The Guitar Girl

Written by:

13ISMYNUMBER

Chapter 36

The Tight Embrace

"Falling in love with you all over again."

The cold breeze hit her skin once more and she pulled her coat closer to her body. She took deep breaths through her mouth, her feet hitting the pavement in small thuds. She could make out his shape now. He was standing at the very corner of the street, his back to her, hands inside his trousers. She moved faster and having a few feet away in distance she shouted, "Have you absolutely gone mental!?"

He turns to face her, his face unreadable of any emotions and she can't help but breathe deeper. "It is in the middle, literally, middle of the night! Do you know how dangerous it is to be wandering around London streets at this hour especially in your case that attracts so much attention?! And do you want us to get sick! It is so co—" She never finished what she was supposed to say because he took long strides to lessen the distance between.

He stood in front of her, looking down at her. She feels his breath next to her mouth, his nose right in front of hers.

She felt frozen, just like how the cold breeze wanted her to be but it wasn't because of it, it was because of Niall. She felt her heart beat wilder than before.

"Tell me you'd stay." He whispers to her, his blue orbs never leaving her grey ones.

She feels her lip start to tremble, trying to form words but cannot. She takes a step back, making Niall straighten up his stance and look at her. She looks away for a second to gather her thoughts and herself.

"What?" She asks her voice barely above a whisper.

His face shows hurt before saying, "Stay."

She shakes her head in disbelief. "Why?" She takes another step back, clearly planning to take off the next second the clock gives her but before she could turn her body around to take the route she had suddenly taken awhile ago and back to the comfort of her home, Niall opens his mouth.

"Because then it would all makes sense." Niall says, taking a step to get closer to her once more. "My whole past that I forgot would make so much more sense."

Niall wanted to pour everything out, to make his mistakes right again but how can he when the only girl who actually tried to do so as well is slipping right from his very fingers? He needed her to stay, despite how selfish it might sound. He needed her to stay and be there for him…because if she's not he might just lose it.

She was something that gives him consistency despite everything that has happened. She was the reason to everything he has probably felt, still feels and will feel, good or bad.

He takes another step towards her, and before she could step back, he takes her hand in his. His eyes looking down at it, he says, "The unbelievable hate I felt towards Harry would make sense…" He referred to the only memory he had gained for the past two years. He never thought that he could feel such rage, especially towards his band mate—a friend who shared his dream and has given him a friendship so deep.

His hands moves towards her arm, his thumb moving in circles, "The unexplainable feeling I felt when I saw the pain in your eyes awhile ago would make sense…" Riley kept her eyes on him, alternating between his hand and his face.

His hand starts to play with the strands of hair that is softly placed on one shoulder of Riley, "The easy feeling I get when you're around everyday would make sense…"

Then, as his hands slowly reach for her face, their eyes met and somehow, Niall managed to unnoticeably close the distance between their faces once more as he continued, "Then the boy who felt like he was willing to give the whole world for you, wait over and over again for you and accept every ounce of you despite every single pain and lies you've both been through would make sense to me, would make me understand why the Niall you met and fell in love with would go to that extent for one girl," Niall holds her gaze, their noses touching, "would go to such extent for you."

She couldn't form words or thoughts once more, it was as if Niall was holding everything back from her. She tried to look away but failed.

"Everything would make sense," Niall whispers to her.

"If you're saying these things because you feel guilty, don't. I'd be fine. I might cry a few tears, feel broken for a few night and wouldn't know how to face a few days ahead but I'd be fine." Riley didn't know how she had formulated those words but she did and she said it to him, adding, "Because this is not the first time I've been broken. So don't feel guilty."

She swallows hard, trying to squeeze whatever is left of her confidence to say those things. She says, "Most importantly, don't be so selfish because asking me to stay is the same as asking me to get hurt all ov—"

He cut her off, his hands finding hers once more and squeezing it as he say, "But I don't want to hurt you anymore. I want to make this right."

"Niall, I—" He cuts her off once more.

"Is it so wrong to keep you by my side?" Niall asks her, taking a step back and giving Riley the space she needed to breathe normally again. "Cause if being selfish is what it takes for you to stay, for me to keep you by my side, I will."

Riley shuts her eyes, trying to stop her tears from flowing. "Why?" She asks, her eyes still closed tightly.

"Because I might've lost my memory but I know that my feelings for you won't go away…it would always be there, pulling me towards you." Niall explains, his hands on his sides, his eyes starting to water. Riley sees this the moment she opens her eyes.

"Is that why you asked me to come?" Riley asks, her eyes watering even more, "Because you're afraid of letting those feelings eat you up?"

She wanted him to explain himself, to let him see that they should just stop because they hurting each other even more so but what came out of his mouth surprised her so much that the tears had fallen from her eyes continuously before she could stop them.

"No, because I don't want them to go away."

She puts a hand on her mouth, as she cries, not replying to Niall but hearing him speak, "I want to fall in love with you again, with or without my memories."

Riley begins to open her mouth again to say something but she was left speechless.

Here was a boy who loved her with his whole heart and was willing to do so all over again despite the tragedy that caused him his memory of her and probably the best two years of his career. What was she to do when her heart can't help but break and make because of the mess they have gotten themselves into?

Niall watches her and can't help but run a hand through his hair.

Here was a girl who had been through hell and back, the very girl who fell in love with him and still is but he has no memory of. Was the basis of love really on memories?

Niall strides towards her, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards him, his arm wrapping around her small frame in a tight hug. Her arms were still on her side, she didn't feel frozen though but instead calm and it breaks her heart to feel so good in his arms. He tightens his arms around her. "Just let me hold you close, let me stop you from breaking for even a second." He continues to say, his warmth making its way to her core.

She swallows hard, the tears easier to hold back. Unconsciously, her arms made their way around his waist to the middle of his back. She was hugging him back, letting him consume her for even just a second.

And for that brief moment, the breaking of her heart stopped, the pain subsided and her cold, hard walls tumbled to the ground.

And she could've sworn, she changed her mind for that brief moment.

The time stopped around them and when she started feeling like they were the only people in the world, Niall slightly pulls away but one of his arms still around her as he lifts one hand to her face. She looks at him straight in the eyes.

She knew right then and there what her heart yearned for.

"Niall," she whispers, her breath fanning his lips, "Please, remember me."

She remembers those blue eyes, the very first time she ever laid her eyes on them. "Please," Riley pleads once more, their gazes meeting, "Remember me."

And right at that very moment, they knew they have both made their decisions.

Distances start to close and Riley found herself back into the warmth of Niall's embrace but the one thing that sealed it all, the one thing that actually made it better was when his lips found hers. For the first time, she didn't feel alone and broken and he didn't feel lost and wrecked.

Maybe, this was how they start all over again with a kiss so true and so infinite that it warms them to the bone, like fire swiftly consuming every ounce, every fiber in their body.

And just as midnight stroke midnight, they pull apart and Riley can't help but smile up to Niall. He lets his thumb rub over her cheek, "This is where I start," he slowly said with a smile on his lips, "Falling in love with you all over again."

Disclaimer: I do not own ONE DIRECTION but I do own the idea and the plot of this story as well as the fictional characters that are used and will be used in this story. So please don't steal it. Thank you.

I am so sorry for not updating for about two weeks now. It's just that I wasn't able to write because we have this big report and shiz. It was really hard. UGH. Anyway.

Reviews and Replies:

BasketballGirl124: HAHA. Sorry for making you cry. I tried to make this chapter long but I don't want it to be dragging. Hope you liked it.

Tammy: Thank you for that compliment! It means a lot.:) I hope you like this chapter!:)

Royalenthusiast: He only has half an hour to fix because he was living up to the 365 day agreement that after 365 days they would meet at exactly 12 midnight at the very first spot they met, if they still feel the same way. I hope you like this chapter!:D

ToKToK: HAHAHA. Don't worry. I don't plan on stopping from writing anytime soon. So, we could talk here. I like writing, it's a passion that I keep to myself.

Short and simple: I really want to end this story soon, and give you a good one. I want to do something different, at least character wise. HAHAHA. Anyway. I hope you like this chapter!:D

Ashleyblack97: AAAAAAHHHH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT. Hahaha.:))

Angel4eva-15: Did you get to meet them already? DAMN. I want them to at least come to my country. Ugh. So frustrating to live in another continent from them! It makes me want to cry. GRRR. They got together already, HAHAHA. Hope you like this chapter.

DirectionerPIanist16: HAHAHA. Riley's no longer a bitch here, I think? Just a little. Hahaha. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter.

Millie85998: Sorry for making you cry, although I'm happy it had that great of an impact on you. Thank you so much!:)

Thank you to everyone who reviews, reads, favorites and follows this story. THANK YOU SO MUCH! It means a lot to me. Like I have said so many times, writing is a secret passion of mine and for people who know nothing about me to appreciate it so much means the world to me. THANK YOU.

Anyway, I have to get back to reality…hectic week again. I had a surprise graded recitation, a tormenting reporting moment, and a series of quizzes that has only four items, true or false type (what the hell, man? If I get one wrong, which I didn't, I perfected it, but if I did, I will fail one quiz.) today. Tomorrow I have a graded recitation and a quiz. DAMN. Anyway. Tata.

Stay Safe.

Xoxo,

13ismynumber