BEAUTIFULLY UNFINISHED novel Chapter 24

TWENTY-THREE

The following morning, 7:36 AM, pretty much I was looking forward and excited to be having dinner with Louis tonight.

Niall: I've heard the news from Kevin and Louis. I really really feel bad about what happened to you. I feel guilty since I was the one who offered you that job. I am truly sorry. You don't know how terribly sorry I am. I didn't know Devon could do such a thing. I'm sorry Miranda.

I read Niall's message.

Me: It wasn't your fault Niall. You were just trying to help me when I was looking for a job and I'm not blaming you cos of what happened. Please don't blame yourself. I'm fine now. Im alright and I'm glad Devon is in jail.

Niall: Me too. Louis and I made sure he'll be stuck there for a long time. I guess those women he harassed before also filed cases against him. That'll teach him a lesson. And I was glad Louis was around New York that night.

I smile when he mentioned Louis coming to save me.

Me: If it wasn't for Louis, I would've been found on the street the next day. I'm sure it will serve Devon a lesson he'll never forget. I want him there forever! And thank you Niall.

Niall: Don't thank me, I was the one who put you on that situation. So I need to make it up to you, please come to Alfonso's right now. I'll be waiting for yah Randy.

Me: What for?

Niall: Please just come. I'll see you :)

I began preparing myself and grabbed a few clothes from my closet for me to wear today. I don't know what Niall has in mind but I was terribly excited for it. He wants to make it up to me, so he must have prepared something. Even though I don't blame Niall for what happened, I feel bad that he's thinking that I'm blaming him. I couldn't do that and I'm not that type of girl who'd blame the one who gave me a job opportunity. The boss was the jerk. He's the one who I should blame.

When I was dressed and ready, I began spraying a little amount of perfume on me and finally headed out of my house. I ran to the nearest subway station.

After the trip, I finally found myself standing in front of Alfonso's. I started walking my way in and the place was still packed even in the morning. I take a look around searching for Niall but I couldn't find him. Some waiters were looking at me and I think they recognized who I was.

"Miranda!" I hear Niall's voice from behind me.

I quickly spun around and saw him standing near. He gives me a quick tight hug and looks at me sorrily.

"Let's go inside my office. Cmon." Niall holds my hand and leads me to a room.

He opens this furnished wooden door and I found myself entering another room which I suppose was his office. He has photos of him and the lads in picture frames. Some were back during their x-factor days, some awards' night I straightly remember and some group photos. A few frames had his family and his nephew, Theo, on another one.

"Can I offer you drinks? Are you hungry? I can call some foods in here while we talk." Niall offers.

"Niall please. Don't bother about it. But thanks."

He gestures to the chair right in front of his black and white desk so I could sit down while he sits on his own chair. "How are you really feeling?" He asks.

I smile and sat down. "I told you I'm great. I've never felt any better."

He holds my hand, "I know you don't feel great. You're just telling me that to satisfy me with your answer."

"No. Niall, really, Im fine." I assured him.

He looks at me doubtfully.

"Really. I am. I won't be that woman who'll be traumatized by that. I need to move on. I need to stay stronger for my son. He needs me. He only has me."

He smiles and pulls himself up from his chair. He walks to me and sat down on the other chair across me that was also before his desk. He slowly leans forward to me and hugs me again but longer this time. He rubs my back.

"I admire you." He begins to say while he makes me smile.

"I really do admire you Miranda. You're one of the very strongest woman I know. It must be hard for you to forget about that night but we will help you. I promise. We'll be here for you." He adds.

Niall slowly releases me and I smile at him. "Thank you. Thank you very much Niall. You always give me words of wisdom and encouragement. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Always." He snaps.

He smiles.

"And since I was the one who offered you that shitty job, I think I should be making it up to you this time." Niall starts.

My brows furrowing as he explains to me.

I watch him as he grabs the maroon paper bag with the name Alfonso's in cursive white printed on it. He handed it to me right away and I quickly opened it. There are folded maroon and white clothes inside.

"We aren't really hiring today and since you've become a very good friend of mine, I want you to work for me." Niall blurted our.

I quickly pulled my head up and was shock about it. My jaws dropped as I look at him and he was just smiling.

"Niall, the last one was enough." I handed the maroon paper bag to him.

He pushes it back to me, "No. I need to do this so I would stop blaming myself for what happened to you."

"Niall." I whine. "Please stop thinking that it's because of you."

"Because it was." He answered me right away. "Harry told me before to offer you a job as a waitress at my restaurant but then we were full and we weren't hiring. And since that incident happened to you, I reconsidered Harry's idea. I felt guilty. So here, that's your uniform."

As I think about it, does Harry already know what happened to me? A part of me doesn't want him to know cos he'll pity me even more and I don't want to look helpless again.

"Does Harry know about what happened to me?" I ask him shyly.

Niall nods. "I told him."

I purse my lips together and thought thoroughly. I wonder what has Harry been thinking about me after he found about what happened to me. When I think about it, I feel embarrassed of myself that it happened to me. But it's a part of my past now. It's a part of my past that will be with me forever. I can't change the fact that I was harassed.

"That's why he's been persuading me about giving you a job here and I think I need to do this." Niall adds.

I smile ruefully.

"Don't say no to me. Please. Don't decline my offer. At least when you're here working for me, my conscious will be at ease. I'll be able to know you're safe." He continues.

I take a glance at the uniform and even though it's another new uniform that I'll be wearing, I need to have money. Even though this uniform is a whole lot different from my nurse's uniform, I wanna do this for Ben and for me. I wanna show to Devon that I can stand back up after what he did to me. I wanna show him that I am a fighter.

"Thank you." I feel my tears building.

I ignored all of them and just focused on working again. I didn't want to join them while they enjoy backbiting Fatima. I began serving my customer her orders.

Suddenly someone grabbed me in the arm and I was surprise to find Fatima standing right in front of me. She looked at me like she's totally pissed off over something that I must've done wrongly. I began to worry. I don't like the way she looks at me like that.

"Uh, hi?" I tried being nice.

"He's asking for you." She rolled her eyes at me while she kept both of her arms crossed together.

He? Who's that he?

My brows furrowing. "Who's asking for me?"

"Table 27." She looks over her shoulder and glared at the group of women who were backbiting her a while ago.

"Kelsey, take this table that Miranda is serving." Fatima commands like she's the boss around here.

"Yes Miss Fatima." Kelsey obeys.

Fatima looks at me angrily. "Why are you still standing here? Table 27."

I quickly grabbed my pad and pen.

"Tie your hair." Fatima spits at me.

I glared at her.

"You look like you don't work in a five star restaurant." She rolled her eyes at me again before leaving.

I begin marching my way to table 27 while I was busy tying my hair together. I slightly jogged and began slowing my pace when I saw who was on table 27.

It was Harry.

He's here?

I tried to hide my smile by pressing my lips together as I look at him shyly. When he saw me walking closer to his table, he begins to smile at my direction and I was starting to feel my heart racing again.

Damn heart.

Why do you beat so fast every time Harry is around? Gosh is this even normal?

I don't think this is even normal.

I stand next to his table the same time I finished tying my hair. I pleated my apron and I hoped that I look presentable in front of Harry Styles. Those female staff were right, he really does look handsome on his suit today, plus his hair is in place perfectly well.

But he was alone.

"Hello." Harry greets with his thick British sexy as hell accent.