Status: Active =)
Don't Give up on Me
Whenever You're Around I Always Seem To Smile
“Don’t be nervous.” Niall murmured as we waited outside the meeting room. I toyed with the hem of my shirt, twisting it between my fingers.
“How can I not be nervous?” I asked softly. “These people don’t like me and I have to go sit through a meeting with them.”
“They’re going to love ya as soon as they get t’ meet ya. They just don’t like that you’re getting me bad press.”
“Oh great, so this is on me?” I grabbed a strand of my hair, twisting it anxiously between my fingers.
“No darlin’. You’re not the problem. It’s the stupid press that’s the problem. I’m just sorry ‘tis happenin’.” He lifted my chin, turning my face toward his. I averted my eyes but let our faces match. “Lex, please look at me.” He requested softly, his thumb brushing lightly across my skin.
“Ni, I don’t wanna see how you’re looking at me. I don’t want to know if you’re upset with me.” I murmured as I dropped my hands to my sides.
“Lex, the press may be brutal but you’re my girl. I’m not goin’ t’ leave ya ‘cause of this.”
“Your Irish comes out more when you’re upset.” I muttered impishly, glancing up at him briefly. His eyes held only care for me but I looked away quickly. “It’s really attractive.” I shook my head hoping to clear the thoughts.
“Ya like it?” He grinned, kissing just below my ear. My body shuddered, giving me away.
“Just a tad.” I replied, pulling him in for a chaste kiss. We separated, but he looped an arm around my waist. I felt my body pulled securely against his and didn’t fight it, instead leaned in closer.
“Niall and Alexis, please come in now.” One of the women stepped out and let us in.
“Let me do the talkin’.” Niall whispered. I squeezed his hand in response as we entered. As we sat at the table, I felt the anxiety eating away at my insides.
“We need to talk about this picture that’s circulating.”
“We know it looks bad, but we’re not pregnant. Alexis was just talking about how much she wanted to eat as we left.” Niall countered.
“You understand how this looks correct?”
“Yes sir.” He replied. “We’re both aware of the gravity of this and how it hurts the image of the band.”
“Maybe so, but we’re concerned about how this is going to play out.” The man speaking gestured between Niall and myself.
“With all due respect sir,” I began softly. “I’d like you to be honest about why you’re having a hard time liking me. I appreciate the diplomacy but just tell me straight please.”
“American I see.” He looked directly at me. “You are detrimental to Niall’s image. He is seen as the innocent one of the group and it’s important for him to be single and you’re ruining that.”
“Why is it important for him to be single?” I shot back.
“He’s more marketable that way.”
“You’re talking about him like he’s just a product though. He’s a human and you can’t forget about that.” Niall tried to get me to stop talking but I shook my head at him. “Look, I’m not going to even attempt to tell you how to do your job, I can’t. I don’t know all of the work and effort it takes to keep this band going and out of trouble. However, if you start to forget that they are more than an image and they’re people then you’re going to lose the ability to keep this band afloat.”
“Alexis.” Niall warned.
“Niall, it’s quite alright. She speaks the truth, even if we don’t want to hear it. She’s not afraid of us and that means she won’t be afraid of your fans. We will clear this whole thing up, but you’ll need to go on some sort of talk show to fix this whole thing.”
“Me too?” My voice came out as a squeak.
“No, we’ll have it come up when the lads go on a show. You won’t have to say anything.”
“Okay good.” I relaxed in my chair.
“You two may go now. Thank you.”
“Thank you.” I smiled gratefully at the people sitting behind the desk. Niall and I stood and, linking hands, left the room.
“What the hell just happened in there?” Niall stopped dead in his tracks. I was yanked to a halt with a slight yelp.
“I don’t understand the question.” I replied, cocking an eyebrow at him. “We talked and they’re going to fix it.”
“I thought I told you to let me do the talking.” He responded, a slight hint of frustration colored his tone.
“You did Ni, but they were disrespecting you and me, and I wasn’t going to allow that.” I replied softly. “Niall, I’m sorry that you’re upset about it, but I’m not sorry for what I did. They’re going to make it all better and they have more respect for me now. I think it turned out really well.”
“Alexis, it could have been terrible. They could have forbidden me from seeing you anymore.”
“I get that, but they didn’t Ni. Can we just let it go and enjoy the rest of our day?” I looked up at him, moving closer to him. I could feel the heat radiating from his body as I pressed up against him. He wrapped his arms around me, touching his lips softly to my hair.
“I can do that darlin’, but only for you.” I pulled away slowly, keeping our fingers laced together. He kissed my cheek lightly before pulling me out of the building. “Climb on.” He gestured to his back. I giggled but complied, hooking my legs around his middle. My arms wound loosely around his neck as he began walking away from the building.
“Ni, where are we going?” I asked softly, my lips barely brushing his ear. He shuddered slightly, his hands tightening around my thighs.
“We’re heading to yours, if that’s okay?” He asked breathlessly. “Haz and Lily wanted to see how we were after this whole meetin’.”
“That’s okay Ni, I’m just happy with be with you.” I squeezed my legs around his waist a little more tightly. “Let’s go back and see them!”
-------------------------
“So how’d things go?” Harry asked softly as we all hung out in the kitchen.
“Surprisingly well actually.” Niall replied softly. “Alexis didn’t listen to me though. She started on them, basically attacking them. She told them that they weren’t treating me like a human and they agreed with her. They’re going to help us get through this.”
“That’s good to hear!” Lily laughed.
“You talked to management?” Harry faced me.
“Yeah.” I shrugged. “It was no big deal.”
“Weren’t you nervous? They’re not exactly easy to approach.” His eyes bore into mine.
“Don’t make this more than it is Haz.” I rolled my eyes. “They were attacking my relationship and were talking about Niall like he was only important for the money he made them. It’s ridiculous Harry. I wasn’t going to sit by and let them do that.”
“You stood up to management.” Harry stated, more as a passing comment than anything else. He looked impressed before turning back to the stove. I giggled softly, hopping onto the island. I tucked my legs under my body. “That’s incredible Lex. I’ve never met anybody who does that, not even us.”
“I didn’t think it was that big of a deal.” I muttered, looking down at the counter.
“Have you heard?” Louis yelled, bursting through the door. “Is it true?”
“Oh my gosh.” I rolled my eyes, swinging around to look at him. “First, knocking is an important skill to have. If you need help I can teach you how it works. Second, it is so not true. But thank you for that assumption.”
“I’d like the lesson on knocking please!” Louis smirked at me impishly.
“Come with me.” I hopped down, pulling him behind me to the door. I opened it and knocked gently on the wood. “See, you just knock and wait for the person to say ‘come in!’” He nodded enthusiastically and I chuckled lightly. “Now it’s your turn.” Louis hopped into the hall and I shut the door, swiftly locking it. I walked back to the kitchen and sat on the island again, tucking one leg under the other. Louis’s knocking filled the room and everybody stared at me. “What?” I asked, looking around at the others.
“You locked him out?” Lil smirked slightly at me and I grinned in response. “Lex, I know you’re teaching him a lesson but locking him out?”
“I’m making sure he doesn’t barge in when nobody answers.” I replied, jumping back down and skipping to the door where Louis was knocking incessantly. “Who is it?” I sang through the door.
“Don’t be daft, you know it’s me.” He called back.
“Me who?”
“It’s Louis! May I come in?”
“Yes you may.” I replied, unlocking and opening the door.
“Did you really just lock me out?” He asked, flouncing into the room. “Really?”
“Absolutely!” I grinned widely at him.
“Okay then,” he lunged at me and tackled me to the floor. I squealed as his fingers found my sides.
“I wanna play!” Harry ran to my side and joined in.
“No!” I yelled out, squirming to get away. Louis pinned me to the floor. “Let me go! Stop!” I continued laughing and fighting to get away. Their fingers sought greater purchase on my stomach and I screamed loudly through my laughter.
“Alright lads, that’s enough.” Liam’s voice broke through the chaos. “I think Lex has had enough torture for a while.”
“But Liam!” Louis and Harry pouted in unison before releasing me. Liam pulled me to my feet, enveloping me in a brief hug.
“Are you doing okay Lex?” He asked worriedly, searching my eyes.
“I’m great Li. Thanks for looking out for me but it’s just a silly rumor. Your management was very nice and will help us fix it.” I replied, a soft smile gracing my lips.
“Are you sure about that?” He arched an eyebrow. “I can’t imagine they were very happy about it.”
“They weren’t.” Niall replied, pulling me against his chest. His arms wrapped loosely around my waist and he pressed a sweet kiss to my hair. “But Lex here took them by a storm and they agreed to take care of things for us.”
“You talked to management?” Liam’s shock was unmistakable. “And they didn’t yell at you?”
“No?” I muttered. “Why is everybody freakin’ about this?”
“Nobody talks to management and gets away with it. Not even us.” Liam replied. “But we’ll drop it. I just wanted to make sure you two were okay.”
“We’re doing just about as well as we can be.” Niall spoke for us, kissing my temple.
“I think you all need to stop worrying about me. It’s a rumor that isn’t even remotely true so I’m not worried at all. The reality is, people will be able to tell that I’m not pregnant, as long as I don’t gain like 40 pounds in the next few months.” I shrugged nonchalantly. “It’ll blow over when the next great celebrity scandal happens.”
“You’re one of a kind, you know that?” Niall looked down at me incredulously. “You handle this with such grace and strength, I’m not sure there’s another person who could respond like this.”
“Thanks.” I whispered as a faint pink worked its way into my cheeks. “Can we just drop it and act normal?” I requested softly. “I know I’m handling it well now but if we keep talking about it nonstop that’s about to change.” Lily sent a brief smile my way before launching into this dramatic story about the time she went shopping and managed to knock over every manikin in the store. The guys clung to her every word, her actions making the story even funnier. I slid out of Niall’s grasp, kissing him lightly on the cheek before walking to the bathroom. Shutting the door, I sank to the floor. My knees were pulled up to my chest as I unlocked my phone screen. I rested my chin gently on my knees and pulled up a gossip site. I bit the inside of my cheek, holding in the tears as I read through the slander filling my vision.
“Lex?” Harry’s slow drawl filtered through the door. He rapped gently on the wood. “Talk to me.”
“Harry,” I sighed softly. “Let me pee in peace.” I replied with a slight hitch in my voice. My eyes brimmed with tears which I refused to let fall.
“I’m not an idiot Alexis.” He muttered. “Stop being stubborn and let me in.” I silently opened the door and glanced up at him. “Come ‘ere.” He wrapped me in his arms looking down at the screen of my phone which lay abandoned on the floor. “Don’t read that stuff Lex.” He whispered gently into my hair.
“I couldn’t help it.” I replied, my voice cracking. “I hate that they can get away with saying anything they want. It’s not right. Now people are going to be convinced that Niall sleeps around, which is so not true.” I pulled away from his hug and hopped onto the counter. “It’s just not fair.”
“Nobody thinks that Lex.” Harry offered a smile in my direction. “Not the important people anyway. Trust me, this will go away and it’ll be like it never happened.”
“Are you sure?” I felt a single tear trail down my cheek. “I don’t want people to think of Niall as something he’s not.”
“What about yourself Lex?” Harry cocked an eyebrow at me. “People are going to view you differently too.”
“That doesn’t matter to me.” I replied offhandedly. “I really don’t care what they think of me. I just want them to treat Ni like he deserves.”
“You’re one of a kind Alexis. I’m so glad Niall found you.”
“I am too.” I grinned widely at Harry. “He’s an amazing person and sometimes I wonder why he chose me.”
“Give yourself more credit Alexis, you’re amazing too.” Harry smiled softly at me. “All I know is when he saw you, the only thing he said was ‘I found her’. Now if you know Niall at all, that’s a huge thing. He hasn’t dated, not really since I’ve known him. That’s all because he was waiting for the right girl to step into his line of vision. He saw you and was hooked. I think it was mostly because he watched you reject that guy until you took pity on him and danced. He could tell you were different and wanted to get to know you better. You two are good together, just relax.”
“He told you that?” I looked up at him wide-eyed. “Really?”
“Yes, he did love. You have to trust me. He’s into you.”
“Thank you Harry. This means everything to me.” I gave him a gentle hug, linking arms with him as I opened the door.
“Of course Lex, anything for you.” He grinned at me, but I stopped dead in my tracks, yanking him to a halt.
“What?” I stared at him, my jaw dropped incredulously.
“Why are you confused?” He asked.
“Do you really mean that?” I questioned quietly. “Anything for me?”
“Of course Alexis. You’re one of us now. You always will be. We’re here for you, whatever you need, whenever you need it.” I burst into tears, sinking to the floor.
“Alexis?” Harry looked at me concernedly. “What’s wrong? What did I say?” I couldn’t form words, but my heart was bursting with gratitude. “Lily!” He yelled loudly.
“What?” She yelled back.
“Help!” He responded. “She’s not responding.”
“What?!” She yelled, moving quickly to the bathroom. She took one look at me bawling on the floor and turned on Harry. “What happened?”
“I don’t know! That’s why I asked you for help.” He ran his hand through his hair anxiously. “I just want her to be okay!”
“Lex hun? Talk to me sweetie.” Lily rubbed my arm but I only cried harder. “Niall?” Lily called down the hall.
“What’s wrong Lex?” Niall bent down next to me worriedly. “Can you talk to me?”
“I don’t know how to deal with this.” Harry hit the wall in frustration. “All I said was that we were there for her whenever and for whatever. I told her she’s one of us.”
“Oh my gosh.” Lily started laughing. “Nothing is wrong with her, she’s just overwhelmed with how you all see her. She’s not used to people caring, not anymore.”
“This is all because we care about her?” Harry shook his head. “She needs to start seeing herself for who she is rather than who people have made her see.”
“She can hear you.” I muttered as my tears slowed. I sniffed, rather unattractively and wiped my face. “And she would like it if you talked to her instead of over her.”
“So you’re okay?” Niall asked softly.
“Yes, I’m okay.” I remained on the floor, crossing my legs in front of me.
“Good. Ya worried me.” He rested his forehead against mine. His fingers twisted the ends of my hair. “I’m glad you’re okay m’ darlin’.” I noticed Lily tugging Harry away.
“Niall?” I asked softly, chewing on my lip.
“Alexis, please stop doing that.” He groaned.
“I’m sorry.” I dropped my lip and looked up at him. “Are you okay?”
“Of course I am, why?”
“I just wanted to make sure. Your entire reputation is being questioned and I just feel bad.”
“Lex, you’re the one people are talking about. Are you okay?”
“Ni, I’m good. I’m just worried about you.”
“Well stop. I’m happy, you’re my girl. What else could I need?” He looked at me sweetly. My breath hitched at the look in his eyes. I flung myself at him, molding my lips to his. He froze, caught off guard but his hands quickly moved to my sides, pulling me closer to him. He lay me down gently on the floor, his lips moving rapidly with mine. His body pressed against mine lightly as he supported himself above me. As his hand tugged at my shirt I pulled back abruptly.
“Ni.” I whispered. “We’re on a bathroom floor.”
“I guess that’s not the best place for this huh?” He winked at me, pulling me off the floor with him. I giggled and shook my head. “Then we’ll have to reschedule for a better time and place darlin’.” He winked at me, pulling me with him back to the group.
“You okay Lex?” Liam pulled me in for a hug. As he pulled back he held me at arms’ length and searched my eyes for an honest answer.
“I’m okay.” I responded. “Not perfect but it’ll be better when this whole thing goes away. I don’t like being in the spotlight.” Louis scoffed and I turned red. “I know it comes with dating Niall, but I wish it didn’t.”
“We all do.” Harry pointed out gently. “Nobody likes having their entire life broadcasted for the world to read about. We love what we do though, so it’s worth it.”
“It’s okay. I’m not going to run out on Niall because of the press. None of you have to worry about that.” I replied just as softly.
“Good.” Niall chuckled from behind me, kissing my temple. “I like you too.” I twisted in his arms, pressing a swift kiss to his cheek before rejoining the group’s conversations. The whole thing was a mess, but I knew that things would be okay. I had a great new family around me who would help protect me and would always be there for me. A smile worked its way onto my lips as warmth spread through my chest. “Are you okay?” Niall whispered, drawing my attention to him briefly.
“I’m more than okay. I’m happier than I have been in a long time. It’s all because of you guys, I hope you know that. I’ll never be able to repay you guys for what you’ve done for me.”
“You owe us nothing Alexis.” He squeezed me tightly. “You’re one of us, this is what we do for the people we care about. If anything we should be thanking you.”
“Why? I’ve done nothing.”
“You’ve made me happy Lex, that’s worth so much to everybody. I’ve been waiting a long time for the right girl to come along. The lads are truly grateful for your presence in our lives, but especially mine.”
“I don’t know how to respond to that,” I faced him. “This is what I’ll have to do instead.” I kissed him chastely. “I’m kinda into you.” I winked at him.
“Good, cuz I’m kinda into you too.” He laughed. “You’re amazing Lex.” I blushed and turned away to our group of friends who was watching us with bemused faces. I stuck my tongue out at them all. They laughed and continued with their conversation.
“How can I not be nervous?” I asked softly. “These people don’t like me and I have to go sit through a meeting with them.”
“They’re going to love ya as soon as they get t’ meet ya. They just don’t like that you’re getting me bad press.”
“Oh great, so this is on me?” I grabbed a strand of my hair, twisting it anxiously between my fingers.
“No darlin’. You’re not the problem. It’s the stupid press that’s the problem. I’m just sorry ‘tis happenin’.” He lifted my chin, turning my face toward his. I averted my eyes but let our faces match. “Lex, please look at me.” He requested softly, his thumb brushing lightly across my skin.
“Ni, I don’t wanna see how you’re looking at me. I don’t want to know if you’re upset with me.” I murmured as I dropped my hands to my sides.
“Lex, the press may be brutal but you’re my girl. I’m not goin’ t’ leave ya ‘cause of this.”
“Your Irish comes out more when you’re upset.” I muttered impishly, glancing up at him briefly. His eyes held only care for me but I looked away quickly. “It’s really attractive.” I shook my head hoping to clear the thoughts.
“Ya like it?” He grinned, kissing just below my ear. My body shuddered, giving me away.
“Just a tad.” I replied, pulling him in for a chaste kiss. We separated, but he looped an arm around my waist. I felt my body pulled securely against his and didn’t fight it, instead leaned in closer.
“Niall and Alexis, please come in now.” One of the women stepped out and let us in.
“Let me do the talkin’.” Niall whispered. I squeezed his hand in response as we entered. As we sat at the table, I felt the anxiety eating away at my insides.
“We need to talk about this picture that’s circulating.”
“We know it looks bad, but we’re not pregnant. Alexis was just talking about how much she wanted to eat as we left.” Niall countered.
“You understand how this looks correct?”
“Yes sir.” He replied. “We’re both aware of the gravity of this and how it hurts the image of the band.”
“Maybe so, but we’re concerned about how this is going to play out.” The man speaking gestured between Niall and myself.
“With all due respect sir,” I began softly. “I’d like you to be honest about why you’re having a hard time liking me. I appreciate the diplomacy but just tell me straight please.”
“American I see.” He looked directly at me. “You are detrimental to Niall’s image. He is seen as the innocent one of the group and it’s important for him to be single and you’re ruining that.”
“Why is it important for him to be single?” I shot back.
“He’s more marketable that way.”
“You’re talking about him like he’s just a product though. He’s a human and you can’t forget about that.” Niall tried to get me to stop talking but I shook my head at him. “Look, I’m not going to even attempt to tell you how to do your job, I can’t. I don’t know all of the work and effort it takes to keep this band going and out of trouble. However, if you start to forget that they are more than an image and they’re people then you’re going to lose the ability to keep this band afloat.”
“Alexis.” Niall warned.
“Niall, it’s quite alright. She speaks the truth, even if we don’t want to hear it. She’s not afraid of us and that means she won’t be afraid of your fans. We will clear this whole thing up, but you’ll need to go on some sort of talk show to fix this whole thing.”
“Me too?” My voice came out as a squeak.
“No, we’ll have it come up when the lads go on a show. You won’t have to say anything.”
“Okay good.” I relaxed in my chair.
“You two may go now. Thank you.”
“Thank you.” I smiled gratefully at the people sitting behind the desk. Niall and I stood and, linking hands, left the room.
“What the hell just happened in there?” Niall stopped dead in his tracks. I was yanked to a halt with a slight yelp.
“I don’t understand the question.” I replied, cocking an eyebrow at him. “We talked and they’re going to fix it.”
“I thought I told you to let me do the talking.” He responded, a slight hint of frustration colored his tone.
“You did Ni, but they were disrespecting you and me, and I wasn’t going to allow that.” I replied softly. “Niall, I’m sorry that you’re upset about it, but I’m not sorry for what I did. They’re going to make it all better and they have more respect for me now. I think it turned out really well.”
“Alexis, it could have been terrible. They could have forbidden me from seeing you anymore.”
“I get that, but they didn’t Ni. Can we just let it go and enjoy the rest of our day?” I looked up at him, moving closer to him. I could feel the heat radiating from his body as I pressed up against him. He wrapped his arms around me, touching his lips softly to my hair.
“I can do that darlin’, but only for you.” I pulled away slowly, keeping our fingers laced together. He kissed my cheek lightly before pulling me out of the building. “Climb on.” He gestured to his back. I giggled but complied, hooking my legs around his middle. My arms wound loosely around his neck as he began walking away from the building.
“Ni, where are we going?” I asked softly, my lips barely brushing his ear. He shuddered slightly, his hands tightening around my thighs.
“We’re heading to yours, if that’s okay?” He asked breathlessly. “Haz and Lily wanted to see how we were after this whole meetin’.”
“That’s okay Ni, I’m just happy with be with you.” I squeezed my legs around his waist a little more tightly. “Let’s go back and see them!”
-------------------------
“So how’d things go?” Harry asked softly as we all hung out in the kitchen.
“Surprisingly well actually.” Niall replied softly. “Alexis didn’t listen to me though. She started on them, basically attacking them. She told them that they weren’t treating me like a human and they agreed with her. They’re going to help us get through this.”
“That’s good to hear!” Lily laughed.
“You talked to management?” Harry faced me.
“Yeah.” I shrugged. “It was no big deal.”
“Weren’t you nervous? They’re not exactly easy to approach.” His eyes bore into mine.
“Don’t make this more than it is Haz.” I rolled my eyes. “They were attacking my relationship and were talking about Niall like he was only important for the money he made them. It’s ridiculous Harry. I wasn’t going to sit by and let them do that.”
“You stood up to management.” Harry stated, more as a passing comment than anything else. He looked impressed before turning back to the stove. I giggled softly, hopping onto the island. I tucked my legs under my body. “That’s incredible Lex. I’ve never met anybody who does that, not even us.”
“I didn’t think it was that big of a deal.” I muttered, looking down at the counter.
“Have you heard?” Louis yelled, bursting through the door. “Is it true?”
“Oh my gosh.” I rolled my eyes, swinging around to look at him. “First, knocking is an important skill to have. If you need help I can teach you how it works. Second, it is so not true. But thank you for that assumption.”
“I’d like the lesson on knocking please!” Louis smirked at me impishly.
“Come with me.” I hopped down, pulling him behind me to the door. I opened it and knocked gently on the wood. “See, you just knock and wait for the person to say ‘come in!’” He nodded enthusiastically and I chuckled lightly. “Now it’s your turn.” Louis hopped into the hall and I shut the door, swiftly locking it. I walked back to the kitchen and sat on the island again, tucking one leg under the other. Louis’s knocking filled the room and everybody stared at me. “What?” I asked, looking around at the others.
“You locked him out?” Lil smirked slightly at me and I grinned in response. “Lex, I know you’re teaching him a lesson but locking him out?”
“I’m making sure he doesn’t barge in when nobody answers.” I replied, jumping back down and skipping to the door where Louis was knocking incessantly. “Who is it?” I sang through the door.
“Don’t be daft, you know it’s me.” He called back.
“Me who?”
“It’s Louis! May I come in?”
“Yes you may.” I replied, unlocking and opening the door.
“Did you really just lock me out?” He asked, flouncing into the room. “Really?”
“Absolutely!” I grinned widely at him.
“Okay then,” he lunged at me and tackled me to the floor. I squealed as his fingers found my sides.
“I wanna play!” Harry ran to my side and joined in.
“No!” I yelled out, squirming to get away. Louis pinned me to the floor. “Let me go! Stop!” I continued laughing and fighting to get away. Their fingers sought greater purchase on my stomach and I screamed loudly through my laughter.
“Alright lads, that’s enough.” Liam’s voice broke through the chaos. “I think Lex has had enough torture for a while.”
“But Liam!” Louis and Harry pouted in unison before releasing me. Liam pulled me to my feet, enveloping me in a brief hug.
“Are you doing okay Lex?” He asked worriedly, searching my eyes.
“I’m great Li. Thanks for looking out for me but it’s just a silly rumor. Your management was very nice and will help us fix it.” I replied, a soft smile gracing my lips.
“Are you sure about that?” He arched an eyebrow. “I can’t imagine they were very happy about it.”
“They weren’t.” Niall replied, pulling me against his chest. His arms wrapped loosely around my waist and he pressed a sweet kiss to my hair. “But Lex here took them by a storm and they agreed to take care of things for us.”
“You talked to management?” Liam’s shock was unmistakable. “And they didn’t yell at you?”
“No?” I muttered. “Why is everybody freakin’ about this?”
“Nobody talks to management and gets away with it. Not even us.” Liam replied. “But we’ll drop it. I just wanted to make sure you two were okay.”
“We’re doing just about as well as we can be.” Niall spoke for us, kissing my temple.
“I think you all need to stop worrying about me. It’s a rumor that isn’t even remotely true so I’m not worried at all. The reality is, people will be able to tell that I’m not pregnant, as long as I don’t gain like 40 pounds in the next few months.” I shrugged nonchalantly. “It’ll blow over when the next great celebrity scandal happens.”
“You’re one of a kind, you know that?” Niall looked down at me incredulously. “You handle this with such grace and strength, I’m not sure there’s another person who could respond like this.”
“Thanks.” I whispered as a faint pink worked its way into my cheeks. “Can we just drop it and act normal?” I requested softly. “I know I’m handling it well now but if we keep talking about it nonstop that’s about to change.” Lily sent a brief smile my way before launching into this dramatic story about the time she went shopping and managed to knock over every manikin in the store. The guys clung to her every word, her actions making the story even funnier. I slid out of Niall’s grasp, kissing him lightly on the cheek before walking to the bathroom. Shutting the door, I sank to the floor. My knees were pulled up to my chest as I unlocked my phone screen. I rested my chin gently on my knees and pulled up a gossip site. I bit the inside of my cheek, holding in the tears as I read through the slander filling my vision.
“Lex?” Harry’s slow drawl filtered through the door. He rapped gently on the wood. “Talk to me.”
“Harry,” I sighed softly. “Let me pee in peace.” I replied with a slight hitch in my voice. My eyes brimmed with tears which I refused to let fall.
“I’m not an idiot Alexis.” He muttered. “Stop being stubborn and let me in.” I silently opened the door and glanced up at him. “Come ‘ere.” He wrapped me in his arms looking down at the screen of my phone which lay abandoned on the floor. “Don’t read that stuff Lex.” He whispered gently into my hair.
“I couldn’t help it.” I replied, my voice cracking. “I hate that they can get away with saying anything they want. It’s not right. Now people are going to be convinced that Niall sleeps around, which is so not true.” I pulled away from his hug and hopped onto the counter. “It’s just not fair.”
“Nobody thinks that Lex.” Harry offered a smile in my direction. “Not the important people anyway. Trust me, this will go away and it’ll be like it never happened.”
“Are you sure?” I felt a single tear trail down my cheek. “I don’t want people to think of Niall as something he’s not.”
“What about yourself Lex?” Harry cocked an eyebrow at me. “People are going to view you differently too.”
“That doesn’t matter to me.” I replied offhandedly. “I really don’t care what they think of me. I just want them to treat Ni like he deserves.”
“You’re one of a kind Alexis. I’m so glad Niall found you.”
“I am too.” I grinned widely at Harry. “He’s an amazing person and sometimes I wonder why he chose me.”
“Give yourself more credit Alexis, you’re amazing too.” Harry smiled softly at me. “All I know is when he saw you, the only thing he said was ‘I found her’. Now if you know Niall at all, that’s a huge thing. He hasn’t dated, not really since I’ve known him. That’s all because he was waiting for the right girl to step into his line of vision. He saw you and was hooked. I think it was mostly because he watched you reject that guy until you took pity on him and danced. He could tell you were different and wanted to get to know you better. You two are good together, just relax.”
“He told you that?” I looked up at him wide-eyed. “Really?”
“Yes, he did love. You have to trust me. He’s into you.”
“Thank you Harry. This means everything to me.” I gave him a gentle hug, linking arms with him as I opened the door.
“Of course Lex, anything for you.” He grinned at me, but I stopped dead in my tracks, yanking him to a halt.
“What?” I stared at him, my jaw dropped incredulously.
“Why are you confused?” He asked.
“Do you really mean that?” I questioned quietly. “Anything for me?”
“Of course Alexis. You’re one of us now. You always will be. We’re here for you, whatever you need, whenever you need it.” I burst into tears, sinking to the floor.
“Alexis?” Harry looked at me concernedly. “What’s wrong? What did I say?” I couldn’t form words, but my heart was bursting with gratitude. “Lily!” He yelled loudly.
“What?” She yelled back.
“Help!” He responded. “She’s not responding.”
“What?!” She yelled, moving quickly to the bathroom. She took one look at me bawling on the floor and turned on Harry. “What happened?”
“I don’t know! That’s why I asked you for help.” He ran his hand through his hair anxiously. “I just want her to be okay!”
“Lex hun? Talk to me sweetie.” Lily rubbed my arm but I only cried harder. “Niall?” Lily called down the hall.
“What’s wrong Lex?” Niall bent down next to me worriedly. “Can you talk to me?”
“I don’t know how to deal with this.” Harry hit the wall in frustration. “All I said was that we were there for her whenever and for whatever. I told her she’s one of us.”
“Oh my gosh.” Lily started laughing. “Nothing is wrong with her, she’s just overwhelmed with how you all see her. She’s not used to people caring, not anymore.”
“This is all because we care about her?” Harry shook his head. “She needs to start seeing herself for who she is rather than who people have made her see.”
“She can hear you.” I muttered as my tears slowed. I sniffed, rather unattractively and wiped my face. “And she would like it if you talked to her instead of over her.”
“So you’re okay?” Niall asked softly.
“Yes, I’m okay.” I remained on the floor, crossing my legs in front of me.
“Good. Ya worried me.” He rested his forehead against mine. His fingers twisted the ends of my hair. “I’m glad you’re okay m’ darlin’.” I noticed Lily tugging Harry away.
“Niall?” I asked softly, chewing on my lip.
“Alexis, please stop doing that.” He groaned.
“I’m sorry.” I dropped my lip and looked up at him. “Are you okay?”
“Of course I am, why?”
“I just wanted to make sure. Your entire reputation is being questioned and I just feel bad.”
“Lex, you’re the one people are talking about. Are you okay?”
“Ni, I’m good. I’m just worried about you.”
“Well stop. I’m happy, you’re my girl. What else could I need?” He looked at me sweetly. My breath hitched at the look in his eyes. I flung myself at him, molding my lips to his. He froze, caught off guard but his hands quickly moved to my sides, pulling me closer to him. He lay me down gently on the floor, his lips moving rapidly with mine. His body pressed against mine lightly as he supported himself above me. As his hand tugged at my shirt I pulled back abruptly.
“Ni.” I whispered. “We’re on a bathroom floor.”
“I guess that’s not the best place for this huh?” He winked at me, pulling me off the floor with him. I giggled and shook my head. “Then we’ll have to reschedule for a better time and place darlin’.” He winked at me, pulling me with him back to the group.
“You okay Lex?” Liam pulled me in for a hug. As he pulled back he held me at arms’ length and searched my eyes for an honest answer.
“I’m okay.” I responded. “Not perfect but it’ll be better when this whole thing goes away. I don’t like being in the spotlight.” Louis scoffed and I turned red. “I know it comes with dating Niall, but I wish it didn’t.”
“We all do.” Harry pointed out gently. “Nobody likes having their entire life broadcasted for the world to read about. We love what we do though, so it’s worth it.”
“It’s okay. I’m not going to run out on Niall because of the press. None of you have to worry about that.” I replied just as softly.
“Good.” Niall chuckled from behind me, kissing my temple. “I like you too.” I twisted in his arms, pressing a swift kiss to his cheek before rejoining the group’s conversations. The whole thing was a mess, but I knew that things would be okay. I had a great new family around me who would help protect me and would always be there for me. A smile worked its way onto my lips as warmth spread through my chest. “Are you okay?” Niall whispered, drawing my attention to him briefly.
“I’m more than okay. I’m happier than I have been in a long time. It’s all because of you guys, I hope you know that. I’ll never be able to repay you guys for what you’ve done for me.”
“You owe us nothing Alexis.” He squeezed me tightly. “You’re one of us, this is what we do for the people we care about. If anything we should be thanking you.”
“Why? I’ve done nothing.”
“You’ve made me happy Lex, that’s worth so much to everybody. I’ve been waiting a long time for the right girl to come along. The lads are truly grateful for your presence in our lives, but especially mine.”
“I don’t know how to respond to that,” I faced him. “This is what I’ll have to do instead.” I kissed him chastely. “I’m kinda into you.” I winked at him.
“Good, cuz I’m kinda into you too.” He laughed. “You’re amazing Lex.” I blushed and turned away to our group of friends who was watching us with bemused faces. I stuck my tongue out at them all. They laughed and continued with their conversation.
♠ ♠ ♠
Sorry guys!! I've been having a really hard time writing this lately. I'll hopefully be more consistent soon! Love you all...don't forget to comment!