"I know but—!" Niall closes the door behind him as he talks on the phone to someone. I have no idea who he is talking to, nor how long the call has already been going on. My eyes feel heavy and tired and my mind is blank as I fix my gaze on the line of light that's shining through the gap between floor and door. Niall's talking loudly to the phone, but it sounds like a mumble to me. I sit up on the couch and take my phone. It's only 8 in the evening.

After Niall and I talked in the kitchen, I finished my tea before he went into the living room. I laid down and Niall picked up his guitar. He started to play and mumbled new lyrics that I haven't heard before as my eyes slowly closed.

Now he has stopped to talk and a second later, the door opens and he walks over to me with a very, very weak smile. "Did I wake you up?" He asks as he sits down next to me.

"No." I lie and shake my head. He puts his hand on my back and I rest my head on his shoulder. His other hand meets mine and just holds it. I love holding hands. His are my favorite. It's an everyday thing we do and something that neither of us pays a lot attention to. We just do it and when we do, I really enjoy it. Just holding his hand and knowing that it's him I'm holding, knowing that he is all mine and I am all his. It has more meaning than just sex, just like a kiss on the forehead has more than one on the cheek. A kiss on the forehead means protection and security and loyalty to me. One doesn't just kiss someone else's forehead for fun. Whereas a kiss on the cheek is more playful, a little thank you and a little good feeling. I love both. And holding hands is so simple, yet so beautiful. Stroking each other's skin, playing with the other's fingers. It can be done in silence, in private, even if everyone is around. Whereas sex is wilder, more fun and more exciting. Exploring every inch of the other's body, kissing and teasing and moaning. I love both.

"Who were you talking to?" I ask, biting my lip. "It sounded like a... discussion."

"It was just work. Nothing for you to worry about." He smiles and kisses my forehead. I smile happily as Niall stands up again. "I'll be right back." He mumbles and quickly leaves the room again. His phone is on the coffee table and without thinking and without hesitation, I grab it. OEH. And I'm in. My mind is blank as I check his recent calls. Ethan. Ethan. Ethan. Niall has been talking to Ethan and not work. They've talked three minutes, then ten and then nearly half an hour. It was Ethan who he had a discussion with. Not work. But what are they discussing?

I put his phone down just in time. Niall comes back, biting his lip and thinking hard. "Is everything all right?" I ask as he sits back down next to me. He nods but doesn't look up. "Are you sure, love?" I put one hand on his thigh and the other on his cheek, turning his face to look at me.

"Yeah, I'm just planning something for the tour." He says and smiles with his lips but his not eyes. Something is wrong. Niall cups my cheeks and kisses my lips. I want to kiss him back but a phone rings and we pull apart. It's mine.

"Dad?" I take my phone, seeing my dad's name on the screen, and pick up the call. He normally never calls this late. "Dad, is everything okay?" I ask instantly. Niall puts his hand on my back and watches my faces changing from confused, to concerned.

"Your grandma is at the hospital. The nurse who had night shift called me and told me that she called them herself. I don't know what happened, nor why she called them." Dad explains quickly. I can hear him move around his office at home and getting out of the house and into his car.

"What do you mean you don't know? Dad, where are you now?"

"I'm on my way to the hospital. The guy on the phone only told me that she's there. I already told Ethan. And Olivia, she'll be fine." Dad says and I take a deep breath. Niall looks at me confused, not knowing a thing about what my dad is telling me.

"Dad, she's old." I point out the obvious. He doesn't answer. It's a fact and not even he can deny it. "I'm coming too." I say, dicing it as I say it. I get up and rush to the bedroom. Niall is still confused but follows me closely.

"You don't have to come, Olivia. Your grandma is a strong lady." He says, chuckling weakly and forced. I roll my eyes and grad my bag.

"I'm coming." I hang up. "My grandma is at the hospital and if I'm lucky I'll be able to make it to Birmingham within two hours. You don't need to wait for me, I'll probably stay the night." I finally explain to Niall and am about to walk pass him when he grabs my wrist and holds me back.

"You're not going anywhere without me." He says and puts his hands on my shoulders. I look up into his blue eyes and know that I won't be able to shake him off. He'll come with me no matter what I'll say to convince me otherwise.

"Fine, but I drive." I say, making him laugh.

"No, you won't." He kisses my cheek and walks out of the room. I shrug and follow him out of the house and into his car. We buckle up and drive off. The radio is on and songs are playing but neither of us is singing. Dad gave me so little information about why grandma has to be at the hospital that my head is imagining the worst. My leg is trembling up and down and my hands are holding tightly onto my knees. Niall looks at me and knows how nervous I am. He puts his hand on my thigh to stop my leg from trembling.

"She'll be fine." He says and quickly smiles at me before looking back at the road. I nod.

Times passes by and it's nearly 11pm when Niall parks the car next to my dad's, who is already inside with grandma. I take a deep breath and get out of the car. Niall has forgotten his crutches, but isn't needing them as much as before anyway. "Do you really think that she's all right? Dad said that she called the ambulance herself." I say as we rush through the hospital to get as quickly as possible to the reception.

"She's strong, I'm sure." Niall says and takes my hand in his. Together, hand in hand, we find the reception. The nurse tells me the room my grandma is in and Niall and I are off again.

I knock on the door and seconds later, Dad opens up with a big smile. "Is she all right?" I ask and walk pass him to my grandmother. She looks at me and starts laughing.

"Have you rushed over from London, now, just to see me, dear?" She asks and I exhale heavily. It's like I've been keeping all my breath in, fearing that something bad happens if I breathe out. "Who's this young man, Olive? You didn't tell me that you need a bodyguard, did you?"

"Oh grandma." I can't help it but laugh as I put my arms around her and hug her tightly. "My heart nearly stopped because of you." I say and sit down on the edge of the bed.

"Oh Olive, dear, you know that I'm a strong lady, do you not? So now, answer my question, who's this gentleman, hiding behind your father?" She points over at Niall who stands behind my dad.

"He's my boyfriend." I say smiling and wink at her.

"Let me have a look at him then." She says and opens her arms. "Come here, young boy." Her smile becomes wider as Niall approaches her and her eyes become bigger. "Haven't we met before?" She asks.

"No, I don't think so, ma'am." Niall answers awkwardly and blushes. "You might have seen me in the telly, though."

"I don't watch telly, dear. It's too much moving and flickering around." She says and ways around with her hand, making me and Niall laugh.

"Understandable. Not any good stuff left anyways." Niall says and sits down on the chair next to the bed.

"So what happened?" I ask and take my grandma's hands in mine as she tells her story.

"Well, you know that I'm strong, dear, so when I felt like I need someone more capable than the little nurse that gives us medicine and food, I called the ambulance. I told the man that there's no need to rush but he rushed anyway. Made loud, loud noises and flickered around with the lights of his little ambulance vehicle. Woke up the whole home, didn't he?" Grandma explains and looks back and forth from me to Niall again and again. "The doctor insisted on a blood test, even though I told him that he just needs to check my heartbeat." She continues.

"And the nurse at the home couldn't have checked your heartbeat?" I ask and she shakes her head no. It's a good retirement home and they treat their people very, very well, but grandma will never trust them as much as she trusts someone in a white robe who had at least 8 years of experience.

"They would do it wrong, dear. The young girl that they hired last week doesn't even know how to feed someone properly. Mr. Miller only got half the soup down his throat, did he not? Incapable, that girl is." She shakes her head and smiles again before looking at Niall.

"You look like a little boy I once knew, dear. Olivia, dear, you knew him as well. Good friends you were, you and that boy. I wonder what happened to him. He was also so polite and kind, even when he had to listen to my complains about his always messy hair. He always said: I'll go fix it then!. Happy he has. Always ran off to play with you, Olivia, dear." She says as she doesn't look away from Niall once. "He had brown hair but your eyes, dear."

Niall takes a deep breath and forces a smile. "Did he really?" He asks. Something about her statement made him feel incredible uncomfortable.

"Yes, indeed, dear, your eyes exactly... A coincidence, I'm sure." Grandma smiles. It's completely silent for a couple of moments. Dad looks at Niall, Niall looks at dad and then at my grandmother. It's like they have a secret language which I don't know of or just any secret really. They are keeping something from me. I can tell by looking at their faces, but I can't figure out what they might be keeping. Does it have something do to with my scar?, I wonder.

"Did you change something about your hair, dear? It's darker now, is it? You didn't have his shade of brown when I last saw you." Grandma suddenly says, breaking the silent. She strokes my hair as I shake my head no.

"It's the same as always, grandma. Maybe you, maybe you've forgotten since the last time we saw each other." I say and take her hand in mine again.

"I never forget anything, dear, never. Which-which makes me remember, dear, that I must tell you something. Something of very high importance." Her eyes are widen and she doesn't smile.

"Tell me now." I say but she shakes her head no and quickly looks at dad and Niall.

I understand.

"Promise-promise to come again tomorrow. It's important, dear." She says and I nod.

„Promise."