Canon

I sit there for about ten minutes while my parents talked in the kitchen but it felt like an eternity. The only thing I could understand was my dad’s occasional shouts of disapproval. I look at my phone resting on the smooth wooden table in front of me. Niall patiently waited at his apartment for an answer. It was getting late and he was supposed to be packing for his trip to Ireland. My stomach turns with a quick flip imagining walk around seeing Niall’s old stomping grounds in Mullingar. The spring semester wasn’t due for another two and a half weeks so I had plenty of time to go and come back. The only thing is, that I would miss Christmas with my family and I doubt my dad would let that happen. Even if I made up a story of going with Rose. Christmas is one of the few days he gets off and he makes me the most of the days that he has. My dad’s work boots click and clack against the floors as he is suddenly hovering over the table.

‘So, when’s he getting here?’ he wonders with a clear look of disapproval.

‘Um, I’ll call him now.’ I manage to get out standing up from the table, ‘just a second.’

Before he had the opportunity to protest, I rush back into my room and call Niall. He answers on the second ring as he always did. At first he was hesitant but then told me he was on his way. I go into my room to change into a simple long sleeve white tee shirt with my crimson red skirt and over the knee boots. The doorbell rings and my stomach drops to the floor.

‘I’ll get it!’ I announce after rushing out of my room.

My parents were slowly making their way to the door with Elijah in my dad’s arms. I pull the open revealing Niall. He wore a white button down shirt with a small blue Polo logo on the front. His black lip piercing was missing for the first time I’ve known him. He wore a simple pair of tight jeans with his Chelsea boots. He takes off his Ray bans and holds the securely in his palms.

‘Hi.’ I smile wanting to kiss him right then and there but I refrain from doing so.

‘Hi.’ He repeats with a charming smile. With this button up you wouldn’t know that Niall was drenching with dark swirls of ink.

‘Come in.’ my mom smiles warmly behind me.

‘Hello, ma’am.’ Niall goes to her first, ‘great to see you again.’

‘Likewise.’ She replies happily, ‘dinner is almost done so just make yourself comfortable.’

‘Thank you. Good to see you sir.’ Niall looks over at my dad who held Elijah in his grasp. He wouldn’t dare raise his voice let alone fight with Elijah in his arms.

‘Hope you like meatloaf.’

‘Love it.’ Niall retorts as I take his hand leading him down the hall to my room.

‘Door stays open, Lizette.’ My dad calls as he goes to sit down with Elijah in the living room.

‘You look pretty damn good,’ Niall murmurs as I sit down on my bed and he takes the chair nearby. ‘I could just lift that skirt up and tak-…’

‘Shut up!’ I throw a pillow at him, ‘my dad is right in the other room and I’m pretty sure he’s listening.’

‘Fine.’ Niall laughs running a hand through his freshly dyed hair. ‘You should really come back to my place afterwards especially if you’re not coming with me.’

‘I’ll think about it.’ I smile sliding off of the bed to kiss Niall.

‘What if your dad sees?’ he taunts placing his hands on my waist.

‘Just kiss me.’ I shake my head with a laugh pressing my lips to his.

Niall was the one to move back first, for once. He kisses my forehead placing a hand on my cheek then sliding it under my chin to look me in the eyes.

‘It feels different kissing you without your lip ring in.’

‘Yeh, is it a good or bad different?’ Niall wonders raising one of his eyebrows at me.

‘I love kissing you either way.’

‘Really?’

‘Of course.’ I conclude wrapping my arms around his torso, inhaling his scent. Niall smelled like a subtle hint of the cologne that rested on his nightstand and cigarettes.

‘We better get out there before he comes in here with his gun.’ Niall whispers letting his lips rest against mine once more, ‘I’m actually starving right now.’

‘Okay.’ I agree holding Niall’s hands in mine leading him into the dining room.

My dad eyes our intertwined hands and Niall quickly retreats dropping my hand in the air. My mom places Elijah in his high chair and walks back into the kitchen to get dinner.

‘Here, sit next to me.’ I gesture taking my usual seat and Niall slides into his seat beside me.

‘Get as much as you’d like Niall.’ My mom instructs feeding Elijah with a tiny blue spoon.

‘Thank you ma’am.’ Niall clears his throat pulling himself forward in his seat, ‘it smells great.’

‘That’s very kind of you. I feel like we don’t know anything about you. What do you your parents do?’ my mom asks, not judging but just curious. I clear my throat uneasily knowing how Niall hates talking about his family.

‘It’s okay.’ He gives me an assuring smile taking a small sip of the water in front of him, ‘my father is unemployed at the moment. My mom, I honestly don’t know what she does. She walked out on us when I was younger and I haven’t heard from her since.’

‘I’m sorry.’

‘It is what it is.’

‘So, Niall.’ My dad interjects all of a sudden, ‘There was a group of rowdy kids that demolished someone’s house pretty bad. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?’

‘Brad.’ My mom hisses taking her eyes off of Elijah, ‘I thought we weren’t going to talk about your cases tonight during dinner?’

‘I’m just making conversation with the boy.’ My dad defends taking a long sip from his beer.

‘No, sir, I can’t say that I know anything about it.’ Niall shifts over in his seat uncomfortably. I could see how his body language tensed up. I comfortingly place a hand on his thigh, letting him know that I was right there next to him. Dinner rolled around for about forty more minutes before my dad manages to take the conversation

‘How’s your father? I haven’t gotten any complaints in awhile so he must be doing better?’

Niall drops his fork and I thought he was going to lunge over the dining table but he takes his water glass in his hand.

‘That is enough.’ Mom snaps, slanting her eyes in my father’s direction, ‘I’m so sorry Niall.’

‘I should probably get going. It’s getting late.’

‘I am ashamed to have you as my father.’ I shake my head with disappoint as Niall stands up to leave. ‘He wanted to come here and try because he cares but my own father won’t even put away his judgmental pride for an hour because he doesn’t give dam-…’

‘Lizette,’ Niall cuts in grabbing my arm, ‘thank you for dinner, both of you. If it’s okay, we’re just going go for a while. Walk things off.’

‘That’s perfectly fine. Be back before curfew.’ My mom chimes first while my dad’s eyes are focused solely on me.

Niall pulls me out towards the door before it was too late. He wraps his arms around my waist leading me to his car. The air was cool as the wind blew over us. I slide down into his leather seats feeling the cold material against my legs. Niall jogs around sliding in beside me, then starting his car up.

‘I’m sorry tonight was so bad.’ I frown throwing my head back in the darkness.

‘I love you.’ Was all that Niall said briefly looking over at me as a black car sped down the road, adjacent to us.

‘Niall.’ I call looking straight at their bright headlights, ‘they’re not stopping.’