Niall didn’t have the urge to eat anymore. The black hole that used to be in his stomach was now in his heart, and he only wanted love from his beautiful Willow. She was gone, and she was never going to come back and lay in his arms as she hummed lightly. He could still remember how her hair smelt, like jasmine, and it was such a beautiful smell.

He remembered the way her hand would briefly cup his cheek before it ran down the side of his neck, and he remembered the fluttery, butterfly kisses she would plant along his neck. It made him sigh each and every time, but he was never going to feel those things again. It brought tears to his eyes, and he brushed at his eyes before they slip down his cheeks with him pulling the pillow closer to him. .

Occasionally, his friends would come over and try to force him to eat, but it seemed as if his ginger friend didn’t want to be around him. She never did come to check up on him after she dropped him off, but it didn’t seem like Niall noticed. He did think of his red headed friend here and there, and he wondered if she had forgotten about him. Maybe she blamed him for Willow’s death as well. Willow was one of her friends.

It was around 14:00 when his covers were pulled off him, and the curtains were pulled open. “Get up,” the ginger said with her hands on her hips and staring at him. He had expected it to be one of his band mates, but it was his best friend. He couldn’t help but feel a little relief in his stomach. “You must eat,” she told him and went to pull on him. Niall let out a groan as he pulled a pillow over his face.

“Just leave me alone, Lila! I want to be alone!” he yelled, and he felt himself curl up. Lila pulled the pillow from him, and he didn’t even put up a fight as he just looked at her with his bloodshot eyes and pale face. His cheeks had sunken in a bit from lack of eating, and he had dark bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. Her face fell a bit as she looked at him before she grabbed his hand and pulled him up. He was still dressed in what he was wearing last week at the funeral. His black tie had come undone, and it was loosely hanging around him.

She went to pull it off along with the jacket as he stared emptily at the wall. He had nothing to live for, and he just wanted to die. “Niall,” she murmured softly as she cupped his face and turned him, so he was looking down at her, “let’s clean up and then eat.” She nodded, and he nodded back because he wasn’t sure what to do anymore. He could only think of the ache in his heart.

She grabbed his hand and brought him to the bathroom. She went to take out a washcloth before she ran it under warm water. She wiped at his face gently, and Niall closed his face as he felt her soft hands on him. Lila was always the serious one of the two. She would take care of him, and Niall just knew she would be a great mom someday. Willow was more of an energetic, clumsy type of girl, and he didn’t mind. It was quite entertaining at times, and she seemed like an adorable puppy.

He hadn’t noticed that Lila had stripped him out of his clothes down to his boxers. She sighed and took his hand, throwing the washcloth into the hamper. She pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a shirt for him before she tossed it at him. He slowly slipped it on before he stared at her with sad eyes.

She bit her lip at the sight of him before she took his hand and pulled him to the kitchen. He stood in the kitchen as he watched her. “What do you want, Niall?” she asked as she glanced back at him, and he bit his lip lightly. He knew she was referring to food, but there was one thing that he wanted, and she wasn’t even in the world anymore.

“Willow.”