Dance With Me (Niall Horan)

Chapter Thirty-Four: Rehearsals and Ed Sheeran

I was finally back home in London, or, back at mine and Niall’s flat. The boys were still living it large in America, touring around pretty much everywhere, and in any interview they seemed to do, I would always be mentioned, and our latest scandal, mine and Niall’s matching tattoos.

I’d be slated, apparently it was ‘young and reckless’ for us to do it, and there were heartless jokes talking about us getting matching tattoos every time the press questioned my commitment to Niall. My dad, my mum, had already told me off but by far the most terrifying was when my sister rang me the moment she saw the picture that Niall had tweeted.

“Hey Linds.”  I answer when I see the name on my phone.

“Don’t you ‘Hey Linds’ me miss Ink! What have you done? Are you an idiot? Why did you get not just one, but two tattoos in LA?” I freeze next to Niall; we were sat on the sofa that morning cuddling whilst watching American crime dramas, the duvet from Niall’s bedroom covering us.

“Urmmm.” I mumble, “Well the first one, I was completely smashed, so it’s not really my fault-“

“It’s not your fault?!” She screeches, “So, the first tattoo was ‘not your fault’, what about the second? Are you going to blame that on your lack of logical decision whilst drinking?”

“No.” I reply, “I got it because I love Niall.”
“You are twenty years old! And you have not even been in this relationship for half a year! I’ve been with Jacob for 6 years! Do you see me getting his name inked permanently into my body? No! Because I don’t know for sure that we will always be together!”

“Well I know that I’m going to be with Niall, I love him. And I know that I’m not going to make a mistake with this.”

“Lennox, you don’t understand. Take it from your sister who knows something about love. Sometimes it is not always enough. Say sure, by next year you two are both still together, and you’re touring and he’s touring, do you not see the major flaw? You are going to have to be alone for months on end, not seeing each other, and whenever you look down to your hip, you’re going to see that constant reminder that he’s off somewhere and you’re somewhere else. It’s only going to cause you pain sweetie. And then if you break up? And you both are still living these high-profile lives, and he’s got his top off once and you see the picture and it’s there, or maybe worse, your name is still no longer on his skin but his is on yours? Or vice versa. You get into a relationship, but all he can see is that name on your hip, it’s an irresponsible act on both your parts.” She pauses again, “Relationships normally you don’t know what the next day will bring, in the media? There is going to be rumours that will make your relationship ten times worse. You think that getting your name on his body will mean that he will stay away from pretty girls when he’s had a few drinks in him? And the same goes for you!”

“Linds, don’t.” I choke out, “Stop it Lindsey.”

“No! You’ve got to understand. I don’t want you to see you get hurt, and if you do... that tattoo is going to make being apart or being heartbroken a million times harder for the both of you! I don’t want you to be upset Lennox.”

“Why are you saying all this? I thought you were happy about our relationship?” I ask, sensing the obvious hostile tone in her voice when talking about Niall.

“I met our step-sister the other day.” She says, and everything becomes clearer. Becca isn’t just trying to make my relationship with Niall hard; she’s going to make the relationship with Niall and my family harder. “I didn’t really like her. She liked talking about you two far too much.”