Treacherous

Part 4

I dropped my bag on the floor and walked towards his couch. I slumped onto it as i sighed loudly. His electric laugh filled the apartment. 

"I owe you big time Nialler." I told him as he sat across from me and shrugged his shoulders.

"That's what friends are for Lauren." He told me as i frowned. Niall was a very good friend of mine, but Harry used to be my best friend.

Niall noticed my silence as he shifted on the couch and grabbed his guitar. He began to strum a bit as my eyes glanced towards the beautiful guitar.

"Oh Niall it's gorgeous!" I said with a smirk as i scooted towards the edge of the couch. He grinned as he continued to strum away at it. 

"Isn't she awesome? I got her the other day." He told me as he stopped and held it out towards me. A playful smirk crossed my lips as i reached for the guitar. It fit perfectly in my hands as i slowly began to strum on it. My fingers began to play moments. Niall knew it was my favorite one. It reminded me of Harry.

"Where are you living?" Niall asked me as i stopped and looked up at him. I rested the guitar between my legs.

"My friend Jake's." I told him softly as he raised an eyebrow.

"Jake? That guy that Harry told you he didn't want you to be friends with?" Niall asked me. I rolled my eyes in return. 

"He is just a friend Niall, i promise nothing more. But it shouldn't matter anyways." I said as he bit his lip, processing my information.

"What management did was really shitty Lauren, i know it. We didn't all know about it. Liam and Harry did, and apparently Harry wasn't too happy about it either." He told me, my mind flashing back to Harry's reaction in the room earlier. I tilted my head to the left and looked down at the guitar.

"Oh" I muttered quietly as i pulled the guitar back onto my lap and began to play a team. Niall's eyes watched me quietly.

"Have you thought about actually getting back together with him?" He asked me, my eyes staying glued to the guitar.

"No, he hurt me too much. I needed the money that's all." I said as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.

"I don't know why he ever would do that to you Lauren, he was deeply in love with you." Niall told me. My eyes flashed up to meet his deep blue ones.

"And i was deeply in love with him, was." I replied as i looked back at the guitar and sighed. Was was the main word in what i just said. Even though it hurt terribly, i wasn't in love with Harry anymore, i couldn't be. Everything that my parents had taught me told me not to be.

"He can be an idiot sometimes." Niall said, knocking me out of my own thoughts. I nodded and  handed the guitar back to him.

"He thought i was sleeping with my teacher, so instead of asking me he decided to show me how it felt." I told Niall as he took that in. He leaned back on the couch and studied me. I ran my hands awkwardly up and down my thighs as i looked around his apartment. This was the first real time i was talking about this. Sure, i told Jake, but i didn't tell him why Harry had done what he did.

"He is so stupid Lauren. You weren't even sleeping with your teacher were you?" Niall asked me. I shook my head as he let out a deep sigh.

"What a dick." He told me, shaking his head. My eyes went up to his face as he placed the guitar back in it's original spot.

"Don't say that, he is your friend." I told him as he smiled lightly.

"Yes he is, but he makes stupid mistakes that hurt my other friends." He told me with a sympathetic smile. I smiled back as i looked down at my hands.

"Well i hope he is over me because i'm over him." I told Niall as he fell silent again.

"Lauren..." He began as i glanced towards the clock. I needed to be on campus soon.

"I have to go Niall, thanks for getting me out of there. Hang again soon?" I asked as i stood up. His eyes followed me before he also stood.

"Yeah, of course. Whenever you wanna hang, i'm here." He said as i smiled lightly. I walked towards the door as he pulled it open for me.

"Hey Niall, i have a question." I said as i turned to look at him. He rested his hand on the door and nodded.

"Shoot." He said with a small grin as i reached down for my bag again.

"If Harry and i weren't together, like i mean not being forced to do this, would you still have been my friend?" I asked him. It hurt that none of the boys had tried to contact me in the time that Harry and i weren't talking.

"Of course i would!" Niall said without hesitating. "We weren't aloud to talk to you earlier this week. Harry wouldn't let us. We all wanted to call you desperately but he gave us a huge speech on how we are his pals and so we didn't. I still should have Lauren, i'm sorry." Niall said as he frowned. I shook my head as i wrapped my arms around him.

"Don't be, i get it." I said with a smirk as he smiled back.

"I'll see you soon Nialler." I said as he nodded. 

"Of course you will." He said as i turned and made my way down the stairs. A strong sense of comfort flooded me at the thought that Niall would still be there for me. He really was one of my best friends. 

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket as pulled it out. Jake's name spattered across the screen as i quickly answered.

'Hey, i'm on my way now." I muttered.

"Sounds good, me too. How was it?" He asked me as i laughed lightly.

"Oh god, i will tell you in a little bit." I said. How the hell was i going to explain this to Jake.