#that’s the softest wee boyfriend I’ve ever seen

[twostepstyless]

Soft & sleepy looking little babe

[nialledfromfics]

Chapter Six – Why Do Fools Fall In Love

(make sure you click the link in the title for an instant musical throwback~enjoy!) 

If Niall had felt out of place in that town before, he hadn’t the slightest what to call how he felt standing out front of Bluemont Manor. The house–if that was even what one would refer to it as–was incredible. It was by far, the biggest home he had ever seen in all his life. It was three stories high, every floor complete with its own wrap around porch and the front built up with brick and white carved columns offsetting the expansive front door. It was a mansion, an estate. A massive home built only for the rich and powerful.

Niall looked back over his shoulder at his scratched and dented motorcycle, parked right out front by the fountain, before peeking down at his attire. His only good pleated dress pants and, of course, his trusty leather jacket; he felt massively underdressed. Niall cocked a brow, settling on the fact that there was nothing he could do about it before slipping his comb out of his back pocket and gliding it through the side of his slicked back hair. He had no choice but to make the best of his situation and with the small gift box and a bouquet of flowers in his hand, he took a deep breath and began to make the rest of his way up the front steps.

He was greeted at the front door by whom he could only assume was their butler, and was eagerly encouraged to give up his jacket. As the butler stepped away, Niall lowered his head, nerves riddling his body as he stood in the middle of the marbled foyer, his feet practically stuck to the floor. He could hear the busy sounds of idle chatter and string music emerging from the main room just around the corner.

“Niall…”

Her voice, still hauntingly innocent and sweet, sprang across his ears as if it was suddenly the only sound in the entire house. His blue eyes slowly teetered upwards, caught by the enchanting sight of the girl who had captured his heart. Vivian had hoped the person coming through the front door was him, she felt as if she had been waiting all night for him to show and the pleased grin on her face was evident of that. Niall was almost studded immobile by the vision of her. He wasn’t even sure where to look first; the lavender colored strapless gown she was wearing with its pearl-beaded bodice and chiffon tulle that fell to her mid calf, or the delicate show of her neckline, her skin silky and adorned with a single strand of pearls. Or her hair, gentle waves that swept across her bare shoulders and was pinned back just at the sides. Her lips, painted a soft hue of pink and her green eyes, modestly done up and smiling so sincerely at him.

He was left breathless. “Wow.”

“I was hopin’ that was you!” she exclaimed, bounding over to him and throwing her arms around his shoulders. Niall let his eyes fall closed, tipping his face downwards into the soft slope of her neck. His arms wrapped around her middle, holding dear to her as he faintly breathed in the intricate scent of her perfume. Vivian pulled back slightly, grabbing Niall’s free hand to hold in her own. “You look so handsome.”

Breathing out a smile, Niall took a moment to immerse himself in the beauty of her. “I’ve never seen anyone look so pretty,” he finally said, his voice soft. “Here, I brought this for ya.”

Handing Vivian the small box, she whispered a low ‘thank you’ as she looked down and took it from him. There was a tiny pink ribbon tied around it and Vivian felt as if the world was spinning faster and faster the longer she stared down at the gift. He really didn’t have to get her anything, but even the thought, it made her cheeks flush with excitement. She couldn’t believe that anyone could ever make her feel that way.

Peering back up at him, Niall gave her a boyish smirk, and they lasted another few moments letting their racing heartbeats subside before they heard someone behind them clear their throat. Vivian reluctantly looked over her shoulder, easing away to stand next to Niall but keeping her hand within his. “Daddy...” she said.

Tightening his fingers around hers, Vivian took note of the slight trembling of Niall’s palm against her own as she had slowly begun to drag him towards her parents, who were standing right at the foot of the staircase. She fought to nibble at her bottom lip, not wanting to smudge her lipstick but the nerves inside her were bubbling up so fast, she wasn’t sure if she would be able to hold them for long. Her father’s stare was narrowed, studying and glaring at the boy who was beside his daughter and Vivian quickly glanced to her mother, feeling a tinge of relief from the kind smile she was offering them.

“Momma…daddy...” Vivian spoke with a softness as the two young lovers stepped up to face her parents. She still had a firm grasp on Niall, thankfully both her small hands now encompassing his one as he felt so lightheaded he was sure he was going to drop to the floor at any second. “This is Niall.”

Niall cleared his throat, swallowing down the heaviness that had unintentionally settled there and he peered over at Vivian’s father, aware of the stoic glare that was upon him before he shifted his attention to the girl’s mother. “Pleasure to meet you, Ma’am,” he stuttered, rolling his shoulders back a bit as he held out the bouquet of flowers to the older woman, “these are for you.”

“Oh my!” she beamed, taking the flowers from him with a smile before leaning her head down to take a small sniff. “These are fabulous, Niall, thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Ma’am, thank you for invitin’ me to your home. It’s quite lovely.” Niall could hear the shakiness in his own voice as he spoke, and he knew it was just as obvious to everyone else. He glanced over at Vivian and saw the softest smile on her face, and while that warmth did calm him a bit, there was still one more important introduction to be made.

Licking across his lips, Niall felt the subtle rub of Vivian’s thumb across his knuckles as he turned to her father. “Mr. Prescott,” he greeted, fumbling to reach out his hand for him to shake, “it’s nice to finally meet you, Sir.”

Every single breath was held in that second as all eyes watched Vivian’s father slowly peer down at Niall’s outthrust hand, the heat boiling up to the young man’s cheeks the longer he stood there and waited. It was like torture and Vivian stood in horror just waiting for her father to do something, anything. “Daddy…” she whispered.

Cocking his jaw to the side, her father looked back up at the young man and puffed out his chest, clasping his hands in front of his body. Niall got the hint and slowly let his arm drop back to his side. Vivian held tighter to him. “Where are you from, Niall?”

Niall reached up and wiped across his clammy brow with the side of his finger. It definitely had raised about twenty degrees in the house it seemed. “Um, well sir, I’m from Ireland, but immigrated here when I was a wee one around ‘39? And was raised in New York City.”

Her father kept staring. “And I’m assuming you work.”

It came out more of a statement than a question and Niall swallowed hard and peeked over at Vivian. Her large green eyes were staring up at him, tender and sweet and wave of ease came over him before he flicked his stare back to her father. “Yes, sir.”

“Your trade?”

“I...uh, I’m a mechanic, sir?” Niall muttered, raising a shoulder. “Cars and motorcycles and such.”

Her father nodded. The first acknowledgment that he had shown Niall all night before he tilted his head slightly and narrowed his eyes. “And what are your intentions with my daughter?”

“Daddy!”

“Thomas!”

Both ladies chimed in with their disapproval of the question asked and Niall confidently tipped his chin up. “I have no ill intentions, sir, none that are of a worry for you.” Niall paused and looked over at his side, his stare darting over the beautiful girl that stood next to him. “I’ve grown very fond of your daughter, I care about her very much.”

Vivian could not contain the smile that had swept over her face upon hearing his words, and she squeezed her hands around his, bouncing on the balls of her feet just as the front door swung open. Everyone’s attention flew behind the young couple, watching as Cliff and his broad of mischief sauntered on through the doorway. Vivian’s brows furrowed with anger, her painted lips pursed tight as Cliff and the others shook off their suit jackets and tossed them to the butler who was waiting.

Catching her gaze, Cliff gave Vivian a nod and a stupid smirk slipped across his face as he started to walk right towards them. Niall’s grip on Vivian tightened as he drew closer and it was like a punch to his gut when he saw Vivian’s father heartily welcome Cliff in, with a handshake and all. “Good to see you, son,” her father bellowed out.

Vivian shook her head at the blatant act of discourtesy that her father was showing to Niall and she glanced up at her boyfriend, seeing the stout clench of his jaw as his downturned eyes remained glued to the interaction between the two men. Taking in a low breath, Vivian leaned in towards him, placing her mouth right at the round of his shoulder. “C’mon,” she said, giving his arm a little tug, “I want you to meet my friends.”

Sliding his eyes down to meet hers, he knew she was trying to save him from the embarrassment of the situation and he was beyond grateful for that. No matter what her father thought of him, it was Niall that was there with Vivian, not Cliff. He quietly nodded at her, giving her a half-hearted grin.

Smiling at the two of them, Vivian’s mother reached out and rubbed at the top of Niall’s arm. “It was nice to meet you, dear,” she said to him, Niall noticing that Vivian had much of a likeness to her. “Thank you for the beautiful flowers. It was very thoughtful.”

“You’re welcome, ma’am,” Niall said back to her, “Nice to meet you, too.”

*****

Vivian waltzed into the grand ballroom with a heart-stopping smile, never more proud to be on Niall’s arm. After introducing him to a few of her close friends, the two went and grabbed some drinks and cookies from the other room before coming back and occupying a quiet corner, Niall taking the time to soak everything in. He had never in his life been in a place that fancy, and it quickly dawned on him that this place, this grand place with its twenty foot vaulted ceilings and more rooms than he could count, was in fact, Vivian’s actual home. This was where she lived, where she had grown up and he knew he could never rival that. He huffed out a breath, inadequacy seeping like hot lava through his veins as he stared down at the clear plastic cup in his hand.

Vivian glanced over at the handsome young man that stood beside her, drifting her stare between the perfect sharp lines of his profile and a slight dark curl that had come undone from his slicked back hair and laid across his forehead. She had no idea what was going through his mind, his brows crinkled and his eyes transfixed down at his cup, but decided to take the reserved moment to apologize for what had transpired with her parents. “I’m really sorry, Niall, about my father. I had no idea Cliff–”

“It’s fine, love.”

But it wasn’t fine. Vivian could tell by the crackle in his voice, and in the way his eyes shot up to frantically search around the room. She could see the tension by the way his jaw clicked as he sipped on his punch. She reached over and lightly slid her fingertips down the side of his face, hoping her touch would bring him back to her. It worked. Niall caught her stare and showed her a sweet smile, lifting his brows. “I promise, it’s fine. He’d be a fool to start anythin’ here anyway.”

Vivian nodded, running her tongue over her bottom lip as she pulled in a breath. She peered out into the vast room–appropriately decorated in pink streamers and balloons with the string band playing in the opposite corner–and let her eyes settle on all of her friends and schoolmates that were gathered around. Some were dancing to the music, some chatting to one another, she got a few waves and quick hugs from those just arriving and wishing her a Happy Birthday, but it wasn’t until Cherry finally appeared that Vivian felt a rush of delight come over her. She was, by far, the one person that Vivian couldn’t wait for Niall to meet.

Fashionably late to her best friends party–Vivian was far from surprised–the young woman was a sight to behold as she headed over towards them, not even Vivian could look away. She looked like a movie star. A form-fitting red dress with a pair of black kitten heels, she had her raven colored hair curled and pinned up, and long black satin gloves that rose above her elbows. The cunningly bright smile on her face as she stepped up to the pair was no match for anyone else in the room. Vivian smirked, knowing how much Cherry could steal the spotlight from anyone without even trying. It was one of her many talents. “And, who is this handsome little devil?” Cherry teased as she stepped up to the pair and hooked her hands on her hips. Her brown eyes dragged up and down the length of Niall as he just silently stared back at her, nonchalantly tossing back the rest of his drink. He was all too familiar with girls like Cherry. She was quite amusing, to say the least.

“Cherry…” Vivian said, locking her arm around Niall’s elbow, “this is Niall.”

Her brows raised, followed by the corner of her lip. “Mmm, so this is the elusive boy-toy that you’ve been hidin’ from me,” Cherry joked with a soft giggle, rolling her tongue in her mouth as she kept her stare locked on Niall. Reaching out to him, Cherry gently dragged her fingertip down the front of Niall’s chest, the young man watching her movements, but not reacting in the slightest. Vivian faintly shook her head, aware of the game her friend was trying to play. Nothing was lost on Vivian, as naive as she seemed, and she was pleased that the man beside her didn’t seemed fazed.

“He’s not for you to play with…” Vivian snickered with a light slap to Cherry’s hand. She looked over at Niall. “He’s my boyfriend.”

Letting her act fall and happy that Niall seemed to pass her little test, Cherry gave him a sweet smile and held out her hand. “Well, then, it’s good to meet you, Niall. Officially anyway.

Niall grinned at the young woman’s prowess and reached out to shake her hand. “You too, Cherry. Heard a lot about ya.”

“Oh, I’m sure you have,” she purred, causing Vivian to roll her eyes. “Though, I do hope there are no hard feelin’s about what happened at Sunday’s. Not my finest moment as Viv’s friend.”

He shook his head, his mouth turning down slightly. “No worries, it’s all in the past.”

“That it is then,” the girl agreed with a nod.

Rocking his empty cup back and forth in his fingers, Niall looked over at Vivian. “I’m gonna go get more punch,” he said, “either of you ladies want anythin’?”

Both girls shook their heads and Niall nodded. “Good to meet you, Cherry.”

“You too!” she eagerly replied as he stepped away, weaving through the groups of partygoers to make his way out of the ballroom. Her brown eyes went big. “He is an absolute catch, Viv. I really do like him.”

“Yeah, tell me about it,” she giggled before reaching out to grab at Cherry’s wrist. “Hey...did you ever talk to Cliff like I asked?”

“Yeah, I did. I saw him here when I walked in, too.  

Vivian twisted her lips to the side in contemplation. “But you told him what I said, right? Told him I didn’t want him comin’?”

Cherry nodded with a rise of her brow. “Yeah, I swear it, I told him that next day. He asked me why, but I just said that your Momma had changed the guest list.”

Sighing out, Vivian chewed at the corner of her mouth. “Okay, well….I gotta figure out how to get him outta here. With Niall here and all...it’s just not good.”

“I doubt he’s gonna cause a fuss, Viv, he knows it’s your party,” Cherry told her, “besides, with your parents here, he’ll behave himself, I’m sure of it.”

Swallowing hard, Vivian crossed her arms over her chest and slowly gazed around the room. There were at least fifty guests there–family and friends–and the last thing on earth that she wanted, was to cause a scene in front of all of them and completely embarrass herself. She really hoped Cliff wouldn’t either. “I really hope you’re right.”

*****

Niall had wandered his way into the dining room, transformed for Vivian’s party, there were many decorated tables set up around the space with troves of finger hors d’oeuvres and small delectable desserts. Walking over towards the drink table, the young man picked up the ladle and began to spoon the bright red bubbly liquid into his small cup. No sooner had Niall hooked the ladle back onto the edge of large bowl and taken a sip of the refreshing beverage, did he hear the arrogant click of a tongue from behind him.

“And who do we got here?”

The brutish voice was familiar. And not a good familiar. It made Niall’s jaw clench as he lifted his head up, keeping his stare forward at the patterned wall in front of him. Taking in a deep breath, he rolled his eyes closed and felt his fingers tightening a little too hard around that plastic cup. “Not lookin’ for any trouble, Cliff,” he grumbled.

“Is that so?”

Turning around to face him, Niall was met with the taller and slightly larger oaf, along with three of his imbecile buddies. Cliff pushed out a chuckle as he saw the agitation already rising in Niall and he stepped closer to the Irish lad, plucking a potato chip from a bowl as he passed and tossing it into his mouth. The crunch was beyond irritating for Niall, so much so that it was making his skin crawl. But he couldn’t let Cliff know that. As callow as he was, Niall had to believe he had some sense in him. So he cleared his throat and tipped his head back. “Just tryin’ to enjoy me girlfriends party, is all,” Niall stated with conviction, following it up with a sip of his tasty punch.

Niall watched as Cliff’s nostrils flared in apparent rage as he pulled in a deep breath. He did not seem to like Niall’s flippant attitude. “See, that’s where we have a problem,” Cliff barked as he crossed his arms over his chest, the intention one of instinctual male behavior in attempt to make himself look even bigger, meaner. It worked. “ ‘Cause…she’s really not your girlfriend at all.”

Niall rolled his head to the side, cocking his jaw out. “Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong,” he said, lifting his brows. “I asked her and she said yes, so I’m pretty sure that does make her me girlfriend.”

“That’s what she wants ya to think,” Cliff replied, “but in reality, you ain’t nothin’ to her. Just a steppin’ stone to somethin’ better.”

Niall snorted. “Lemme guess, that somethin’ better, is...you?”

“If the shoe fits, am I right?”

Cliff bounced his shoulders in a disturbing laugh, his friends following suit. It was a pack mentality, Niall knew that, but he kept his glare dead tight on the only one in the room that he was worried about. “You don’t belong here,” Cliff continued, “we all know that. So, why don’t ya do everyone a favor and just...go back to wherever it is ya came from.”

“I think I’m good where I’m at, but thanks for your concern,” Niall shot back, tucking his lips into his mouth as he gave the other young man a hefty nod.

With his brows furrowing deep, Cliff had become overly aggravated with what he thought was going to be a rather one sided altercation and he stepped flush up to Niall. There was barely an inch of space between the two young men and it was getting harder by the second for Niall to keep his cool. But he had to, he had to for Viv. The anger was pulsing through his body like a lit bottle rocket ready to explode, and the tips of his fingers curled into his fist as Cliff stared him in the eye, challenging him with every labored breath he took. “Listen to me, you piece of shit,” Cliff sneered, tapping his pointer finger against the front of Niall’s shoulder with each word, “I warned ya to stay away from her and I told ya what would happen if you didn’t. Now, I ain’t gonna start nothin’ here on account of it bein’ Vivian’s party and all, but you better fuckin’ sleep with one eye open, ya hear me? ‘Cause this shit ain’t over.”

Reaching up, Cliff roughly patted across Niall’s cheek a few times, causing the young man’s face to shift over to his right. His eyes blinked shut with each harsh tap over his skin, his jaw pinching as he heard the laughter of the group of boys fluctuate past his ears as they left the room. Niall slowly opened his eyes and swallowed hard. It was in that moment that he had caught the sight of Vivian’s father standing in an open doorway off to the side of the dining room. Their stares met, briefly, as her father casually blew out a puff of billowy white smoke, before he wordlessly stepped away.

Niall rolled his eyes closed in a sigh, and fought off the heavy beating of his heart as he tipped his head down and ran a shaky hand through the side of his greased hair.

*****

Vivian had no idea what was taking Niall so long to get more punch. Cherry had walked off–surely using her feminine wiles to see which boy she could get a kiss from–which left Vivian standing alone in the back corner of the room, watching her guests dancing and laughing as she not-so-patiently waited for her boyfriend to return. The toe of her shoe tapped along with the uptempo beat of the song, her arms hooked over her chest and her bottom lip nearly chewed off. Her stare skipped around the room and she glanced to her right, hoping to see Niall entering the room with those big blue eyes and that charming smirk of his, but instead was met with the likes of someone else coming right towards her.

Vivian’s mood could not have changed any quicker. “What are you doin’ here, Cliff?” she hissed as the boy in question stopped right next to her. She rolled her eyes in a huff at the presence of him, leaning away as his close proximity was making an uncomfortable knot cinch in her belly.

“What do ya mean, baby, it’s your birthday,” Cliff wooed, easing a hand around her lower back, “I wasn’t gonna miss your party…”

Crinkling her brows in a gasp, Vivian’s eyes snapped down to where his touch lay upon her and quickly whipped around to look at him. “Don’t you dare call me that!” she scolded him with a pointed finger, trying her very best to keep her voice low, “And I didn’t want you here, I know Cherry told ya! Why, after all the trouble you caused–”

“Trouble I caused?” Cliff interjected with a snuff, “I dunno if you remember correctly, but I’m the one who took a lickin’ from him!”

Vivian pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest in defense. “You deserved it,” she told him, “you started this whole mess, you were the one lookin’ for a fight that night, Clifford Wilson. He just ended it.”

Rolling his eyes to the side, his head followed as he huffed out a breath. “Look, Viv, I’m not here to argue.”

“Then why are you here?” Viv asked, raising her brows.

“ ‘Cause I want you back.”

The young woman let out a snort at his ridiculous proclamation, tossing her hand up to cover her lips with her fingertips. “We belong together, Viv,” Cliff went on, “you know it, everyone knows it. Your parents, the whole town. I really dunno why you fight it so much.”

Perching her hands on her hips, Vivian’s mouth dropped open. “ ‘Cause I want nothin’ to do with you,” she spit back with a bite in her tone, “I don’t love you, Cliff. I have never loved you and I never will. And you don’t love me neither. You just want me back ‘cause someone else has me.”

“That’s not true.”

“It is true,” she said, letting out a sigh as she ran her hand over her forehead in annoyance. “Look, I am done with all this nonsense. With you, with everythin’. We are over, so please, just leave me and Niall alone.”

Cliff stood there in awkward silence, unsure what to say back to her, his eyes stuck to the girl that once was his as she walked off in search of the new man that had stolen her heart.

*****

“Niall!”

Her soft voice echoed off the tall cathedral-like ceilings of her home as she rushed in and out of each room. “Niall? Niall, where are you?” Her heart was racing, thumping wild against the back of her ears as if it was taunting her. Evil, sick little taunts. She had checked the dining room, first place she had went expecting him to still be there. Maybe he had gotten hungry and decided to have a few bites of food, she told herself. But he wasn’t there. Then the knot that had started to form earlier got even worse, tightening like a wrench on a socket with each second that she couldn’t find him. Where had he gone? Did he leave? Without even saying goodbye?

“Niall?” she called out again, her high heeled shoes clicking against the marble floors of her foyer and hallways as she peeked her head into each dark room. It wasn’t until she came to the last room on the ground floor that she eased to a stop. Her father's study. The door was half ajar, a dim glow of a light on, but no sound. Placing her palm against the door, Vivian slowly pushed it open.

There he was. Standing over to the right side of the large room, with his hands stuffed down in his pockets and his head tilted back. His eyes were drifted upwards towards the very tippy top of the book-lined shelves. “Niall? What are you doin’ in here?” she quietly asked him as she made her way into the space.

“You’ve read all of these?” he plainly asked.

Vivian wrinkled her brow at him slightly before following his line sight with her own stare. “Some, yeah,” she chuckled, “a lot, actually.”

Niall nodded. He kept his gaze upon the books, reaching up with one hand to delicately run his fingers along the binds of a few. Scraping her teeth across her bottom lip, Vivian watched him for a moment before she spoke up again. “Niall, are you alright?”

Letting his hand drop to his side in a low sigh, Niall peered down at his feet before he turned to face Vivian. “You weren’t ever gonna tell him, were ya?”

“What?”

“Vivian…”

She knew exactly what he was referring to, but nothing inside her wanted to admit it. Her mouth started to dry up and she struggled to breath, the air in her lungs clamping to her rib cage. Her green eyes, fluttering with the emotions she was trying to hold back, danced over his blue ones and she stumbled with an excuse. “I...was gonna tell him, Niall, I was, I just didn’t get a chance to, he was really busy and–”

“Viv,” Niall gently cut her off, her name sounding like a sweet lullaby in his gravelly voice. “Are you ashamed of me?”

Wildly shaking her head, Vivian took a step closer to him. “No,” she told him, her voice firm, “no, I’m not ashamed of you.”

“Then why were ya so scared to tell him about me?”

Vivian’s eyes searched his face before they fell to the floor at his feet. “I don’t know,” she shrugged.

“If you’re ashamed of me bein’ here–”

“I’m not ashamed of you bein’ here!” she quickly disputed, flicking her stare back up to his face. “Stop sayin’ that! I wouldn’t have invited you if I didn’t want you here with me.”

Niall tossed up his hands. “Then why do I feel like that! I saw the way your father looked at Cliff, the way he talked to him,” he paused, licking across his lips. “Viv, I’m never gonna be what he wants me to be, I’m never gonna be like Cliff.”

“I don’t want you to be like Cliff,” Vivian assured Niall, shaking her head as she spoke. “It’s one of the reasons why I like you so much, you’re nothin’ like him! You’re nothin’ like anyone I have ever met. You’re kind and smart, and gentle and...you have a good heart.”

Nodding at her words as they wafted over him like a fleeting warmth, Niall shifted his stare over the beautiful girl that was standing in front of him. He had never had anyone say those kinds of things to him before, let alone someone he cared so deeply about.

“You’re a good man, Niall Horan,” Viv went on, “and I am not ashamed of you. I care about you. My father...he just...he wouldn’t understand. He wouldn’t understand anythin’!”

He knew why she hadn’t told her father, why she was so scared to do so, but he was just hurt that she hadn’t. And it hurt him to know the truth. No matter how much she disparaged it, he knew. He knew, deep down, he was never going to be enough for her. Taking a few steps over towards Vivian, Niall reached out and softly rubbed his palms down the length of her arms. He could feel her trembling and he gave her a soft smile. “It’s okay, Viv, I get it, ya know,” he told her. “I don’t fit in…and we both know I don’t belong here. We both know I won’t ever be able to give ya...any of this.”

“What?” she spat out, crinkling her brow in confusion, “No, this is just stuff, Niall...it’s just stuff, it doesn’t matter, that’s not what I was–”

“It’s alright now. I don’t wanna make any trouble for ya, with your family and all,” he said to her, his eyes darting over hers, “really, I know that’s how it’s gotta be…”

Vivian shook her head in disbelief of what Niall was saying to her. “No, I don’t understand–….that’s not true...”

“I should go,” Niall stuttered out, swallowing back the constriction in his throat.

“No,” Vivian said, “I don’t want you to go. Please…”

Vivian peered up at Niall with those big innocent green eyes, and reached out to grab ahold of his shirt. Her fists twisted into the material and she pulled him closer to her, the room becoming blurry with the swell of her tears. Niall pushed out a sigh and cradled her face in his big hands, faintly shushing her. “I don’t wanna, but I have to. It’s for the best, you know that.”

The tears had started to spill from the corners of her eyes and Niall lovingly stared down at her, gently swiping the wetness off her tepid skin with his thumbs. “Please…” she sniffled, holding tighter to him.

His chin trembled as he fought to smile at her. “Thank you for invitin’ me,” he whispered, placing a kiss to her forehead. “Happy Birthday, my love, you’re an angel.”

Slipping his hands from her face, Vivian choked back her cries as Niall forced her grip from him and brushed past her. “Niall! Wait, please!” she begged as he walked out of the study and headed towards the front door. Her heart plummeted to the heavy pit of her stomach and Vivian almost tripped over her own feet, catching herself on her father's armchair as she began to chase after him. Her heels hit the marble floor of the foyer just as he opened the front door. “Niall, please...please don’t go!”

It was silent. So silent that Vivian was sure Niall could hear her heart nearly splitting in two. “I’m...I’m so sorry, Viv,” Niall finally mumbled without even turning around. Her mouth fell open in a gasp as he rushed out of the door, slamming it closed behind him.

With the hot tears sliding down her cheeks, Vivian twisted around and was surprised to see her father standing at the foot of the staircase, having witnessed the entire interaction. “Daddy, please!” Vivian screamed, shaking her head through her desperate pleas as she couldn’t believe this was actually happening. “Please, you have to stop him!”

“Let the boy go.”

“No, I don’t want him to go, I want him to come back, I want–” Her words stop cold, halting on the tip of her tongue. Her father was standing there, watching his own daughter cry and plead for the boy that she loved and he was emotionless. Cold and stoic. As if he didn’t even care. As if he had wanted Niall to leave. “Daddy?”

His jaw clenched as he shifted his stare from the closed front door over to his daughter’s face. “Let him go, Vivian,” he insisted, taking a puff from his pipe, “it’s best you let him go.”

The young woman’s chin trembled as she darted her eyes over her father's impassive face. She had never felt so much disdain for him in her life as she did in that very moment. Shaking her head, Vivian wiped the tears from her cheeks before taking off out of the front door, hoping to catch Niall.  

Already on his bike and halfway down the long winding driveway of her estate, Vivian paused right at the edge of her brick front steps. “Niall!” her voice cracked as she yelled for him, knowing all too well that he couldn’t hear her.