AN: I know, I know. Last chapter took a huge fuckin turn all of a sudden. But you'll later find out why.

Enjoy and I love you <3

Also this chapter might not make sense either lmao BUT IT WILL IN THE FUTURE... just waaaait and everything will piece together and make sense

~Alex

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Nothing seemed to be making sense to me anymore.

How can Harry go from kissing the fuck out of me to talking about Niall in a matter of seconds?

None of it makes sense and quite frankly, it's giving me whiplash.

"Wait so he was kissing you one second and then telling you to call Niall the next?" Liam asks, confusion written all over his face.

"Yes. Isn't that fucking weird and just completely random?" I shake my head while twirling a flower around in my fingertips, "I swear I need to go the damn hospital from all of the whiplash."

I'm currently running off of zero sleep and coffee, my brain still trying to process what the hell even happened early this morning. I informed Liam about every single little detail that happened this weekend, enjoying the way his face varied from a thousand different emotions.

He practically screamed when I told him that Harry and I fucked in a plane bathroom.

"So... are you going to call Niall?"

"Fuck no," I laugh sarcastically, "I know I probably should since I told Harry I would, but I don't want to. There's no fucking reason for me to and I'm not going to actually do it until he tells me his real reason instead of that bullshit excuse he kept telling me."

Liam nods his head while tapping his fingers on his bottom lip, humming absentmindedly as he takes in all of the information. I busy myself with making an arrangement, trying to keep my mind off of my relationship that seemed to be rapidly spiraling down a hole. Luckily, Harry said he would be staying in his apartment all day while he paints.

Honestly, I need a small break from him. Just a few hours to wrap my mind around everything that has happened over these past few days. Our relationship had taken a turn at record speed and hadn't slowed down since and I just needed a fucking break from it all.

"Do you think being in this relationship is still a good idea?" Liam asks out of the blue and I snap my head towards him.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" I furrow my eyebrows together as my hands still from their task of putting together an arrangement.

He raises his hands in defense, "Just listen to me before you snap my head off," he sighs and I nod my head, waiting for him to continue, "I only say that because a lot of shit has happened these past couple of days. I can tell it's taking a toll on you and it's not healthy, babe."

I let out a breath and close my eyes, placing my face into my hands as I lean against the counter, "I know, I know. It's not healthy and it's really fucking toxic. But I don't think I have it in me to leave him, Li. I love him too much."

"I understand that, but you have to think of yourself, too. If anything I feel like this will help you both. You both need a break from each other," Liam says and I take in a deep breath, blocking out his words.

What he was saying makes sense, but I just don't want to believe that it's true. I can't leave Harry. I can barely go a day without seeing him and feeling his touch on my skin.

But I just hated how quickly he had flipped the switch this morning. Everything took a turn so fucking fast and I was still trying to process what happened. There's absolutely no reason for me to call Niall and see him.

Although his point of me meeting up with him since he met up with Maria makes sense- not a lot but just a little bit- I still don't find it necessary at all. That was his decision and his choice. This isn't mine and I'm happy with never seeing Niall again.

It's not even that Niall did something bad to me. We broke up because it was a mutual agreement. Neither one of us cheated or fell out of love... it was because of his career. We were at different places in our lives and settling down and getting married didn't seem like the right option anymore.

"I was going to leave him," I speak softly as I stare at the countertop, "I wrote a note and everything." I lift my head up to look at Liam with sadness filling my eyes, "I was going to leave him, Liam."

He immediately wraps his arms around me and pulls me close, tears spilling from my eyes as my emotions get the best of me, "Oh, Rora," he sighs and rubs my back soothingly.

"He's pushing me away, Liam. I can feel it," I mumble, my heart breaking as I realize exactly how much he's distancing himself from me.

It hurts. God, does it hurt.

"The only thing I suggest you do is take in every single moment you have with him. Spend every second with him like it's your last until one of you decide you just can't do it anymore."

"I don't want to spend every second with him like it's our last," I point out with a sad sigh, "I want to spend every second with him like I'm going to be spending forever with him."

Liam releases a loud sigh, squeezing me tightly before letting go, "I just don't want you to get hurt, Rory. I saw what you went through with Niall and I just... don't want you to go through that again."

I hum softly as I wipe my tears away, focusing my attention back to the abandoned flower arrangement while trying to get my mind off of everything. Liam knew not to pester me any further... probably because he knew I'd break and quite frankly it already feels like I am.

At the moment I feel like I'm glass; one more hit and I'll shatter into a million pieces and cut anyone who tries to pick me up and fix me.

Harry is the one and only thing running through my mind. I can't help but worry what's wrong and if there's anything I can do to prevent him from pushing me away. He seems so persistent on doing so and it scares me- terrifies me.

And the thought of him leaving me is something I can't handle or even begin to think about at the moment.

As it gets closer to lunchtime, I feel my eyes start to droop, the lack of sleep finally catching up on me now that my coffee was no longer coursing through my veins.

"Tired?" Liam asks with a soft smile.

"Just a little," I laugh quietly while letting out a small yawn, rubbing my eyes with the backs of my hands, "I've barely slept these past couple of days."

He hums as his eyes flicker over my face, taking in the dark circles under my eyes and the paleness of my cheeks, "Why don't you sneak to the back for about an hour or so and take a nap?"

"I can't do that, Liam. I've already left you here to fend for yourself two days in a row. That's very irresponsible of me as the owner," I sigh, feeling hints of guilt seeping into my mind.

"Babe, most owners don't even go to their store for the entire day. They drop by to check in then leave to do whatever the hell it is they do. Besides, Lexi is here today, too," he motions towards Lexi who is watering the flowers, "I think we can hold the fort down while you take a nap for a little bit."

"But-"

Liam raises his hand to cut me off, giving me a stern look, "Aurora, you literally pay us to work for you then you go and do all of the work yourself. You're paying us to stand around and watch you do all of the work instead of letting us do some too."

"But I was gone for two days-"

"Aurora! Go take a nap!" Liam laughs as he shoves me into the storage room, closing the door and locking it behind him with a smug smile, "and don't even think about cleaning up back here. Lay down on the couch and sleep."

I roll my eyes and flick him off through the tiny window that allows me to see him through the locked door. He disappears from my line of sight and I let out an annoyed breath, spinning around to take in my storage room as I debate as to whether or not I want to clean or actually take a nap.

Half of me- well, over half of me- was begging me to lay down on the couch and finally fucking sleep. But the other half was telling me I need to be productive so I can keep my mind off of Harry and whatever the hell is going on between us.

My eyes fall onto the back door that leads outside and I look over my shoulder to make sure Liam isn't spying on me.

Maybe a walk around Rome will ease my racing mind for the moment.

I quickly write Liam an apology note, promising to be back by an hour and let them off from work earlier than usual. Grabbing my phone, I push away the lingering feeling of exhaustion and open the back door, feeling a wave of fresh air wash over me as I step outside.

Not many people are lingering the streets as I take my time walking casually down the sidewalks, letting my eyes roam from building to building. I let my mind get lost in the way the breeze brushes my hair away from my face and dances with my clothes, my skin soaking in the streaks of sun that happen to pass over my skin every few seconds.

Rome is, and always has been, a dream. The only downside is being away from my family, but even then I see them at every holiday event or when they decide to surprise me and walk in at unconventional times.

It holds a lot of my firsts in life, and for that reason, I'll never leave. Although Florida also holds a lot of my firsts, Rome is the place where I was able to experience them on my own instead of having someone standing over my shoulder and observing me.

"Aurora?"

My blood runs cold and I stop in my tracks, panic surging through me at the sound of the familiar voice. I refuse to turn around and instead squeeze my eyes shut, praying this is a dream.

This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't real.

"Rory, is that you?"

That damn voice again.

What are the fucking chances?

I pinch my arm, begging myself to wake up and I'd find myself lying down on the couch in the storage room.

A hand falls onto my shoulder and pulls me around to meet that dreaded face. Dull emerald eyes meet sparkling blue sapphires and a wave of nausea consumes me.

Give me a damn break.

"Hi," he speaks.

I open my mouth to reply but instead turn to the side and double over, letting out this mornings coffee and breakfast sandwich onto the street.

"Oh my god, Aurora," Niall's hands pull my hair away from my face, his form hovering next to mine as his warmth seeps into my shirt. "Shit, are you okay?"

My hands are braced on my knees as I cough, inwardly cringing in embarrassment at my dumbass reaction. I nod my head and turn to look at him, only to double over once more as my eyes meet his again.

"Fuck, Rora," he breathes out as he rubs my back soothingly, the other hand still holding my hair back.

What the actual fuck, Aurora?

"God, this is embarrassing," I mumble to myself once my little spell is over with. I stand upright again and breathe out through my nose, closing my eyes as I force myself to calm down.

"Here," Niall's voice causes me to open my eyes, a napkin in his hand.

I look at him briefly before taking it and wiping my mouth, "Thank you," I murmur softly, keeping it pressed over my mouth.

"Let's sit down, yeah?" He smiles before steering me towards a table sat outside of a cafe, making sure I sit down before pulling his chair up and sitting in front of me. "Care to explain what that reaction was?" He laughs softly.

"I'm so sorry. That was so embarrassing and-"

"It's not like I've never seen you throw up before," he chuckles and I let out a small laugh, knowing he's right.

I take a deep breath and stare down at my lap, fiddling with the napkin in my hands, "Well... hi."

"Hi," Niall grins once I pick my head up to look at him again. "That was quite a warm welcome."

"Shut up," I roll my eyes while digging into my pocket for my packet of gum. I pop a piece into my mouth and hold out the package, offering Niall a piece.

"I'm good. You need it more than me," he raises his hands up and I smack his knee, drawing out another laugh from him.

"God, I forgot you can be a dick sometimes," I huff angrily with a smile playing on my lips.

He hums and studies my face, "It's been a while."

"Two years," I nod my head awkwardly.

"Two years," he breathes out, pinching his bottom lip between his fingers, "You still look the same... more matured, but the same."

"Wish I could say the same," I joke as I try to ease the awkward tension that fills the air around us.

His eyes crinkle up as he smiles, leaning back in his chair, "Hey, now. I've been flying around the world. It's taken a toll on me."

"Sure," I smile playfully, tilting my head slightly to the side as I study his features, "What happened to blondie?"

"All natural now," he grins as he brings his hand up to touch his hair, "Do you like it?"

"You know I always preferred your natural hair. I still don't understand why you insisted on dying it."

Niall smiles brightly at me, staring at me with such intensity it made me want to fall through the Earth. Every rational thought seemed to have disappeared from my mind now that he's sitting here in front of me, the fact that he's actually here sending shock waves of disbelief through me.

"So, um, what have you been up to?" He asks.

I snort and cover my mouth with my hand as I let out a loud laugh, "Seriously? That's the one thing that comes to your mind after two years?"

"It's a reasonable question!" He defends himself with a laugh.

"Okay, Horan," I roll my eyes while crossing my arms over my chest, "To answer your question, I've just been running my flower shop with Liam. You remember him right? I think you two met just before we... ended things."

"Yeah, I remember him. Nice lad."

I nod my head while chewing on my gum, intently watching his reaction for the words I'm about to say, "And I have a boyfriend."

His eyes widen and he sits up in his chair, coughing slightly, "What?"

"He's an artist and his name is Harry. We've been together for around four months now," I smile gently at him.

He remains quiet for a few beats, his eyes wandering over my face as if he's trying to tell if I'm lying, "Four months?"

"Mhm."

"So that means..."

"That when you called and told me you're still in love with me, I was already dating Harry at the time. Yes." I finish his train of thought.

He sits back in his chair again and lets out a slow breath, running his hands over his face, "Shit, Aurora. I'm sorry I didn't realize-"

"It's fine. You couldn't have known," I wave him off with my hand, averting my eyes from his as I stare at my lap once again.

Another spell of silence washes over us and I shift in my seat, crossing my ankles over one another as I focus on the gum currently residing in my mouth. For two years to have passed by, our encounter didn't seem to be all that awkward at all- ignoring the fact that I threw up my intestines when I first saw him.

But for some reason, that same spark that I always felt when I was around him all those years ago still lingers in the air. Whether it has something to do with the fact that I'm still in love with him, or the fact that it never truly died out. It's there nonetheless, and I'm not quite sure if I'm happy that it's still there or not.

And yet, the spark doesn't feel as strong as the one I feel whenever I'm around Harry. Harry's is like a damn gravitational pull that no matter how hard you try to resist, you can't. He draws you in with each flash of his smile and bat of his eye, the touch of his fingertips imitating a drug with the addicting feeling of ecstasy.

"Is he good to you?" Nialls asks softly.

"He is, yeah. We have our rough patches and we're currently going through one, but he's good to me," I smile while gently biting my bottom lip.

"Good, good," he hums and shifts in his seat. "Do you, um. Do you love him?"

I laugh softly and nod my head, "I do."

"And he loves you?"

"I hope he does," I grin while staring into his eyes, "What about you? Anyone new?"

He looks away from me and down at his lap, shaking his head slightly, "No... just you."

I lean forward and nudge my knee with his while taking his hands in mine, "Ni, I love you. I love you and I always will. You were my first love... my first everything. You'll always hold a special place in my heart and I'll never forget you. But, babe, I want you to move on. I want you to find someone new and meet someone who makes you feel like you're on top of the world."

"I already have. It's you," his eyes desperately search mine, "I've tried being with someone new and they've never made me feel like how I've felt with you or how you made me feel."

I close my eyes as I feel my heart break inside my chest, "Niall, please don't hold yourself back from finding someone new because of me. We split for a good reason. I know it wasn't because we fell out of love, but I don't work in your world. We discussed this and we both came to the same conclusion. We can't be together."

He shakes his head and inhales shakily, tears pooling inside of his eyes, "At the time I thought that was the right decision, but it's not, Aurora. I can't move on because I love you and I want you and only you. I wish I never would've left you." Tears spill from his eyes and I reach up to wipe them away, wishing he would've just stayed away.

"I'm sorry, Ni. You need to move on, babe. I have and I'm so incredibly happy. I want you to experience that, too. There's someone else in this world who will love you even better than I ever could. There's someone else in this world that you're going to love more than you've loved me."

"There's not, Aurora."

"But there is," I nod my head while sending him a shakey smile, watching as he closes his eyes and more tears spill down his cheeks.

"I love you," he whispers.

"And I love you. But I love Harry. I know that hurts to hear, but I do."

Another shakey breath falls from his lips and he finally opens his eyes to look at me, "I'll always wait for you."

I smile sadly at him and lean forward to press a gentle kiss to his cheek, "I know you will. But I wish you wouldn't."

I embrace him in my arms, hugging him close and reveling in his familiar scent that reminds me of when I was younger and hopelessly in love with a wannabe singer who now has made a name for himself. Pride surges through me as I think about how far he's come. From playing in small bars to now playing in arenas.

"Why don't you come with me to my shop? I can show you around," I offer once we pull away from the hug, wiping away the remnants of his tears.

"Yeah. I'd like that," he smiles while standing up, offering me his hand. I link my elbow with his and we start our journey down the street while talking about Harry, Niall having over a million questions about him.

I tell him all about how we met and our second encounter, explaining how even the littlest things he does brings a smile to my face.

"I'd like to meet him... if that's okay with you and him," Niall says once we're standing outside of my flower shop.

"Of course. I'll text him and ask if he'd like to meet you," I grin while opening the door, Liam's eyes meeting mine. His gaze quickly turns from aggravation to shock once he clocks Niall on my left. "Which, by the way, what are you doing in Italy?"

"Well, I was already here for a little vacation. But then when I got that text from you-"

"What?" I cut him off, stopping in my tracks and turning to look at him.

"The text you sent me asking to meet."

I never sent him a fucking text.

I hum, feeling my blood begin to boil once I realize who exactly might have texted him, "Right. I texted you."