Status: Active =)
Don't Give up on Me
Heroes Are Made When You Make A Choice
“Alexis Noelle Prince.” Lily sat on the couch, her hair a mess of curls. Her nostrils flared and I knew I was in deep shit. Lily never used my full name. I mean, come on. She barely even called me Alexis. “Where the hell were you?”
“I um.” I blushed as Niall came into view. "About that..."
“Lex! Get some!” Her attitude did a 180 and I groaned slapping a hand to my face. “Niall Horan too! The cute Irish one? I had you pegged for a dirty girl in the bedroom so I figured Harry, Zayn, or even Liam. No offense Niall.” She babbled on as my blush deepened. I glanced up at Niall for support, but the boy was completely unhelpful. He was holding back laughter as his eyes crinkled with mirth. “I mean, I knew some day you’d stay out all night with a boy but you sure reached for the stars on this one. Literally! You even came home in his clothes. My goodness Chickadee!”
“Lil, I didn’t ‘get some’, as you so tastefully put it.” I rolled my eyes for her benefit. “We just hung out and I figured you’d have a guy here so I stayed over at Niall’s. Nothing happened.”
“Shame.” She replied.
“I’m sorry, am I interrupting?” A man walked out of Lily’s side of the flat with a towel wrapped around his waist.
"Lil! Are you kidding me?" I muttered.
“No, not at all.” Lily smirked up at me.
“Look, I’m going to go change and then I’m going out for the day, I guess. I just want to finish a proof first.”
“You and your work. I told you to live a little.” Lily replied as the guy began kissing her neck.
“And that would be our cue to leave.” I grabbed Niall’s arm and pulled him with me to my room. I shut the door gently and started rifling through my drawers. “And now you’ve met Lil.” I refused to look at him as a blushed worked its way across my skin.
“You look lovely when you blush.” He murmured, lightly trailing his fingers across the back of my neck. I bit my lip, freezing in place as his touch created sparks on my skin. “She’s a handful that one.” He laughed lightly and pulled away from me. I let out the breath I’d been holding and continued looking for a good outfit.
“Yeah she is.” I grinned at him as I turned around. "Niall? What are we doing today? It changes how I dress.”
“Just go with something casual.” He replied, shrugging. “Knowing Lou it won’t be extravagant, but you’ll want to be able to move.”
“Okay. I’ve got it then. You can either stay here or go back out into the lion’s den.” He laughed as I entered my bathroom. I showered quickly and dressed. I dried my hair and ran a brush through my curls before putting on some make-up. “Is this okay?” I questioned as I stepped back into my room. “Niall?” He wasn’t anywhere in sight, but the door was open. I could hear his full laugh from the other room and walked out, leaning against the wall as I watched Niall and Lily converse. They were carrying on a full conversation when Lily glanced over at me with a smile.
“Wow.” Niall breathed as he turned to face me. “You look great.”
"Really? This is okay?” He nodded, his eyes never leaving my figure. “Okay good. I just wanted to look good for when the stupid cameras come back.”
“Not a fan?” Niall raised an eyebrow.
“Not really.” I shrugged. “But it’s okay. You guys are worth it to me.” He smiled and came over to me.
“I’d love to stay and chat more, but Alexis and I have plans with the boys. We’ll probably stop by later if that’s okay.” He looked over at Lily. I missed the wink that passed between the two of them.
“Perfect.” She smiled at the pair of us. Niall turned to leave and she mouthed ‘you and me talk’ at me. I nodded, a smile breaking across my lips. She arched one eyebrow at me and I nodded, biting my lip. She squealed loudly and Niall turned around. I shot her a warning look. “Sorry. I thought I saw a mouse.” She smiled at Niall.
“You guys are weird.” He laughed. “You ready?” He looked at me.
“Absolutely.” I grinned at him and walked out beside him. As the door closed I led him down the hall to the stairs.
“We can take the elevator.” He grasped my hand.
“It’s okay.” I replied. “I’m good with the stairs. The question is, can you keep up with me?”
“What?” He asked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. A glimmer rose in my eyes and I sprinted down the stairs. “Hey! That’s not fair!” He yelled, taking off soon after me. I beat him down the stairs but tried to open the door and utterly failed. My body smacked into the door and I promptly fell over. I lay on the ground laughing as he reached the bottom of the stairs. “What happened?” He looked down at me.
“I hit the door.” I gasped between fits of giggles.
“You what?”
“I was going to get it open, but I didn't stop running in time and I hit the door!” He reached a hand down, laughing at me and helped me up. He pulled me straight up into his body. I felt my balance give a little and I steadied my hands on his chest while he wrapped an arm around my waist.
“You okay there darlin’?”
“Yeah.” I pushed away from him slightly and he didn’t fight me. “Let’s go meet the boys. Wait. Do you need to change and stuff?”
“Actually I do. They’re all just waiting for us at my place.”
“Oh, okay.” I replied. We got into the car and he started the engine. “Was Lily nice to you, or did she scar you for life?”
NIALL’S POV
“She was actually quite lovely.” I replied, thinking back to the conversation I had with Lily.
**FLASHBACK**
I waited briefly for Alexis, but I got bored sitting in her room and I didn’t want to snoop around so I walked out. I knew I was taking my chances with whatever Lily may be doing, but it had to be better than being bored. “Hey Irish.” Lily smirked over at me. “Did she really just leave you sitting in her room?”
“Yeah. I don’t mind though.” I smiled, moving to sit by her. “This okay?”
“Of course. I made the guy leave by the way.”
“Okay good. I didn’t want you to think this was some weird threesome.” She laughed loudly.
“So you like Lex.”
“No.” I responded quickly.
“That wasn’t a question.” She looked pointedly at me.
“I don’t know what it is. I saw her dance and I was hooked. I’ve never felt like this about a girl. I’ve watched my mates fall for many and I just never found one. But after I saw her, I just knew.” I felt a blush tint my cheeks pink.
“Don’t hurt her okay?” Lily stared at the T.V. that was in front of her instead of looking over at me.
“I don’t plan on it.” I smiled. “Hey,” I hesitated for a moment while she looked over at me. “Is she okay? I thought she liked me but she keeps pulling away from me and I don’t know what to think.”
“Give it time.” Lily sighed quietly. “Lex is complicated. There are many layers to her and you have to be patient as she lets you see more. She and I have been friends since we were kids. She used to be energetic and wild. She was full of spunk and joy all the time.” I noticed her eyes sparkle as she remembered how Alexis used to be. “Things changed after-” she cut off, pressing her lips together.
“After?” I prodded gently.
“I’m going to let her tell you when she’s ready. Just know this, she’s been through a lot and it takes a while for her to trust people, especially men. Approach her gently and cautiously and she’ll slowly open up. You are the one out of that group that I think she would really mesh with and I can tell you’re a good guy.” She twisted her fingers together. “Just, promise me you won’t give up on her. She deserves the world and nothing less. She will let you in. And don’t be offended if she lets in your friends before you.” Lily sighed. “If she finds somebody to confide in, she will. Also, I'll try to push her to open up to you all. If you're going to be friends, or more, with her then you'll need to understand her past.”
“Okay. That’s good to know.” I replied. “So the whole observation thing. How did she get so good at it?”
“That’s another question I can’t answer. I have to leave it to her.”
“Alright, I won’t push anymore.”
“Good.” She nodded in satisfaction. “Hey Leprechaun,” she began. “Did you and Lex go at it like bunnies last night?” I let out a loud laugh.
“No, nothing happened between us.” I broke off as I noticed her gaze focus on something on the other side of the room. I turned to see Alexis leaning against the wall. She was stunning and my breath caught in my throat.
**END FLASHBACK**
“Niall?” Alexis was calling my name.
“Sorry, what was that?”
“Are we going to your place?” She asked, giggling as I snapped out of my daze.
“Oh.” I put the car into gear and pulled into the traffic. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay.” She grinned over at me, her soft voice washing over my ears. “Lost in thought?”
“A little.” I replied focusing my eyes on the traffic. “I just want to apologize for what may happen after today.”
“What do you mean?” I could picture the crinkles forming between her eyebrows.
“Well, your picture is going to be everywhere and people are going to try to figure out who you are. After that ours fans be get a little…” I hesitated, unsure of the adjective I wanted to use.
“Protective?” She filled in.
“Yeah. They tend to attack the girls in our lives. I just want you to feel safe with us. They’d never actually do anything to you, but their jealousy sometimes takes control.”
ALEXIS’S POV
It was cute how nervous he looked. His hands constantly adjusted their grip on the steering wheel. His jaw was clenched as he looked ahead of him. I watched him swallow and grinned. It was as if he was afraid I would leave if his fans got bad. “It’s okay Niall. I promise.”
“Good.” He sighed in relief and parked the car.
“We’re back already?” I looked out at the cameras already pointing toward the car.
“Yeah. Hang on a sec darlin’.” He reached over and stopped me from opening the door. “I’m going to call the lads out here to help us get in.”
“Why? We got out just fine.”
“Well, we’ve got more than just cameras here now.” He motioned behind me. I glanced back and saw mobs of screaming girls running toward the car. I gulped, shrinking down. “Yeah we’re fine. Look out the window.” I looked over to see him talking into his phone. “We need your help getting back in.” He paused before replying. “It’s not horrible, we took an elevator though.” I winced slightly, believing it was my fault. He reached over and lifted my hand to his lips, placing a soft kiss. I blushed as he shook his head at me. “See you soon. Thanks Haz.” He pulled the phone from his ear and focused his gaze on me. “It was not your fault. I didn’t say anything and I should have.”
“But Niall-“
“Alexis.” He softly requested. “Please don’t blame yourself.”
“Okay.” I jumped as a loud rap on the window filled the car. I looked over to see Lou’s face plastered to the window. I burst into a fit of giggles.
“Ready?” I nodded at Niall. “Stay here ‘til I open your door. We’ll get in as fast as we can.” He hopped out of the rover and moved to my door. His hand slipped to my lower back and he propelled me forward. He began yelling something to me over the roar of the fans and yells of the paparazzi but I couldn’t hear him. I scanned the sea of faces and noticed a young girl who was getting battered by the larger girls around her. I broke away from the guys and waded through to reach her.
“Are you okay?” I yelled, hoping she could understand me with all the noise. She burst into tears and I bent over to see her better. “How old are you sweetie?” She raised a hand with 4 fingers on it and I cursed inwardly. “Where are your parents?”
“I don’t know.” She whimpered. I leaned in closer to her, my ear next to her mouth. “The girls came and now I’m scared and I don’t see them.”
“Do you want to come with me?” I asked her gently. “I’ll get you out of here.” She nodded slightly and extended her arms to wrap around my neck. I picked her up and pushed my way through the girls, hoping to find the boys.
LIAM’S POV
We were pushing our way through all the people, Niall guiding Alexis when I heard him yell. “Alexis! Stay with us!” I glanced over to see her break away and open a gap in the crowd. It only took a moment before the girls closed around her and she was gone from sight. “Guys, what do we do?” Niall yelled over the roar. They all turned to me, looking for a plan.
“We stay here until we see her again. I don’t know where she went but it’s not safe in that mob.” I glanced at Niall who was turning pale. “Circle around Niall. Keep the girls from grabbing him.” I instructed. Niall was pushed in the middle of us and we formed a barricade around him.
“Do you see her?” Lou screamed out.
“Yeah!” Harry yelled, leaping out and grabbing her arm. She was carrying a small child who looked to be about 3 or 4.
“Get inside.” I bellowed, shoving everybody toward the door. We bullied our way through and slammed the door behind us. The owner stepped up and locked the door, breathing a sigh of relief. We moved away from the glass before I let the anger that was seeping through my veins out. “Alexis, seriously? Weren’t you told to stay with us?” I turned on my heel to face her.
ALEXIS’S POV
Liam spun to face me and I gently set the little girl down. She clung to my leg and I spoke in a level tone, even though I was steaming inside. “Yes I was.”
“Then why did you break away? You could have gotten hurt.” He roared at me. His muscles were tense and the veins in his neck were bulging out.
“Her.” I motioned down to the small girl who was watching us with interest.
“Do you know her?” His voice softened minimally.
“Nope.” I bit back the small that was creeping to my lips. He was pissed off and I thought it was a little funny.
“Are you messing with me right now? You pulled away and put everybody in danger because of a girl you didn’t know?” His voice rose in volume and I flinched internally.
“Hun,” I bent down and gently peeled her grip from my legs. I analyzed the faces of each of the guys who were waiting off to the side. “Will you go over to that boy right there?” I pointed at Harry. “His name is Harry and he’s very nice. I need to settle this with Liam.” Her eyes were wide.
“Are you going to yell?”
“Most likely.” I shrugged.
“Okay. Thank you for helping me.” She smiled at me and wrapped her small arms around my neck in a hug. She walked over to Harry and held her arms open. He grinned and leaned down to pick her up. I could hear him speaking gently to her and I smiled before turning to face Liam.
“I’m absolutely serious.” I replied, attempting to keep my voice level.
“This is why I didn’t want you here.” He screamed. “Somebody could have been really injured and you don’t even care. You’re so selfish. I can’t believe I offered to protect you. I want you gone.”
“Liam, I tried to talk to you like a normal human being would, but you can’t seem to handle that. So I’ll let myself get angry with you and maybe you'll learn to listen to me.” I closed my eyes and carefully let down one of the barriers that held my emotions at bay.
“You sure as hell don’t look angry.” He yelled in response. “You’re infuriating!”
“You know what Liam? Shut up.” My eyes snapped open and he took one look at the fire in them and clenched his jaw. I formed tight fists with my hands and glared at him. “She’s 4 years old and was separated from her parents. She was terrified. I care about other people to the point where I risk my life and safety for them. That’s just who I am and I’m not about to change that just because you can’t stand it. Sorry I'm not sorry. I don’t give a damn what you think about me Liam. You know why? You’re this stuck up famous little rich boy who doesn’t have a care in the world and has no idea what it’s like to fight for your life every day you’re alive.” I took a deep breath before continuing. “She should be able to find her parents Liam. It’s not her fault that your fans are insane and can’t handle themselves around you. And it’s not my fault that they’re crazy.” I challenged him.
“Don’t talk about them like that.” He yelled back.
“Or what Liam? You’ll do what? Send a tweet telling them how much they mean to you? You don’t even know who they are.” I mocked him derisively.
“They’re not crazy. Take it back.” He took a step toward me.
“Open your eyes Liam! Did you not see them?”
“Whatever. They’re not the problem, you are. You shouldn’t even be here.” I saw something in his eyes change and I froze before retorting. I turned my back and focused on the girls who was staring at us from Harry’s arms.
“Are you okay?” I walked over to her, my voice softening. The guys looked at me in confusion.
“I’m not done with you.” Liam yelled.
“That’s okay.” I replied quietly, breathing deeply. I threw up my wall again and pulled my attention to her. Fighting with Liam was useless until he calmed down. He was worried about the boys, but even more so he had worried about me. It was simply easier to be mad at me than for him to admit that he cared enough about me to want me safe.
“I'm okay.” She responded to my previous question and reached out for me hesitantly. I smiled and nodded, answering her unspoken question. “Can we find my parents?”
“Of course sweetie.” I took her in my arms and walked away from the group. “Excuse me sir, I need to get out briefly.” The owner narrowed his eyes but unlocked the door for me. I was met with screams from the fans and stood on the top step, hoping to catch a glimpse of the little girl’s parents.
“There!” She screamed loudly and pointed, thrashing in my arms.
“Hey!” I yelled over the crowd’s yells for the boys. I raised my hand and slowly lowered it. They began quieting to the point where they could hear me. “Hi, we’re trying to get her back to her parents.” I called out. “She got separated from them when you all came along and she just wants to go back. They’re right there.” I pointed beyond the crowd. “Can somebody bring them to me?” A few girls excitedly broke away from the mob and pulled the parents with them to where I stood. “Hi.” I murmured quietly. “I believe she is yours?”
“Mommy! Daddy!” She screamed from my arms. I laughed lightly as I handed her over.
“Oh thank goodness Isabella!” The father looked at me. “Thank you.” He smiled, holding out his hand from me to shake.
“I’m just glad she’s okay and has loving parents. She’s a very lovely girl and you had better treasure her.” I smiled warmly at the family.
“We do. She’s our everything.” The mother replied gently. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome.” I shook their hands again and turned to go inside. Something made me pause and I sighed, knowing I would hate this but I owed it to Liam. “The lads wanted to thank you for being so loving toward them. They’re so grateful for all of you and will be doing a Twitter following soon! Thank you all for your help.” The girls screamed loudly and I turned around, my smile dropping as I walked in the building.
“Are you okay?” Niall rushed over to me, checking quickly for signs of distress.
“I’m good.” I smiled slightly and walked over to Liam.
“I thanked your fans for you and told them you’d do a Twitter follow soon okay? I didn’t blame them or hate on them. Li,” I rested a gentle hand on his arm. “I know you want to do what’s best for you guys and for the fans.” He looked down at me. “But Liam, I had to do what was best overall. She was terrified and needed help. I could help her, so I did. I’m sorry that my actions could have caused problems. I didn’t think about you guys, I just wanted her to be okay.”
He sighed loudly. “I understand. I’m sorry for getting so angry with you.”
“No worries.” I replied. “Let’s just go get ready for whatever you have planned.”
“You’ll like it, don’t fear love.” Louis looped his arms through mine and skipped through the hall to Niall’s flat. I giggled, dragged along with him.
“I um.” I blushed as Niall came into view. "About that..."
“Lex! Get some!” Her attitude did a 180 and I groaned slapping a hand to my face. “Niall Horan too! The cute Irish one? I had you pegged for a dirty girl in the bedroom so I figured Harry, Zayn, or even Liam. No offense Niall.” She babbled on as my blush deepened. I glanced up at Niall for support, but the boy was completely unhelpful. He was holding back laughter as his eyes crinkled with mirth. “I mean, I knew some day you’d stay out all night with a boy but you sure reached for the stars on this one. Literally! You even came home in his clothes. My goodness Chickadee!”
“Lil, I didn’t ‘get some’, as you so tastefully put it.” I rolled my eyes for her benefit. “We just hung out and I figured you’d have a guy here so I stayed over at Niall’s. Nothing happened.”
“Shame.” She replied.
“I’m sorry, am I interrupting?” A man walked out of Lily’s side of the flat with a towel wrapped around his waist.
"Lil! Are you kidding me?" I muttered.
“No, not at all.” Lily smirked up at me.
“Look, I’m going to go change and then I’m going out for the day, I guess. I just want to finish a proof first.”
“You and your work. I told you to live a little.” Lily replied as the guy began kissing her neck.
“And that would be our cue to leave.” I grabbed Niall’s arm and pulled him with me to my room. I shut the door gently and started rifling through my drawers. “And now you’ve met Lil.” I refused to look at him as a blushed worked its way across my skin.
“You look lovely when you blush.” He murmured, lightly trailing his fingers across the back of my neck. I bit my lip, freezing in place as his touch created sparks on my skin. “She’s a handful that one.” He laughed lightly and pulled away from me. I let out the breath I’d been holding and continued looking for a good outfit.
“Yeah she is.” I grinned at him as I turned around. "Niall? What are we doing today? It changes how I dress.”
“Just go with something casual.” He replied, shrugging. “Knowing Lou it won’t be extravagant, but you’ll want to be able to move.”
“Okay. I’ve got it then. You can either stay here or go back out into the lion’s den.” He laughed as I entered my bathroom. I showered quickly and dressed. I dried my hair and ran a brush through my curls before putting on some make-up. “Is this okay?” I questioned as I stepped back into my room. “Niall?” He wasn’t anywhere in sight, but the door was open. I could hear his full laugh from the other room and walked out, leaning against the wall as I watched Niall and Lily converse. They were carrying on a full conversation when Lily glanced over at me with a smile.
“Wow.” Niall breathed as he turned to face me. “You look great.”
"Really? This is okay?” He nodded, his eyes never leaving my figure. “Okay good. I just wanted to look good for when the stupid cameras come back.”
“Not a fan?” Niall raised an eyebrow.
“Not really.” I shrugged. “But it’s okay. You guys are worth it to me.” He smiled and came over to me.
“I’d love to stay and chat more, but Alexis and I have plans with the boys. We’ll probably stop by later if that’s okay.” He looked over at Lily. I missed the wink that passed between the two of them.
“Perfect.” She smiled at the pair of us. Niall turned to leave and she mouthed ‘you and me talk’ at me. I nodded, a smile breaking across my lips. She arched one eyebrow at me and I nodded, biting my lip. She squealed loudly and Niall turned around. I shot her a warning look. “Sorry. I thought I saw a mouse.” She smiled at Niall.
“You guys are weird.” He laughed. “You ready?” He looked at me.
“Absolutely.” I grinned at him and walked out beside him. As the door closed I led him down the hall to the stairs.
“We can take the elevator.” He grasped my hand.
“It’s okay.” I replied. “I’m good with the stairs. The question is, can you keep up with me?”
“What?” He asked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. A glimmer rose in my eyes and I sprinted down the stairs. “Hey! That’s not fair!” He yelled, taking off soon after me. I beat him down the stairs but tried to open the door and utterly failed. My body smacked into the door and I promptly fell over. I lay on the ground laughing as he reached the bottom of the stairs. “What happened?” He looked down at me.
“I hit the door.” I gasped between fits of giggles.
“You what?”
“I was going to get it open, but I didn't stop running in time and I hit the door!” He reached a hand down, laughing at me and helped me up. He pulled me straight up into his body. I felt my balance give a little and I steadied my hands on his chest while he wrapped an arm around my waist.
“You okay there darlin’?”
“Yeah.” I pushed away from him slightly and he didn’t fight me. “Let’s go meet the boys. Wait. Do you need to change and stuff?”
“Actually I do. They’re all just waiting for us at my place.”
“Oh, okay.” I replied. We got into the car and he started the engine. “Was Lily nice to you, or did she scar you for life?”
NIALL’S POV
“She was actually quite lovely.” I replied, thinking back to the conversation I had with Lily.
**FLASHBACK**
I waited briefly for Alexis, but I got bored sitting in her room and I didn’t want to snoop around so I walked out. I knew I was taking my chances with whatever Lily may be doing, but it had to be better than being bored. “Hey Irish.” Lily smirked over at me. “Did she really just leave you sitting in her room?”
“Yeah. I don’t mind though.” I smiled, moving to sit by her. “This okay?”
“Of course. I made the guy leave by the way.”
“Okay good. I didn’t want you to think this was some weird threesome.” She laughed loudly.
“So you like Lex.”
“No.” I responded quickly.
“That wasn’t a question.” She looked pointedly at me.
“I don’t know what it is. I saw her dance and I was hooked. I’ve never felt like this about a girl. I’ve watched my mates fall for many and I just never found one. But after I saw her, I just knew.” I felt a blush tint my cheeks pink.
“Don’t hurt her okay?” Lily stared at the T.V. that was in front of her instead of looking over at me.
“I don’t plan on it.” I smiled. “Hey,” I hesitated for a moment while she looked over at me. “Is she okay? I thought she liked me but she keeps pulling away from me and I don’t know what to think.”
“Give it time.” Lily sighed quietly. “Lex is complicated. There are many layers to her and you have to be patient as she lets you see more. She and I have been friends since we were kids. She used to be energetic and wild. She was full of spunk and joy all the time.” I noticed her eyes sparkle as she remembered how Alexis used to be. “Things changed after-” she cut off, pressing her lips together.
“After?” I prodded gently.
“I’m going to let her tell you when she’s ready. Just know this, she’s been through a lot and it takes a while for her to trust people, especially men. Approach her gently and cautiously and she’ll slowly open up. You are the one out of that group that I think she would really mesh with and I can tell you’re a good guy.” She twisted her fingers together. “Just, promise me you won’t give up on her. She deserves the world and nothing less. She will let you in. And don’t be offended if she lets in your friends before you.” Lily sighed. “If she finds somebody to confide in, she will. Also, I'll try to push her to open up to you all. If you're going to be friends, or more, with her then you'll need to understand her past.”
“Okay. That’s good to know.” I replied. “So the whole observation thing. How did she get so good at it?”
“That’s another question I can’t answer. I have to leave it to her.”
“Alright, I won’t push anymore.”
“Good.” She nodded in satisfaction. “Hey Leprechaun,” she began. “Did you and Lex go at it like bunnies last night?” I let out a loud laugh.
“No, nothing happened between us.” I broke off as I noticed her gaze focus on something on the other side of the room. I turned to see Alexis leaning against the wall. She was stunning and my breath caught in my throat.
**END FLASHBACK**
“Niall?” Alexis was calling my name.
“Sorry, what was that?”
“Are we going to your place?” She asked, giggling as I snapped out of my daze.
“Oh.” I put the car into gear and pulled into the traffic. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay.” She grinned over at me, her soft voice washing over my ears. “Lost in thought?”
“A little.” I replied focusing my eyes on the traffic. “I just want to apologize for what may happen after today.”
“What do you mean?” I could picture the crinkles forming between her eyebrows.
“Well, your picture is going to be everywhere and people are going to try to figure out who you are. After that ours fans be get a little…” I hesitated, unsure of the adjective I wanted to use.
“Protective?” She filled in.
“Yeah. They tend to attack the girls in our lives. I just want you to feel safe with us. They’d never actually do anything to you, but their jealousy sometimes takes control.”
ALEXIS’S POV
It was cute how nervous he looked. His hands constantly adjusted their grip on the steering wheel. His jaw was clenched as he looked ahead of him. I watched him swallow and grinned. It was as if he was afraid I would leave if his fans got bad. “It’s okay Niall. I promise.”
“Good.” He sighed in relief and parked the car.
“We’re back already?” I looked out at the cameras already pointing toward the car.
“Yeah. Hang on a sec darlin’.” He reached over and stopped me from opening the door. “I’m going to call the lads out here to help us get in.”
“Why? We got out just fine.”
“Well, we’ve got more than just cameras here now.” He motioned behind me. I glanced back and saw mobs of screaming girls running toward the car. I gulped, shrinking down. “Yeah we’re fine. Look out the window.” I looked over to see him talking into his phone. “We need your help getting back in.” He paused before replying. “It’s not horrible, we took an elevator though.” I winced slightly, believing it was my fault. He reached over and lifted my hand to his lips, placing a soft kiss. I blushed as he shook his head at me. “See you soon. Thanks Haz.” He pulled the phone from his ear and focused his gaze on me. “It was not your fault. I didn’t say anything and I should have.”
“But Niall-“
“Alexis.” He softly requested. “Please don’t blame yourself.”
“Okay.” I jumped as a loud rap on the window filled the car. I looked over to see Lou’s face plastered to the window. I burst into a fit of giggles.
“Ready?” I nodded at Niall. “Stay here ‘til I open your door. We’ll get in as fast as we can.” He hopped out of the rover and moved to my door. His hand slipped to my lower back and he propelled me forward. He began yelling something to me over the roar of the fans and yells of the paparazzi but I couldn’t hear him. I scanned the sea of faces and noticed a young girl who was getting battered by the larger girls around her. I broke away from the guys and waded through to reach her.
“Are you okay?” I yelled, hoping she could understand me with all the noise. She burst into tears and I bent over to see her better. “How old are you sweetie?” She raised a hand with 4 fingers on it and I cursed inwardly. “Where are your parents?”
“I don’t know.” She whimpered. I leaned in closer to her, my ear next to her mouth. “The girls came and now I’m scared and I don’t see them.”
“Do you want to come with me?” I asked her gently. “I’ll get you out of here.” She nodded slightly and extended her arms to wrap around my neck. I picked her up and pushed my way through the girls, hoping to find the boys.
LIAM’S POV
We were pushing our way through all the people, Niall guiding Alexis when I heard him yell. “Alexis! Stay with us!” I glanced over to see her break away and open a gap in the crowd. It only took a moment before the girls closed around her and she was gone from sight. “Guys, what do we do?” Niall yelled over the roar. They all turned to me, looking for a plan.
“We stay here until we see her again. I don’t know where she went but it’s not safe in that mob.” I glanced at Niall who was turning pale. “Circle around Niall. Keep the girls from grabbing him.” I instructed. Niall was pushed in the middle of us and we formed a barricade around him.
“Do you see her?” Lou screamed out.
“Yeah!” Harry yelled, leaping out and grabbing her arm. She was carrying a small child who looked to be about 3 or 4.
“Get inside.” I bellowed, shoving everybody toward the door. We bullied our way through and slammed the door behind us. The owner stepped up and locked the door, breathing a sigh of relief. We moved away from the glass before I let the anger that was seeping through my veins out. “Alexis, seriously? Weren’t you told to stay with us?” I turned on my heel to face her.
ALEXIS’S POV
Liam spun to face me and I gently set the little girl down. She clung to my leg and I spoke in a level tone, even though I was steaming inside. “Yes I was.”
“Then why did you break away? You could have gotten hurt.” He roared at me. His muscles were tense and the veins in his neck were bulging out.
“Her.” I motioned down to the small girl who was watching us with interest.
“Do you know her?” His voice softened minimally.
“Nope.” I bit back the small that was creeping to my lips. He was pissed off and I thought it was a little funny.
“Are you messing with me right now? You pulled away and put everybody in danger because of a girl you didn’t know?” His voice rose in volume and I flinched internally.
“Hun,” I bent down and gently peeled her grip from my legs. I analyzed the faces of each of the guys who were waiting off to the side. “Will you go over to that boy right there?” I pointed at Harry. “His name is Harry and he’s very nice. I need to settle this with Liam.” Her eyes were wide.
“Are you going to yell?”
“Most likely.” I shrugged.
“Okay. Thank you for helping me.” She smiled at me and wrapped her small arms around my neck in a hug. She walked over to Harry and held her arms open. He grinned and leaned down to pick her up. I could hear him speaking gently to her and I smiled before turning to face Liam.
“I’m absolutely serious.” I replied, attempting to keep my voice level.
“This is why I didn’t want you here.” He screamed. “Somebody could have been really injured and you don’t even care. You’re so selfish. I can’t believe I offered to protect you. I want you gone.”
“Liam, I tried to talk to you like a normal human being would, but you can’t seem to handle that. So I’ll let myself get angry with you and maybe you'll learn to listen to me.” I closed my eyes and carefully let down one of the barriers that held my emotions at bay.
“You sure as hell don’t look angry.” He yelled in response. “You’re infuriating!”
“You know what Liam? Shut up.” My eyes snapped open and he took one look at the fire in them and clenched his jaw. I formed tight fists with my hands and glared at him. “She’s 4 years old and was separated from her parents. She was terrified. I care about other people to the point where I risk my life and safety for them. That’s just who I am and I’m not about to change that just because you can’t stand it. Sorry I'm not sorry. I don’t give a damn what you think about me Liam. You know why? You’re this stuck up famous little rich boy who doesn’t have a care in the world and has no idea what it’s like to fight for your life every day you’re alive.” I took a deep breath before continuing. “She should be able to find her parents Liam. It’s not her fault that your fans are insane and can’t handle themselves around you. And it’s not my fault that they’re crazy.” I challenged him.
“Don’t talk about them like that.” He yelled back.
“Or what Liam? You’ll do what? Send a tweet telling them how much they mean to you? You don’t even know who they are.” I mocked him derisively.
“They’re not crazy. Take it back.” He took a step toward me.
“Open your eyes Liam! Did you not see them?”
“Whatever. They’re not the problem, you are. You shouldn’t even be here.” I saw something in his eyes change and I froze before retorting. I turned my back and focused on the girls who was staring at us from Harry’s arms.
“Are you okay?” I walked over to her, my voice softening. The guys looked at me in confusion.
“I’m not done with you.” Liam yelled.
“That’s okay.” I replied quietly, breathing deeply. I threw up my wall again and pulled my attention to her. Fighting with Liam was useless until he calmed down. He was worried about the boys, but even more so he had worried about me. It was simply easier to be mad at me than for him to admit that he cared enough about me to want me safe.
“I'm okay.” She responded to my previous question and reached out for me hesitantly. I smiled and nodded, answering her unspoken question. “Can we find my parents?”
“Of course sweetie.” I took her in my arms and walked away from the group. “Excuse me sir, I need to get out briefly.” The owner narrowed his eyes but unlocked the door for me. I was met with screams from the fans and stood on the top step, hoping to catch a glimpse of the little girl’s parents.
“There!” She screamed loudly and pointed, thrashing in my arms.
“Hey!” I yelled over the crowd’s yells for the boys. I raised my hand and slowly lowered it. They began quieting to the point where they could hear me. “Hi, we’re trying to get her back to her parents.” I called out. “She got separated from them when you all came along and she just wants to go back. They’re right there.” I pointed beyond the crowd. “Can somebody bring them to me?” A few girls excitedly broke away from the mob and pulled the parents with them to where I stood. “Hi.” I murmured quietly. “I believe she is yours?”
“Mommy! Daddy!” She screamed from my arms. I laughed lightly as I handed her over.
“Oh thank goodness Isabella!” The father looked at me. “Thank you.” He smiled, holding out his hand from me to shake.
“I’m just glad she’s okay and has loving parents. She’s a very lovely girl and you had better treasure her.” I smiled warmly at the family.
“We do. She’s our everything.” The mother replied gently. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome.” I shook their hands again and turned to go inside. Something made me pause and I sighed, knowing I would hate this but I owed it to Liam. “The lads wanted to thank you for being so loving toward them. They’re so grateful for all of you and will be doing a Twitter following soon! Thank you all for your help.” The girls screamed loudly and I turned around, my smile dropping as I walked in the building.
“Are you okay?” Niall rushed over to me, checking quickly for signs of distress.
“I’m good.” I smiled slightly and walked over to Liam.
“I thanked your fans for you and told them you’d do a Twitter follow soon okay? I didn’t blame them or hate on them. Li,” I rested a gentle hand on his arm. “I know you want to do what’s best for you guys and for the fans.” He looked down at me. “But Liam, I had to do what was best overall. She was terrified and needed help. I could help her, so I did. I’m sorry that my actions could have caused problems. I didn’t think about you guys, I just wanted her to be okay.”
He sighed loudly. “I understand. I’m sorry for getting so angry with you.”
“No worries.” I replied. “Let’s just go get ready for whatever you have planned.”
“You’ll like it, don’t fear love.” Louis looped his arms through mine and skipped through the hall to Niall’s flat. I giggled, dragged along with him.