged you, that kind of hug. It gives your heart warmth and comfort. The hug is so tight; I think I will choke but its okay. Because inside the embrace I feel safe and wanted and at peace and... forgiven. I started to tear up. It's the forgiving hug. 

Niall wants me to know that he forgives me through this hug.  

That's when the time that I started to cry like a child. The thought that he forgives me for being a pain in the ass, that's just so wonderful.  

I continued to sob until I feel exhausted. And right before I fell asleep, I think I heard Niall said something that, though I know it's selfish, made me feel like a huge, huge burden was lift off from my shoulders.  

"From now on, I'll take it from here."

Zayn's POV 

I saw it all. 

I saw how Liam looked so problematic and troubled. How he ran his hands in his face, how he tugged at his hair, how he groaned. 

I saw it all. 

I saw how Niall suddenly came in the living room. I saw how restless and weary he was. I saw how his face suddenly changed when he saw Liam helpless; his face became worried and sad. I saw how he puts his hand on Liam's shoulders. How the Wolverhampton boy sprang up and looked at Niall. How the charming Irish boy chuckled and said, "Look like you've seen a ghost, mate." 

I saw how even though he chuckled; loneliness is still visible in his eyes if you look closely. 

I saw how he sat on the sofa and how Liam followed his move, how the blond hugged the brunette. I saw how Liam's troubled face seemed at ease. How his face showed that the puppy-like lad suddenly came into a realization. How he sobbed erratically. And how Niall tightened his hug around him. 

I heard it all. 

I heard what Niall said, as the older one about to fell asleep... 

"From now on, I will take it from here."  

I felt it all. I felt different emotions came rushing in me. 

And as I was about to turn away, I saw Harry peering from the door leading to the hallway. And I saw Louis, though looking away (I know he still heard it), sitting on the veranda. His figure hidden from where Niall and Liam sitting. 

And I saw both of them, Harry and Louis, turned their heads to look at me. 

That's when I turned away, because I can't bear to see it. Though I already know, we three felt it. I saw it. It's visible in their eyes. I know it is in mine too.

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Sorry for the typos and grammatical errors.

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