Hello, Darcy.

“You know what’s coming up soon?” Chelsea asks as she swings her legs up from the bed.

The first thing that comes to my mind is the party. “The party this Saturday?” I ask.

“Nope.” She bluntly states, popping the ‘p’. “Guess,”

I don’t have any other event in mind to come soon except for the party this Saturday. “Well, I don’t know.”

I shrug. I get up from the spinning chair and sit across from Chelsea on the bed.

She quickly sits up and taps her finger to her chin, looking up to find some clue.

“Okay, umm… Hair, makeup, nails, dresses?...” This was like playing talking charades.

Although all of her four clues were hinted enough, I still didn’t know. I shrug once again before she lets out an annoying sigh.

“Prom!” She exclaimed loudly, loud enough for the whole world to hear. That was Chels.
A strange feeling fell upon me, prom. The word prom was something I’ve never thought of. The thought of prom leads me to think of Ryan, would I be going with him?

“So are you going?” Chelsea’s high pitched voice brings me back to reality.

“Going?” I ask.

“To prom.” She stated, looking at me dumbfounded. I purse my lips before I shake my head.

“Why not?!” She almost shrieked.

“I-“ I sighed and flumped my back on the bed. “I don’t know,”

“We have to go Darc,” She argued, I felt her tug on my arm, begging like a child.

“It’s not even our last year yet, why not just wait next year?” I ask. She shakes her head.

“Not an exception, babe.” She states. “Come on!”

"I don't- Who are you even going with?" I ask. She shrugs.

"Exactly- I mean, there's nothing wrong going alone..." I pause. "Why don't you go,"

My suggestion leaves her face puzzled, her face as shocked as a few moments ago.

Before I even speak, she points her index finger at me. "You my friend are not nice,"

Although I know that Chelsea is joking, but as of now I'm not in for jokes.

..

Niall’s P.O.V.

“Alright, thanks for the invite lad.” I try to say in a kind voice and I hang up the phone too soon. I feel slightly guilty for doing that. But for most, I shouldn’t. I can’t let myself forgive the past that ended too soon. Sometimes there are days when I wish to relive those moments with Olivia; Al though now I sound ungrateful for Holly, if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have looked at love the same way. And without her, I wouldn’t have a son I couldn’t be any more proud of. But, but, Olivia was a past that I never regretted.

“Who was that?” I jump Alex’s voice from behind me. I turn around to find him opening the fridge and scanning the fridge, only to settle on some grapes.

“It was Harry,” I chuckle slightly, scratching the back of neck.

“Wish I said hi,” He chuckled.

“He’s throwing Darcy a welcome home party this Saturday, called to invite us.” I state. Alex’s eyes widen in surprise.

“Darcy’s place?” He asks eagerly, his eyebrows are up and perked. I nod.

“I’m down,” He laughs, holding up both his hands as if he’s surrendering.

“Alright, I don’t have to ask twice.” I laugh. “But I still need to ask your Mum.”

“She’ll say yes!” He quickly replied, taking the container of grapes with him out of the kitchen.

I sigh and take a banana out of the basket on the kitchen island. Once I peel it and take a bite out of it, I hear a knock behind the kitchen door.

“Come in!” I shout. I see Holly’s brown hair draping down her shoulder as she peeks through the door. I chuckle as I discard the half eaten banana in the trash.

“We could’ve used that for banana bread,” I hear her complain as she walks in the kitchen with a bag full of groceries.

“Too late now,” I respond. I slowly come up behind her and wrap my arms around her waist. I move her hair to the side and give her a soft kiss in the crook of her neck.

“That’s why I have you to buy more,” I breathe into her skin. I hear her scoff and jokingly hits me in the arm.

“Enough Horan, now help me unpack these.” She states bluntly. I studied her for a while, noticing her bubbly joking attitude went downhill so fast, now she was starting to get moody.

The only time she’s acted like this was when she was pregnant with Alex, could she be pregnant?

I shake it off and try not to take her pissed attitude to the next level; I help her put all the groceries away and we stay like this in silence.

..

“Dinner's great," I smirk as I linger my eyes over to Holly. She gives me a small smile that I could tell was forced before she took a sip of her water.

I didn’t know what I did to make Holly suddenly have the silent treatment with me.
My eyes linger over to Alex who's eyes go back and forth between Holly and I. He placed his fork down and cleared his throat, trying to get our attention.

"So..." He spoke clearing up the silence. "Uncle Harry's throwing a party for Darcy this weekend, he invited us,"

Alex already beat me to it. I look at Holly who nods before taking a bite from her food, silence once again is in the room.

I cleared my throat, catching everyone's attention as well. "Yeah, Harry just called me a few hours ago, I forgot to tell you, Alex here kept bugging me about telling you but I guess he beat me to it," A slight chuckle escapes from my mouth to soften the mood, but even my forced laugh didn't change Holly's expression.

"Dad," I hear Alex softly whisper. His face is puzzled with questions and points to his Mum who seems as if she's not associated with us or in our business.

I shrug and give him a sorry look, he gives me the what did you do now? look. He doesn't buy it. I don't have time to argue and he shakes his head, why is it that so suddenly everyone is gaining up on me? I feel defeated.

"I think I'm finished here," He says flatly before his chair screeches as he gets out, causing me to flinch a bit.

"Just leave your plate in the sink, I'll clean it, darling." Holly speaks for the first time.

I wait until Alex's footsteps are fading up the stairs, I then look at Holly once again. Questions roam in my head to what I've done to make her act like this towards me.

"What's wrong?" I demand. She doesn't say anything and continues to eat and keep her head down.

"Holly, I said what's wrong." I try once again. I try to keep my voice soft and calm, hoping to not scare her.

"Nothing," She says quietly.

"Doesn't seem like nothing," I reply. I bring my hand up and place it over hers, only within a matter of seconds she snatches it away from me.

"Looks like you're done here as well," She takes my plate away from me and grabs hers as well before going to the sink, leaving me all alone at the table.

I sigh as I bring my hand to the back of my neck.

...

I've stayed too long here in the kitchen overthinking everything, trying to recollect what I've said or done earlier to make her so upset. Whatever I've done, I will try to make everything better and try to apologize to be a better person, but honestly, I don't know what.

My thoughts were acurrate about time, and it was nearly 12 A.M. and I've been in the kitchen as a sober sap. I get up from the chair and walk swiftly down the halls and up to our room. I pass by Alex's room and I could see the lights were still on from the creak in his door. I stop carefully in front of his door, debating whether or not to knock on his door. Just as I am about to bring my hand up to knock, I leave it all alone.

I continue to walk down the hall and I finally stop at the door of our room. The lights are off and I suspect that Holly is already asleep. I guess I missed my chance at asking her and finding the truth to all of this.

I sigh as I begin to strip all of my clothing down. I walk over to my dresser and pull out a white shirt and a pair of plaid shorts.

"It's late," Her voice startles me and I stumble back in the dark.

"Shit, you scared me." I respond.

"Thought I was asleep?" She asks and turns around.

"I'm guessing you were awake the whole time?" I ask. She nods and gives me a small smile.
There was a brief moment of silence as she watched me finally dress in my sleeping attire, even in the dark everything was noticable.

"Now you decide to talk to me, eh?" I chuckle as I make my way to the bed. She shrugs and looks embarassed, she tries to turn around but I gently grab her by the shoulders and refrain her from doing so.

I stare into her deep green eyes before speaking, my mouth opens to speak but I feel lost at words.

"Holly, I'm going to ask you one more time, what's wrong?" I ask.

She sighs and tries to say something. "You'd think I'm crazy if I told you,"

Her words suddenly brings me back to a memory, a sweet one.

"You'd think I'm crazy if I told you," She giggled. She wasn't as drunk as I was, in fact she was much sober and she could probably think clearer than me. My slurred mind thought it was a good idea to let her into my room and let us lay down for a bit, but if she was sober and in the right mind, why did she comply?

"One, you're not crazy and two, whatever it is..." I feel the alcohol begin to rise up my throat and I stop myself from talking.

"I bet you would," She stared at me deeply and I couldn't stop myself from admiring her beauty. So many things were different about her, different than Olivia, but why would I compare the two? Obviously they're both different beautiful girls.

She sits up and I copy her. The dim lights of the room still made her shine like a goddess, and her green eyes lusted deeply. I found myself catching a glimpse of her plump pink lips, before I knew it, I connect my lips to hers, tasting the sweet alcohol accompanied by my heart racing fast. She didn't argue or protest for she followed in with the kiss.

"I think I love you," She whispered quietly, she was out of breath from our kiss.

The day was still fresh in my mind, probably the night I ever felt so cared for by someone. We were both drunk and wasted from the after party after an awards show, it was the only time Holly and I were actually able to communicate and hang out with each other, I was busy with rehearsals while she was busy being a crew member and organizing our events.

"I wouldn't think so," I reply, feeling completely dazed from the memory.

"I-" She stops herself.

"Holly...Are you pregnant?" I blurt out, barely above a whisper. Her mouth opens as her eyes almost bulges out of her head.

"I'm insane, aren't I? I mean- The only way I would act like this is if I were pregnant, but I'm not." She explains.

As slightly disappointed as I was, I really wish we did have another child, maybe a girl, but there were times when I felt content with a family of 3.

"Then what is it?" I try.

"I'm just curious..." She starts. "Do you still love, Olivia?"

Her question brings a despair to my mind. It was like an ultimatum between the two. But clearly I had already made a choice, and that was Holly. If the world completely turned and Harry never had Olivia, I didn't know if I wanted to marry her.

"I hope you don't think that I'm doing this just for attention, Niall." She says softly. Her patience kept me calm.

"You're not," I reassure her.

"Is that all you wanted to tell me?" I chuckle. "Some silly little question? You know that even if Harry never had Olivia, I would still choose you, I love you."

She gives me a small smile before I noticed her eyes were becoming glossy.

"Niall?" She says softly.

"Yes?" I reply.

"I feel like our situation now isn't-" My touch abruptly stopped, and I paused caressing her skin. I knew where this was going.

"I know you love me, but not the way like you loved Olivia... I don't want you to keep pretending like I mean something to you-"

"Don't you dare say that, Holly." I demanded as I whispered harshly. "You know I love you, you know that this marriage means something to me."

She shook her head. "I don't feel it,"

"If this is about Liv, Holly, she's dead, everything is long gone! That was the past!" I argued.
"This isn't about the past Niall! But it sure seems like you're still yearning for the past, you're still holding onto it."

I shake my head. "I love you,"

Her tears stream endlessly down her face onto the pillows.

"I've been thinking about this for sometime now, Niall..." She starts.

"I think it would be better if we get a divorce." I choke on my breath and I feel my lungs collapse. It felt as if the whole world crushed me, except it was Holly's words that hurt me.

"Why?" I manage to speak.

"I want to be happy, I want us to be happy." She explains.

"Our marriage is what's making us happy Holly, what about Alex?!"

"He's a grown boy, Niall."

"No, I won't let that happen, I will not give up on this family." I state bluntly.

She shakes her head, trying to argue back. We were both being selfish. She wanted to be happy without me and I wanted to be happy with her.

"I will try this once again Holly, I will try to make things much better for all of us, but if that doesn't work out-" I gulped, holding back the words.

"Then we'll sign the papers."

Notes

Hello, hello! How is everyone doing? Did anyone have confusions with this chapter?

Well, school just ended today and I am officially on vacay! Yay! Also with Holly's and Niall's situation/scene listen to Dancing in a Burning Room by John Mayer! It's been my obsession for the past few weeks and it somewhat relates to the story.

Enjoy! xx