The Player

Chapter 8

He was right about all of it. And the worst part was, I didn't know how to fix it. I had broken a man who I didn't think could be broken. I had thought that he would be the one to hurt me, but now he was the one hurting, and I was the one responsible. What was I gonna do?

I grabbed my phone out of my purse and called Sara right away and told her to meet me at my dorm. I made my way back to the building, and when I got there, Sara was waiting out front for me.

"What the hell is going on, Ella? Why are you walking alone in the dark? Where's Niall? Why were you so panicked on the phone?"

"Let's just go up to my dorm and I'll explain everything." we walked up to my dorm and I grabbed two sodas out of my mini fridge for us. Sara made herself comfortable on my bed and I handed her a soda and then took a seat in my desk chair. Then I told her what had just gone down between Niall and I.

"So......he basically made you feel like the bad guy because you won't give him a chance? That's so stupid! How can he blame you? I mean he knows what he's like, he knows how he has treated tons of girls in the past. How can he expect you to not be afraid of a relationship with him?" Sara said. This is what I loved about Sara. No matter what the situation, she always took my side and found a way to agree with it, even if she didn't really agree with it. I mean she was going against what Niall said, when she was the one who had said that I should give Niall a chance just that past week. She changed her opinion a lot.

"No, no Sara. It's not like that. He's right. I do see good in him, and I know he can be a good guy. I have let my thoughts get the best of me and they are causing me to push him away every time he tries to get closer."

"So you agree with him?"

"Yeah, I do. And I feel awful."

"Well, don't. He will get over it." Sara said. 'It's not worth your time feeling bad for someone you never had feelings for in the first place. Yeah?" I nodded as I took in her words. But she was wrong because I think I did have feelings for Niall. I just wouldn't admit it to myself.

**

I woke up Monday morning, ready to face Niall and tell him that he was right, and I did care. I wore my hair up in a messy bun and wore my glasses. My outift was black leggins, red toms, an oversized gray sweater, and a creme colored infinity scarf. I threw all my things into my backpack and walked out of my dorm room. I stopped by a coffee shop to grab an iced coffee to wake me up. I walked by myself over to the building for my first class, where Niall most likely would be. When I got there, I stopped walking and looked around for Niall. I spotted him standing with a group of people in a patch of grass with benches out in front of the building. I recognized the people he was standing with as some of his friends he ususally hangs out with, and some kids from my first class. But who stood out the most was Maya, who was standing next to Niall, her hand interlocked with his.

I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealously run through me. I almost dropped my iced coffee that I had forgotten I was holding because my whole body had gone frozen at this point. None of this made sense. How did Niall move on so fast? I mean I knew we were never a thing, but he was in love with me, so how could he get over me so fast? Was I that bad about pushing him away? And why would Maya go back to him after everything he had done to her in the past? I didn't get any part of this. It had only been one day since what happened with me and Niall. All it took was one day for Niall and Maya too hook up and decide to date again? Was this a plan of Niall's to make me jealous or something? And what about me and Maya's friendship? Did Niall tell Maya what I did to him? 

There were too many questions and not enough answers. I threw my coffee in the trash and started walking into the building for my first class. Right before I walked through the doors I took one last look over at the group and at Niall and Maya. Niall looked at the same moment I did, and caught my eye for a split second. It was long enough for him to see a small tear start to form in my eye before I threw open the door and walked inside.