Chapter 17

Christina's POV "We need to talk."Niall didn't strike me. I glanced at the waiting room door, my thoughts with Louisa who was currently under the knife. "Here?" I asked incredulously. "Now?" "Please, Chrissy." The "please" caught me off guard. In four years, I could count on one hand the number of times Niall had used that word with me. I reluctantly sat on one of the cold, uncomfortable benches. The waiting room was mercifully empty except for us, though I knew that would change soon enough when Clive arrived. Niall sat beside me, close enough that I could smell his expensive cologne. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. I blinked. Had I misheard? Was Mercury in retrograde? Had Niall been abducted by aliens and replaced with a decent clone? "I shouldn't have lost my temper with you before," he continued. "And I'm sorry about what happened at the apartment. I was upset, and I took it out on you." Akira was silent, equally stunned. "I'm sorry things have gotten so... complicated between us," h