What's more painful than being hurt by the one you love the most is being loved by the one you've hurt the most.

"Get in."

I got up from my spot on the bench and quickly stepped over the sheets of ice to reach the car door. I got in and started to shake.

"Oh my gosh Lexi, how long have you been out there? Look at your jacket! It's so thin. Glad I came when I did," he says, blasting up the heat and removing his hoodie.

"I-it's onl-y been l-like th-thirty m-minutes," I stutter out. He wraps his sweatshirt around me and reaches to the backseat. He rummages around and returns with a blanket. "Why d-do y-you have a b-blanket i-in your ca-r?" I ask, smiling as he wrapped it around me.

He shrugged. "Why not? It seems to come in handy for things like this..." I chuckle, but it's quickly hidden by my rapid shaking and chattering teeth. "Wow you're seriously frozen. You shouldn't be outside in weather like this."

I shrug and he turns up the music. It was an Ed Sheeran CD playing, and it made me smile. After a while I get warmer and stop shaking.

"Thank you so much Niall. For picking me up."

I noticed he was wearing his pajama pants and slippers. He had a t-shirt on and then his hoodie, which he gave to me for warmth. He must be freezing now that he gave me his hoodie. I wanted to give it back to him, but I knew he would insist I keep it on. He shrugs and looks out the window.

"It's no problem."

"Yes it is. You didn't have to do this. You could have just declined my call and went back to bed. Especially since we aren't really...friends...anymore..."

He shakes his head. "We can be friends if you want to. I was just being...stupid. Jealous. I was angry, and I didn't know what to do. I didn't mean the things I said, but I just definitely don't want to go back to ignoring each other. I'm really sorry."

"I should be sorry."

"For what?"

"Everything I've put you through. Everything I've put us through."

We keep quiet for a moment.

"Why were you outside in the freezing cold by yourself anyways?" he asks looking at me strangely. I bite my lip.

"It's a long story. You're not gonna like it."

"I have time."

I take a shaky deep breath and tell him.

"I went on a date with Derek. To some stupid scary movie."

"You hate scary movies," he remembers, looking at me confused. I nod.

"I know. He wanted me to go." Niall rolls his eyes, already not liking this story. "It gets worse, I promise. I got there and like halfway through he kissed me." Now Niall looked angry. "Calm down," I tell him before going on. He looks out the window and turns back, looking a bit less angry but still pretty darn pissed. "After that I pushed him off and told him to slow down. Then he started rambling about you. He asked if I didn't like him because of you."

"What else did he say?"

"Nothing." He stares at me. "Not a lot..." I say in a small voice.

"Lex."

"He said some stuff, but it's not important." He rolls his eyes.

"Fine don't tell me. Go on."

"So then I slapped him."

"Wow. Must have been some pretty harsh stuff."

I laugh.

"Sort of. But anyways. I left and came outside to get away from him. I called everyone, but no one answered. So I called you. And you answered. And here we are."

"And here we are," he says smiling a bit. There was a moment of silence. "Wanna go to Starbucks? I'll buy."

I smile.

"Sure."

He drove off down the street to the familiar coffee shop. During the drive we listened to the music playing and talked about what was going on with each other. Apparently, Liam now has a new girlfriend. It made me want to take back Niall, but then again what doesn't make me want to take back Niall? Niall showed me pictures of Liam and his girlfriend, Danielle, on his phone. Seeing them so happy together made me almost jealous of their relationship. Niall and I were happy like that once. It made me a bit depressed.

I told him about how Claire was doing and how she misses him and the boys. I mentioned Austin a few times. Niall told me about their album. It was small talk really. Just saying things to pass the time so it wasn't incredibly awkward.

It was pretty empty at Starbucks. Sometime during the drive it started to snow, and we got our hair covered in white flurries as we made our way from the car to the cozy coffee shop. The bell on the door rang as we walked in.

I wasn't in the mood for coffee, so I got a hot chocolate instead. I needed to warm up anyways. Niall got the same and we sat down at the same table we had sat at last time we met at Starbucks. I wondered if he noticed that. Or maybe he did it on purpose.

"So, do I have permission to beat the shit out of that Derek guy?" he asks smirking. I laugh.

"You can try. But I think you and Austin might have to battle that one out first. He might beat you to it."

He chuckles. I sip my hot coco. We sit in quiet for a moment while he stares at me.

"You know," he says, breaking the silence. "This whole thing I find sort of stupid."

"What whole thing?"

"Us breaking up."

I sigh. "Are we really going to get into this conversation right now?"

"Can you think of a better time?" When I don't answer he keeps talking. "Maggie hasn't tried to come near me or the lads since the tour ended..."

"But Niall it's not just her. You have other fans."

"So ignore them."

"You don't know what it's like Niall. To find someone else with the person you love."

"Actually I do," he says staring at me intensely. A hint of annoyance flashed in his eyes but quickly disappeared. I didn't know what he meant at first, then it hit me.

Derek.

I sigh. "I'm sorry." He waves me off.

"It's fine."

"You know I think breaking up is really stupid too, but as you know I can't afford to get hurt again." He balls up his fists.

"There really is no solution then, is there? No matter what we do to fix things, I'll end up hurting you. Is that what you believe?"

"No that's not what I believe." I narrow my eyes at him. "I trust you. I just...don't trust everyone else."

I didn't need to start arguing with him over the same shit again. I feel like we keep having the same talk over and over and over. It's not getting us anywhere. I finish off my hot chocolate and toss the empty cup in the trash.

"Can we go? I'm really exhausted, and we have to record tomorrow." He nods and finishes his hot chocolate before we head out to the car.

When we get there I jump in the passenger seat. By now it was around eleven at night. Once he starts driving I realize he isn't going to drop the subject of us getting back together.

"What if you give me just one more chance? I still can't believe I was stupid enough to lose you and....and I'll show you that you won't get hurt again. If I can do that, will you give me one more chance?"

"How are you going to do that?"

"I honestly don't know, but I would do anything to get you back."

I could feel him glancing at me as I faced the window. I didn't even know what to say, so I didn't say anything. We sat in silence the entire way to my apartment. It wasn't awkward really, but I was deep in thought.

When we got to my building I pulled off his sweatshirt and handed it to him. He pushes it back towards me. "Keep it," he says with a smile. I frown at him.

"You're going to freeze to death."

"I'll be fine."

"You're in a t-shirt Niall!" He shrugs. I roll my eyes and take the blanket he gave me earlier. I put it over him. "You realize if you die of hypothermia we can't go out right?" I say with a smirk. He takes the blanket and hugs it closer, blasting up the heat. I chuckle at his sudden attempt to get warm.

I peck his cheek. "Thank you," I say before getting out of the car. I saw him blush like a tomato as I hugged his hoodie tighter and walked up to my door. Once I was inside my apartment I sunk down to the ground, leaning my back against the closed door. I buried my face in his sweatshirt and inhaled his scent.

"You okay?" comes a voice. I look up and my cheeks turn red as I spot Austin.

"I thought you were sleeping."

"I was. I heard you come in. What are you holding?" he asks, pointing to the hoodie in my arms.

"Nothing."

He raises an eyebrow but doesn't comment. "How was your date?"

I shake my head slowly. "It was interesting."

I figured I would leave it at that.

AUTHORS NOTE