Chapter 19 ― Our first date

  “So what were you two doing out there?” Liam asked raising his eyebrows and with an evil grin. I looked at Harry sternly and from the corner of my eye I saw a quite sad Zayn.

“I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU’RE CHEATING ON ME!! AND WITH NIALL!” Louis cried out running towards me and pulling me into a bear hug. I choked a bit. “Why? Is it because he has Irish accent?”

“Louis, you don’t want to know. Plus, HOW DARE YOU? You, who cheats on me with an official girlfriend! You unfaithful bastard!” I cried back faking being hurt.

“You know I love you,” he pouted but I just looked away.

“Our story’s over, Boo Bear. You have to accept that and let me go,” I said solemnly feeling like a damn philosopher.

“Never! I’ll get your love back!” He promised holding me by the shoulders and shaking me a bit. I exploded in a fit of laughter and soon all the boys and girls laughed along at our dramatic scene. I said it before, we should be in a soap opera.

“I caught Alex dancing, that’s what it took us so long,” Niall replied and I turned at him with my eyes wide open.

“That’s not what I saw,” Harry commented offhandedly and I wanted to punch him in the middle of the face. With a chair.

“She’s incredible! You have to see her. I tried to convince her to dance for us, but she doesn’t want to!” The blond pouted.

“Way to get her, Nialler!” Harry teased him and I saw Niall blushing.

“No, but seriously, she is incredible,” he repeated and all the boys’ eyes were on me. I groaned internally hating that much attention.

“Alex used to dance ballet,” Belle, the traitor, told the boys. “She was incredible, the best in our class, but she quitted. I didn’t know you still danced.”

“I don’t.” Niall rolled his eyes. “I was just goofing around because the song was great. Besides, I fell when I landed after a lift, so I’m not great anymore. Niall is exaggerating.”

“We have to see,” Liam stated and I groaned again. “Please, dance for us tomorrow.”

“No! I told Niall I wasn’t going to dance for anyone, so don’t insist. Now let’s go, I’m hungry!” I protested going ahead.

I wasn’t good at it anymore and besides, dancing hurt me because I used to love it so much but I couldn’t keep doing it. Now that was part of my past and I didn’t want to dig in it.

As I was walking, soon an arm slid around my waist and I could feel a warm body next to me. “I’m sorry,” he whispered and I recognised his smell and accent immediately. “I just think you’re great and you shouldn’t remain in the shadows. You have talent, Alex.”

“But I don’t have the body and I would never have. You can see it, Niall, I’m curvy, I’m not skinny and I love food, I eat like a truck driver. I can’t be a ballerina anymore, even if I want to.”

“Okay. I won’t push you on that. Let’s go to Nandos and let’s be happy!” I laughed with him and hugged him back resting my head on his shoulder. I heard a chorus of awws at our back and I blushed, but I didn’t move back, I liked where I was too much, next to Niall.

I grinned as I remembered what had happened in the studio, what he told me and how close we were. I couldn’t believe that he still liked me and that we were going on a date. I had to tell the girls! They were going to be so happy. Probably I was going to get several ‘I-told-you-so’s but I didn’t care, I was too happy.

* * *

The boys had the concert the next night, therefore that night we were all free to do whatever we wanted. For me that meant a date with Niall and I had this knot in my stomach and those annoying butterflies that seemed to never leave me.

I told the girls, of course, and they were overly excited, more excited than me, which was quite funny, if I may say so myself. Belle was trying to make me wear something different and leave my combat boots but I refused roundly. My boots were my trademark.

“Don’t you want to impress him?” she asked holding a pair of high heels.

“I want him to like me for who I’m, not for how I look,” I replied folding my arms. “I don’t need a makeover.”

“At least let us do your hair and makeup,” Phebs begged and I rolled my eyes nodding. “Yay!” She jumped up and down and I just laughed at her.

“Please, don’t make me look like a clown,” I begged as I sat down. I was wearing my miniskirt, dark tights, a black top that hugged my torso perfectly and a black short leather jacket with a grey hoodie. I loved that jacket! I wasn’t going to give up on my combat boots, they made my outfit perfect.

They made my makeup, smoky eyes, eyeliner, red lips, smooth skin; and put my hair in a tight ponytail. I looked like a badass and I liked it. Niall and I were going to a restaurant and later to the movies, they weren’t big plans, but I was so excited because it was our date, our first date.

“You’re gonna leave him with his mouth wide open, my friend,” Belle complimented me and I blushed a little.

“See? I told you he liked you,” Phebs added hugging me. “Have fun tonight.”

I could hear something different in her voice, a little tremble of sadness or even jealousy. I knew she wasn’t jealous because I was going on a date with Niall, but because things were working out for me whilst she remained with her heart broken. It wasn’t fair and I wished so bad she could meet a wonderful guy, a boy even better than Liam. The best for her.

“Thanks,” I said hugging her tightly. I was grateful with her not only for helping me to get ready or for her best wishes, but because she was bearing being close to Liam every day, hearing him talking about his girlfriend, being with her when she could only stare from far, dying a bit with every second.

Someone knocked at our door and Belle went running to open it to find Harry and a smiley Niall. He looked great, so handsome. Jeans, a black shirt, a blazer and black shoes. His hair was all spiky in every direction, his blue eyes fixed on me.

“Oh my, you look hot!” Harry said impressed as I grabbed my purse and walked towards them, my eyes fixed with Niall’s.

“What are you doing here, Styles?” Belle asked putting her hands on her hips.

“I was sad and bored in my room,” he started his story pouting slightly. “So I decided to go to Niall but he was getting ready and didn’t pay attention to me, so I came with him here hoping you two would open your arms and adopt me tonight.” And then, he shot his puppy eyes to my friends who giggled and opened their arms for him. I laughed as I watched the scene.

“You look incredible,” Niall mumbled when I got next to him. I blushed biting my lower lip.

“You too,” I complimented. In that moment when my friends were being all noisy at our back, I forgot about everything as I lost myself in his blue eyes. Cheesy as it sounded, it was what happened.

“Shall we go?” he asked offering me his arm. I slid mine in his smiling brightly. He heard a chorus of awws as we walked away from the room.

“Have fun, no PDA!” Harry shouted from the room. “I don’t wanna see pictures of you two snogging in the street!” I laughed at his words and Niall blushed furiously.

“So, where are you exactly taking me?” I asked when we were in the rent car. It was a lovely silver Audi A4. Yeah, I knew a bit about cars, how couldn’t I with a bother practically obsessed with them?

“I told you: it’s gonna be a surprise,” replied Niall with his sweet smile. I bit my lip as he drove us to an incredible beautiful Italian restaurant.

As we made our way in and were led to a table far away from the rest, I realised that Niall made a reservation for like a thousand people so no one would bother us. He knew I didn’t want to be captured by paparazzi nor I wanted rumours about me, neither I wanted to be surrounded by screaming fan girls. I kissed his cheek for his kind gesture.

He helped me sit down and then took his place across the table, his eyes always on me. Soon a waiter came to take our order and we both asked for spaghetti. As we waited for our food to arrive, we started to talk about nothing and everything. From how I was doing with the tour, to my family. I told him about my parents and I didn’t cry, but I got really sad and sentimental. I was in more control over my feelings that night. I also told him about my childhood with my brother and the things I used to do with the girls. We even talked about our worst and best Halloween costumes. I just told him everything he wanted to know, I opened myself to him.

Our dinner was lovely. The food was excellent but what I enjoyed the most was his company, his sweet smile, his warm eyes, his cute laughter, his sense of humour... Just him. We could talk about anything, laughing out loud or remaining silent in memory of those we lost. He told me about his life as well, how it was to live in Ireland. I asked so many questions about his city and family, about traditions and all the different things that caught my attention. He also told me about the X-Factor process, how it was when they got in third place and how it had been since then.

We spent hours in the restaurant, we tried different desserts because we couldn’t pick just one and we kept talking. There was never a dull moment with Niall.

It was late and we were supposed to go to the movie theatre, but I didn’t want to go to a place where we couldn’t talk or laugh. “We should go for a walk,” I suggested and he agreed.

We went to walk by the bay and the night was just beautiful, breath-taking. Niall put his arm around my shoulder and kept me close as we walked slowly. I rested my head on his shoulder enjoying the moment that was just perfect.

Suddenly, Niall chuckled and I looked at him worried. “Sorry, I just realised that I changed your mind without even trying. I’m amazing!” He chuckled again and I punched him softly in his stomach.

“Yeah, I noticed that before. I wonder what you could do if you actually tried,” I mused smiling.

“Probably, I would rule the world, but I’m not interested in that at the moment,” he replied and I giggled. “For now I just want one thing.”

“Hmm… And what would that be?” I asked looking up at him. Our eyes met and my heart started beating faster. Being close to him wasn’t healthy.

“You,” he replied in a whisper as a shiver went down my body.

I smiled because, again, without even trying, he got me. I cupped his face with my hand and stood on my tiptoes. I brushed my lips to his and waited for a second, tempting him. Niall pulled me closer and crushed his lips against mine, kissing me properly, just like I had wanted so bad and for so long. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back, enjoying the taste of his lips, the warm feeling of his against mine. My heart was beating like a manic in my chest hitting my ribs furiously, but I didn’t care as I lost myself in what I could only call the most perfect kiss of my life.