Gotta Be You

Lilly's POV

“Come on everyone, let’s go, out of the car.” Louis said pulling into the parking lot at the marina where Paul would meet us with our boat. After another uneventful day of driving I was excited to be able to stretch my legs. The sun was just beginning to set over the water, behind the boats as we pulled to a stop.

“Oooh!” McKenna called stepping out of the car. “It is so pretty out here, and warm! I love Casis already.”

“Which boat do you think ours is?” Harry asked. I scanned the water looking for one big enough for all nine of us to fit on.

“How much do you want to bet it’s that one?” Niall joked pointing to the smallest boat, if you could even call it a boat. It was more like a giant orange inflatable raft.

“That would be something Paul would do.” Liam said smiling making Hope laugh.

“Hey,hey! BOYS!” Paul hollered to us from across the lot.

“Pauly!” Louis called, dropping the bags he was holding and running full speed towards him. “I missed you man.”

All the boys took their turns greeting Paul before introducing us. “This is Carly, Hope, Lilly and McKenna.” Harry said pointing at us as the boys went back to the van to get out the luggage.

“Hi.” I said. “Thanks so much for getting the boat and everything.”

“Not a problem. Hey, Niall?”

“Yeah?” Niall answered.

“Wasn’t Natalie supposed to be here? I thought you said she was coming along.” Paul said grabbing a bag from Zayn, who had been struggling to hold it, and lifted it over one shoulder.

“Her grandma is ill so she decided to stay behind.” He explained.

“Tough luck. Alright everybody, grab your bags and follow me.” Paul started walking down towards the dimly lit dock. Now that the sun had set I was having trouble seeing where I was going and caught my foot on the steps.

Louis reached out and grabbed my elbow. “Be careful babe.” I smiled back at him.

Paul stopped in front of a large blue and white boat. “Whoa.” I said. This was by far the nicest boat I had ever been on.

“On you go.” He said. I dropped my bags at the front of the boat and waited for the others to get on behind me.

“This is going to be so wicked.” Louis said to me. “Don’t you think?”

“Absolutely.” I was excited to be here with my friends, even more excited that everyone was getting along so well, but I worried about Hope. After last night at the hotel, I was kind of getting the impression that she was scared to get close to Harry.

“Hello everybody! I’m Daniel and I will be the captain of this boat for your trip.”

“Aye, aye sir!” Louis said saluting.

“Oh my God!” I said burying my face in my hands. “You are such a dork.”

“I like you son, very enthusiastic.” Daniel said to Louis. “How would you like to be my best mate?”

“Oh that’s OK sir. Harry here,” He grabbed Harry’s shoulders roughly and slapped his head. “He’s already my best mate.”

“No, Lou, he means like the second captain kind of thing.” Carly clarified as the rest of us laughed at his ignorance.

“So if I’m busy you get to drive the boat, ok?” Daniel said.

“Well then, sure.”

“Alright boys… and girls. I’ll see you guys later.” Paul said leaving the boat.

“’Bye Paul!”

“Well, I guess I will leave the sleeping arrangements to you guys. We have three bedrooms each with two beds, so you are going to have to share.” Daniel left us to work out the sleeping arrangements as he went to get the boat started.

“How about the same as last night?” Zayn proposed.

“No!” Hope protested. “You guys just like that because you have your own room.”

“Do you and Harry want your own room?” Carly asked.

“No.” Hope said at the same time Harry said, “Yes.”

I knew for a fact that Hope would be petrified at the thought of having to share a room with Harry, alone, for the whole trip.

“I was thinking more along the lines of boys and girls.” She said.

“There is no fun in that!” Liam whined.

“I vote for the same as last night.” Louis said.

“Me too.” I added. Hope shot me a glare but I just shrugged.

“Then that’s that.” McKenna said picking up her bags. “Liam, Niall! Let’s go get the best room!” That started an all out race towards the rooms.

Harry, Hope, Louis and I ended up in the biggest room. It was similar to the hotel’s with two king beds with fluffy white duvets. There was a flat screen TV and a large couch.

As everyone was getting settled I pulled Hope out back to the main deck. “Are you okay with this?” I asked her.

“Of course not!” She whisper-yelled. “What part of ‘I don’t know if I like Harry’ did you not understand.”

“The ‘I don’t know part.” I said quoting her. “He’s not going to hurt you.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Hope, Niall and Louis both said that Harry really wants you to be his girlfriend. He doesn’t know why you are being so... hostile.”

“I’m not hostile.” She said calming down a bit.

“Just let him prove himself to you, ok? For me? I really want this trip to be amazing.”

“Lilly!” Louis called. “There you are.”

“Here I am.” I said.

“Yes, there you are.” He said winking cheekily. I shoved his chest. “We are going to take turns making dinner and tonight is you and I’s turn!”

“What are we making?” I ask.

“Spaghetti.” He said taking my hand. “The kitchen is this way, hurry up, we have hungry people to feed!” I am nearly doubled over with laughter when we get to the kitchen. “Daniel said all the stuff we need would be in here.”

I search around for a pot to cook the spaghetti in and got it boiling on the stove. “Do you have all the stuff for the sauce?”

“Yup, here it is.” He said spreading it out on the counter. “First we put this in here…” He mumbled.

I laughed at his face while he was concentrating. “You look really cute, with your tongue stuck out like that, you look like you are trying to concentrate really hard!”

“Shut up and help me.” I peer over the edge of the pan and look inside. “Do you think it needs more pepper?” He holds the spoon out with a small sample on it. It gets close to my nose and I sneeze. “Okay, never mind then.”

After we finally get it right, we call everyone to dinner. “Smells good.” Niall said.

“Niall, if we poured chocolate syrup over dirt you would call it food and say it smells good.” Zayn joked.

“Why would you waste perfectly good chocolate on dirt?” Niall asked, appalled at the thought.

I looked around the table at my friends. This moment is so surreal. Zayn and Carly were holding hands under the table, Liam was using his napkin to wipe tomato sauce off McKenna’s chin and then there was Hope and Harry. They were sitting next to each other, but Hope couldn’t get farther away if she tried. She was on the edge of her seat not making eye contact with Harry. Louis had his extra hand resting on my knee.

“Ow.” I said sticking my tongue out. “I think I bit my tongue.”

“I don’t see anything.” Louis said inspecting it. “But do you want me to kiss it, make it better anyway?” He made a pouty face.

“Ew Louis.” I said, disgusted. “That’s creepy, babe.”

“It was just an offer.” He said.