Canon

My parents were talking in hushed tones in the kitchen over the smell of my mom’s burnt bacon and fresh coffee. There had been a lot of hushed tones and secret whispers ever since my run in with Damon. I knew my mom was still trying to take us out of the city. My dad promised that no one would hurt us – mostly me – ever again. I heard him through the wall the other night. He vowed it. My dad clears his throat, giving my mom a not so subtle Lizette is in the room nod.

‘Good morning, Lizard. How’d you sleep?’ She offers a smile as she runs her hand through her hair.

‘Had another nightmare.’ I shrug, as my dad slides a plate over to me. The bacon was burnt just around the edges, the way that I’ve grown to love it.

‘Maybe it’s time to revisit that conversation about seeing Dr. Richardson.’ My dad murmurs, almost at me instead of to me. They exchange their worried looks, saying a thousand words with just their eyes. ‘I could give her a call and have you in this morning.’

‘No.’ I mutter, sinking down into the seat as I push around the scrambled eggs, getting them up close and personal with the bacon. ‘I don’t want to rehash all of the details to some stranger.’

‘Liz, Dr. Richardson is far from some stranger. She’s like family.’ My mom defends, reaching across the table to place her hand on top of mine. ‘Why don’t you just think about it?’

Dr. Richardson was the neighborhood’s designated shrink. She lived right down the street and helped my parents during their rough patch years ago involving my uncle Chris. She also coached my mom through her anxiety with having Elijah at an older age.

‘I’ll think about it,’ I half-promise and half-lie, ‘Can I still go to Rose’s tonight?’

‘Eh, I don’t know Lizette.’ My dad wraps a nervous hand around his neck, after taking a long sip of his hot coffee. ‘Maybe you should just hang around here tonight. Rose can always come over.’

‘You said that it was safe now that Damon and John were arrested. Repeatedly.’ I fight back, ‘We’ll just be at her house the entire night. I know that you guys care, but I’ve been stuck in the house all week. I need the air and normalcy. Her parents don’t whisper about me like you guys do.’

‘Keep your phone on.’ My mom caves first and my dad reluctantly follows her lead. ‘Call us if anything seems out of the ordinary.’

‘I will.’ I chime, hurrying back to my room before they could change their mind.

The familiar guilty feeling washes over me as I shut my door, so they could continue their whispers in private. Instead of Rose’s, Niall had planned our prom night redo. I had no idea what he had planned but he was coming to get me at six. He had my prom dressed dropped off at the cleaners and now it was hanging in the back of my closet. I nervously eye the golden material, thinking back to our original prom night. Police cars. Broken bones. Tire marks. Screaming. The flashing red and blue ambulance lights. Niall had been so secretive about the entire night. He wasn’t budging whatsoever on the topic. I spend most of my day playing catchup with the assignments from the week. My parents insisted that I spent all of last week at home, something about a couple of “personal days”. Of course, that just made the rumors around the school even louder. Word travelled about Damon and our little run in. Apparently, Louis was in hiding somewhere. Either from the police or from Niall. He would rather go to jail than to flip on Damon and John. Niall called me every day after school just to fill me in on what happened that day, so it was almost like I was there. Almost. Of course, he didn’t go into details like Rose did.

‘Hey, we’re about to go over to the Williams’ for dinner.’ My dad speaks, poking his head into the door, ‘Where’s Rose? Is she on her way?’

‘Yeah, you know Rose.’ I shrug, not looking up from my last trigonometry problem. ‘Loves getting dressed up, even if it is just to come pick me up.’

‘Alright. Remember to lock up the house when you leave.’

‘Got it.’

I wait until I hear the SUV back out of the driveway before grabbing my dress from the closet. My fingers nervously run over the freshly cleaned material, daring myself to put it on. I pack an overnight bag, another one of Niall’s requests before finally taking the dress from the security of its garment bag. It wasn’t long before the doorbell catches my full attention. I run my clammy and warm hands over the gold material, making my way to the door. Niall rocks back and forth on the heel of his dress shoes, dressed in his tuxedo.

‘Hi.’ I smile falling into his open arms.

‘Hi.’ He repeats, slightly pulling away to look down at me, ‘I know that it’s the exact same dress, so I don’t know how but you look even better than the first night. I’ve missed you.’

‘I’ve missed you too.’ I extend my arm as he easily slips the corsage on the second time around. ‘You look even better than I remember.’

He patiently waits as I make sure to lock the house and set the alarm before shutting the door. Niall grabs my duffle bag from his hand and slips his fingers in between mine. ‘Jefferson’s having their prom tonight, so everything’s been rented out. You’re stuck with me as your driver.’ He gestures towards his shiny black mustang.

‘Guess I have the best driver in town then.’

‘Oh? I’ll be expecting a reasonable tip at the end of the night then. If you don’t have money, I will happily take other means of payment.’ He smirks, holding my door open for me before jogging around the back of the car.

‘You’re terrible Horan, you know that right?’

‘Little bit.’

We don’t say anything else as he gets on the highway. Every so often, he would silently bring my hand to his lips or place his hand on my thigh. We drove for about forty minutes before he comes in front of this really big – probably really expensive – hotel. A tall man dressed in all black comes out and opens the door for us. He helps Niall with the bags before driving the car towards the crowded parking lot. He wraps an arm around my waist while the manager slides several papers over to him to sign and then a pair of room keys. ‘Could you have our bags sent over to our room?’

‘Certainly. We hope that you enjoy your night, Mr. Horan.’ The manager speaks, giving Niall a knowing look. ‘Please, personally find me, if anything is not up to your liking.’

‘Will do.’ Niall retorts, grabbing a hold of my hand, ‘I have a little surprise for you.’

I let Niall lead the way towards the back of the lobby. He glances back at me once more before pulling the door open. The ballroom was completely decorated with white lights and hanging stars. I turn in the room, the lights reflecting off the gold of my dress. ‘Niall, it’s so beautiful.’ I gush as he pulls me towards a small table covered with a silver tablecloth. We sit down at the table covered with chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, mini burgers, and a pile of curly fries. ‘I tried to get most of what they had at prom, hopefully, it tastes a little better.’

‘It’s perfect.’ I lean my head on his arm, grabbing one of the longest curly fries.

‘I also had them pick up some of the best strawberries and a nice fancy pot of warm chocolate, I heard it was romantic or some shit.’ He scrunches his nose with his smile that made me feel warm all over.

Once we’re finished eating, Niall sets his phone down on the table, pressing play. Can’t Help Falling in Love with You fills the room as I’m pulled into his arms. ‘I can’t believe you would do all of this for me.’ He grabs our cheap, cheesy crowns from the table and places mine on my head. I straighten his crown on his head for him as he gives me a quick twirl.

‘Baby,’ He shakes his head with a short laugh, ‘I would go to the ends of the earth for you. Any day of the week. Without hesitation. I thought you knew that by now.’

‘I don’t deserve you, Horan.’

‘Yeah, you do.’ He presses his lips to mine swaying from side to side, ‘And then some.’

‘What do you say that we bring the music and the strawberries, then go upstairs to that nice, big bed waiting for us?’

‘Right behind you.’ Our kisses grow rushed and hot as we stumble out of the elevator. He laughs as a whine falls from my lips at the loss of contact. ‘Hold on.’

‘Hurry up.’ I grab a hold of his tie, loosening it as he digs in his pockets for the room key.

‘God I’ve missed you. It was practically torture being away from you all week. Do you know how many times I wanted to just sneak over your house at night, bypass your dad and his many weapons just to see you? Kiss you? Touch you?’

‘I’ve missed you.’ I mutter, tangling my fingers in his soft, dark hair.

‘I told you that I couldn’t wait to take this dress of you. It just took a lot longer than I wanted it to.’

His lips left a slow trail against my skin as he lowers himself towards the end of the bed. I shudder against the coolness of his hand as he tugs on the zipper gently. He eyes me knowingly with a satisfied smirk on his face. I pull him back up to my lips while sloppily unbuttoning his shirt. I touch the slight hair on his chest as it rises up before falling down. His breathing was heavy and ragged, I loved it. It was soothing. I nestle against Niall as he uses his fingers to travel up and down my thigh.

‘Thank you for doing this. I really needed it.’

‘Of course, I promise to always be your getaway.’

I lay in Niall’s bed, watching Wrong Turn. I shamelessly shield my face with his Derby Rams blanket, causing him to stifle out an amused laugh. He pulls me even closer to him than before, pressing his lips to my forehead. The lights turn off as the door falls in. Damon. Niall pushes me down onto the floor as Damon jumps on top of him. I watch helplessly as he wraps his thick, bloody hands around Niall’s neck – slamming his head against the mattress repeatedly. Niall slowly stops fighting, his legs and arms go limp. Damon then turns his full attention towards me, the familiar blade in his hand.

‘No, no, no. Niall get up. Please, Niall you have to get up.’ I scramble onto my feet only to be tackled back onto the ground. ‘Niall, please!’

‘Baby,’ Niall voice fills the air as my arms shook. Another dream. ‘It’s alright, Lizette. You’re okay, he’s gone, they’re all gone.’ Niall used to be the one with the haunted dreams of Damon – now it’s my turn. I would laugh at the irony, if my heart wasn’t pounding against my ribcage. ‘I thought the dreams stopped.’ Niall speaks in the darkness; his voice was thick with sleep. I couldn’t see him, but I knew his eyes were on me.

‘I thought they did too.’ I mutter rolling out of his arms and the bed.