Chapter 63

                                    

                                          

I got my butt handed back to me yesterday. I was writing a numerical reasoning aptitude test for an interview. I hate Maths. 
                          
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The hospital was eerily silent when they came back a few hours later. Once in a while a solitary figure in uniform would emerge from a hallway or a room.
                          
But that troubling smell of a hospital was still present; latex and disinfectant. Niall scrunched up his nose, thinking about how this seemed like the perfect horror movie scene. All they needed was a the yellow sallow light and mass murderer with an axe covered in blood. 
                          
And a screamer. 
                          
Louis could be a screamer. Lord knows he busted their eardrums every time he got excited.
                          
Niall vaguely took note of the room number as their entered later on. They hadn't really brought anything besides clothes and get well soon flowers. 
                          
Was he exempted from the hospitality norm of gifting a sick person Harry technically cheated with her. 
                          
He's supposed to be the bitter ex. Maybe send her a couple poisonous  cacti or expose her nudes online. That's what most of these bitter exes did. 
                          
But he just couldn't muster up the strength to hate her somehow. She probably didn't know about his relationship with Harry. And even if she did,  she didn't owe him any loyalty. Harry did. 
                          
And he couldn't keep it in his pants. 
                          
Niall slowly backed to the back of the crowd after he gave her a customary greeting and hug. 
                          
He perched himself by the open window, hoping the air would help keep him from being angsty. But the L.A. air was hot on the side of his face and he could already feel the earlier headache he had curbed creeping back up. 
                          
"Thank you all for coming to see me." Jessica said pleasantly with a sweet smile. 
                          
"No problem. How are you feeling?" Liam said, automatically taking the responsibilities of making polite conversation. Louis was too much of a ditz, he always ended up putting his foot in his mouth and Niall was ... well ... exempted from the whole process as mentioned earlier. No one expected him to do more than he had so far. 
                          
"I'm a feeling a bit out of it. The food in here really doesn't help at all." Kessica laughed lightly. 
                          
"Tell me about it. I had the coffee earlier, tasted like mud." Louis whined. He sat by the chair right beside Nialls window perch and proceeded to use Nialls leg as an armrest. 
                          
"Well, if you get desperate enough, you can always eat the flowers." Harry said. 
                          
"If cows do eat them then how bad can they be?" She winked at him. 
                          
"Oooh look at you two aren't you just the best of friends?." Annnnnnnd there it was Louis foot in his mouth again. 
                          
"I always wanted a gay best friend." Jessica nudged Harry good naturedly, choosing to either ignore Louis snarky comment or the comment went right over her head. 
                          
"Don't be ridiculous. I'm not gay. Besides, if i would be anyone's gay best friend, it would be Niall's." The twinkle in Harry's eye made the headache come into full force. 
                          
'So what? He just expected that he forget everything. He forget that he cheated, that he is keeping secrets and  most of all that he is about to have a baby?' Niall seethed. 
                          
Having taken all that he could give, Niall stood up. "I have a plane to catch tomorrow.  I really should go. Jessica get well soon.  I will see you later guys." 
                          
Niall didn't meet anyone eyes as he shuffled past feet and made a run for it. He could hardly take it anymore. 
                          
The telltale sounds of feet following him brought the sudden urge to go into a full sprint for the elevator but Harry was in so much better shape than him. And he had his bum knee. He doubted he could make it far before Harry caught him so he stayed put. 
                          
"Where are you off to now?" Harry asked when he came to a standstill in front of him. 
                          
"Australia, New Zealand then Japan." Niall mumbled not looking up at Harry. He was at his waits end. 
                          
"Niall um ... about what you saw before." Harry started. 
                          
"What about it?" Niall prodded.
                          
"... Just ... could you keep it to yourself. Harry scratched the back of his neck. "For now at least." 
                          
"And if I don't?" Niall challenged. 
                          
"You could put a lot of people in a bind." And that's all he said much to Niall disdain. How dare dangle him like that. Throw him scrapes to keep his mouth shut. He didn't deserve any of this dammit. 
                          
"I'm going to give you one last chance to explain what's going on Harry." Nialls anger was tangible in the air. 
                          
"Niall." Harrs expression took on a pained front. At least it looked a front to Niall. 
                          
He didn't knwl Harry anymore. He never thought it would come to that but that was the cold hard truth. One thing he always had been sure about was that he knew Harry. He knew when he lied but the man had lied to him for about 6 months straight before he caught on.
                          
He dined know this man that played with his heart, which lies and manipulated him. 
                          
That's what that kiss was, nothing but simple manipulation. That's the same thing he was doing now with 'kicked puppy expression.' He was the one that should be looking like that. He should be the one looking hurt because he did! 
                          
He lied. He cheated. And he was a good for nothing manipulative son of a bitch that was playing with him. 
                          
"Go back to Jessica Harry." Niall said with finality."I'm done with your games." 
                          
And with that Niall turned for the elevator, ignoring Harry as he called his name with that heartbroken time he had managed to master so well. 
                          
Lies. They were all lies.