The Player

Chapter 4

'I'm not gonna hurt you Ella, I just wanna be friends.'

This guy was relentless. Why does he want to be my friend so bad? I needed this conversation to end.

'I understand that, but I just don't think it's a good idea to be friends. I'm sorry.'

I locked my phone and threw it on my bed. Why me? Why do I have to be his next victim? I wasn't going to let him do this to me. I knew he was probably just trying to hook up with me or something.

There was a knock on my door, so I went and answered it. There was Niall standing there in my doorway once again.

"Ella, please." He said.

"What are you doing here?" I looked at him confused.

"Please don't shut me out of your life."

"Shut you out of my life? What are you talking about? You're barely even in my life."

"Ella, you need to know the truth."

"What truth?"

"Just listen and hear me out." he let out a deep breath. "I need you to be my friend, even just an acquaintance if that's better for you, because I need you."

"What? What are you even talking about? I think you need to leave. Right now."

"You don't understand Ella."

"I think I understand completely fine. You're a creep who won't leave me alone. So you better leave now before I call the cops."

"And tell them what? That I won't leave you alone because I have feelings for you?"

"Look, you're really...........what did you say?"

"Ella, I'm in love with you." I felt all of the color drain from my face.

"You're lying. You probably say that to every girl just to get them to go out with you so you can mess around with them. But not me. You are a disgusting and disrespectful human being. And I'm sorry that you live your life the way you do. I'm sorry your father was such a screw up. But you are not going to manipulate me like you have tons of other girls before me."

"Ella, please. I'm serious. I feel something for you. And I know I can change. I can be better for you. The whole time of being with all those girls, you've always been the one I really wanted to be with. You make me want to be better. There's just something about you, Ella."

"I think you need to go." I said quietly, almost like I was holding back from saying more to him. I slowly started closing the door.

"Ella, please." Niall said once again before I closed the door completely, and turned the lock.

I walked over to my bed, sat on the edge and cried. Niall said he loved me. Something inside me wanted to believe him, but my mind was telling me not to. I didn't want to believe him because I knew what might happen if I did. He would turn on me and I would realize he never loved me. And even worse, if I fell in love with him, he would leave me just like my mom.

Just then there was a knock on my door.

"I said leave!" I yelled, assuming it was Niall coming back.

"Ella?" Sara's voice sounded through the door. I quickly got up and unlocked the door, letting her in.

"Are you alri......" She couldn't finish her sentence before I threw myself at her wrapping my arms around her.

"Sara, I'm scared." I sobbed into her shoulder. She pulled us all the way into my room and closed the door.

"What happened? On my way over here I saw Niall walking out of the building, and he did not look to happy. He knocked a trash can over."

"He told me he loved me."

"What?"

"I totally pushed him away. I threw it all in his face. I said he was lying and that all he wanted was to mess around with me."

"Oh Ella, look I know what I said about Niall, and for you to stay away from him, but I think you should believe him on this."

"Why? You know what he has done to other girls. What makes you think he won't do it to me?"

"Because I can tell he does love you. I think I've known for awhile actually. He looks at you differently than all the other girls. He always has."

"Then why, if he already loves me, would he go out and mess around with all these other girls?"

"I don't know Ella. you would have to ask him that. All I know is that he came up to me today asking for your number, saying you were friends now. I thought you had warmed up to him or something. So I gave it to him."

"I did warm up to him, a little bit. When we went to dinner, it was actually a really nice night. But he's still the disgusting player that I always knew him to be. Even when I want to believe that he can change, when I want to believe that he does love me, the thoughts of him being with all these other girls turns me away."

"I know what you mean."

"I just need time. He needs to prove himself before I can believe him."

"I think that makes sense." Sara pulled me into a hug. "Do you still want to go to the movies?"

"Yeah, I need to get out." I hadn't finished all of my homework yet, but I didn't care. I'd finish it later. I just needed to get away from campus and out of this dorm room.

We grabbed some dinner before the movie at a restaurant that was down the street from the theater. Then we went to the movie. It was nice to get out for a bit. It took my mind off of Niall which was a relief. He was in my head so much I was starting to get migraines. I honestly don't know what I had gotten myself into with him.