Chapter 38 - Niall - Bumping into You
Chapter 38
Niall
After the rehearsal, it’s late. It looks like everyone is heading to their rooms. But I notice Gwen head another direction.
Catching up to her, I ask, “You’re not heading to bed?”
“No, not yet. My nerves are still a little on edge, so I thought I’d go to the piano bar and listen to them play.” She taps her phone and turns it for me to see. “They should start in less than thirty minutes according to the events list.”
I nod. “Care for a bite of pizza? I could pick some up and meet you at the piano bar?”
“I’m always up for some pizza.”
After picking up a couple slices for each of us, I meet up with Gwen at a table a few feet away from the piano.
I sit next to her and hand her a plate full of pizza. “Hope this helps,” I say. The fact that she was in bits when things started to go wrong for her best friend and brother shows a lot about the type of person she is. She would do anything for the people she cares about.
But who takes care of her? I am going to.
“Pizza always helps,” Gwen says, picking up a particularly cheesy slice.
“And,” I add, “I hope it helps to know that Greg isn’t upset anymore.”
“Really?” she asks, surprised.
“Yeah, Greg, Trent, and I talked.”
“Oh,” she says, eyeing me tentatively.
“I had to tell him we were officially together, but he was understanding after that.”
“That’s sounds like it went better than I thought it would. When I found out about him and Holly, I lashed out at him; I was pretty angry. I’m surprised he didn’t act similarly.”
I wince a little at her comment but decide not to give her the full details of Greg’s reaction.
“Well, at least they know about us now,” she says.
“Yeah, no more secrets,” I agree.
A man starts playing the piano as Gwen and I finish our pizzas. “I love listening to the piano,” says Gwen.
“Maybe I could play you something,” I offer.
“You play the piano?”
“I do. My mam always loved the piano, so she had me take lessons growing up. I still fiddle around with it every now and again.”
“I’d love that.”
I stand and walk over to ask the man playing the piano if I could play a song.
After he agrees, I glance over at Gwen and adjust the piano bench to sit. Her eyes are as round as saucers, watching my every move.
Before I know which song I’m going to play, my fingers make up their own mind and begin playing “Kiss from a Rose” by Seal. As I play, I start humming along.
Gwen’s eyes are locked on mine and I only have eyes for her. Continuing to play, I sing to her. She’s my rose, my everything, mo anam cara .
As the song ends, the bar erupts in applause. I smile, shake the hand of the original piano player, and make my way over to Gwen.
“That was beautiful,” she says as I sit down next to her.
At the start of the next song, Gwen leans in close to me, and I wrap my hand over her shoulder.
“Thank you for how kind you’ve been to me this week,” she says. “I know I’ve mostly been a jerk and get frustrated so easily.”
“You don’t have to thank me, and you haven’t been a jerk,” I reply.
“Yeah right.”
Shaking my head, I say, “No really, it’s a stressful week. Anyone would be flustered under the same circumstances. I just hope you’ve had a bit of craic this week, because I know I have. I’m not looking forward to the cruise being over.”
“I’ve had fun. Honestly, I think this is the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”
I grasp her hand in mine. She stills slightly, but after a moment, she gives my hand a slight squeeze. That squeeze has my heart doing the same. I don’t know what it is with this beautiful lass, but she means so much to me.
So much that you’re willing to uproot your life?
I think about what all I’d be giving up if I decided to leave Boston so we didn’t have to date long distance. And if this is going where I hope it’s going, I wouldn’t want to be far apart from her for long. I’d have to leave the firehouse I’ve come to know as family. It would be difficult, but they’d understand. After all, they’d been rooting for me to find someone on this cruise, and I did. With my occupation, I’d be able to find a job in Tennessee fairly easily. The only other thing I’d be leaving behind is my childhood home. It’s the only thing I have left of my mam. Leaving that home would be one of the hardest things I’d have to do.
I glance over at Gwen then give her a kiss on the head. She looks up at me and smiles, her features softening as her eyes sparkle.
“Come with me?” she asks, biting her lip and looking down at our entwined hands.
We walk back to our rooms, and as soon as we are outside our doors, I back her up against the wall. With my free hand, I lift her chin, holding her face in the palm of my hand while rubbing my thumb over the side of her face. As a rush of need courses through me, I press my lips to hers. She immediately kisses back, and I let out a groan at her passion.
She starts undoing the buttons of my shirt. Voices down the hall remind me that we should go in one of our rooms. Never letting go of her, I gently pull us through my doorway and onto my bed.