‹ Prequel: More Than This
Over Again
15
Niall and I sat in silence for what felt like a long time, but I knew it really hadn’t been that long before he spoke.
“You know we have to talk about this, right?”
I shook my head.
“Bailey.” He sighed. “Are you disappointed?”
I tried my best to smile.
“No, Ni, I’m not disappointed.” I replied.
“Are you sure? Because-“
“Niall.” I said, trying to be patient with him. He went silent for a few more minutes before speaking again.
“Are you going to talk about this with Haz?”
I shook my head again.
“Nothing to talk about.”
“That sounded disappointed!”
I groaned and hit Niall lightly before standing up and leaving the bathroom to go toward the kitchen.
“What are you doing?” He asked, leaning against the counter, crossing his arms.
“Avoiding this conversation, making tea.” I muttered, listing the things I was doing.
He rolled his eyes and hopped up onto the counter to sit as I made two mugs of tea for us.
Just then, his phone started vibrating. He picked it up and looked at it, reading over a text.
He sighed and hopped down from the counter.
“Can we use your laptop? The boys wanna skype.”
I nodded and gestured for Niall to follow me back up the stairs.
We plopped down on my bed and made ourselves comfortable once again, pulling skype up and calling Liam.
All 4 of the boy’s concerned faces greeted us.
“Hi!” Niall and I chorused together, trying to sound happy.
“You know you both can’t just hide under a blanket cocoon and avoid real life forever, right?” Louis asked. I rolled my eyes at his bluntness.
“We know, Lou. I’m coming back early tomorrow morning.” Niall informed his band mates. “Sorry for just leaving like that.”
“It’s okay, man, we get it. I promise.” Liam responded.
I noticed Harry being really quiet.
“Harry? What’s wrong?” I asked slowly.
“Nothing.” He answered quickly, too quickly.
I sighed in frustration as all of the boys shared a look.
“Hey, Bails, you should come back with me!” Niall declared, nudging me with his elbow.
“What?” I asked.
“Just come visit for like a week.” Niall clarified. “C’mon, please. We miss you.”
I sighed.
“But, I have responsibilities here.” I stated. “I can’t just-“
“Arrangements can be made.” Liam replied, waving me off. “Come on, Bailey.”
I smiled and looked at Harry.
“Haz?” I asked quietly.
Harry shrugged.
“Yeah. Come. I miss you.”
I closed my eyes and tried to imagine a world in which that would be considered sincere.
“Okay. I’ll do it.” I agreed.
The boys all cheered and then hung up the skype call.
I closed the laptop and looked at Niall.
“Any idea what’s going on with Harry?” I asked.
Niall sighed, running a hand through his hair.
“Nope. No idea. Go to sleep. We get up at 4 am.”
I groaned as Niall laughed, kissing my forehead and shutting out the light, ending all conversation.
“You know we have to talk about this, right?”
I shook my head.
“Bailey.” He sighed. “Are you disappointed?”
I tried my best to smile.
“No, Ni, I’m not disappointed.” I replied.
“Are you sure? Because-“
“Niall.” I said, trying to be patient with him. He went silent for a few more minutes before speaking again.
“Are you going to talk about this with Haz?”
I shook my head again.
“Nothing to talk about.”
“That sounded disappointed!”
I groaned and hit Niall lightly before standing up and leaving the bathroom to go toward the kitchen.
“What are you doing?” He asked, leaning against the counter, crossing his arms.
“Avoiding this conversation, making tea.” I muttered, listing the things I was doing.
He rolled his eyes and hopped up onto the counter to sit as I made two mugs of tea for us.
Just then, his phone started vibrating. He picked it up and looked at it, reading over a text.
He sighed and hopped down from the counter.
“Can we use your laptop? The boys wanna skype.”
I nodded and gestured for Niall to follow me back up the stairs.
We plopped down on my bed and made ourselves comfortable once again, pulling skype up and calling Liam.
All 4 of the boy’s concerned faces greeted us.
“Hi!” Niall and I chorused together, trying to sound happy.
“You know you both can’t just hide under a blanket cocoon and avoid real life forever, right?” Louis asked. I rolled my eyes at his bluntness.
“We know, Lou. I’m coming back early tomorrow morning.” Niall informed his band mates. “Sorry for just leaving like that.”
“It’s okay, man, we get it. I promise.” Liam responded.
I noticed Harry being really quiet.
“Harry? What’s wrong?” I asked slowly.
“Nothing.” He answered quickly, too quickly.
I sighed in frustration as all of the boys shared a look.
“Hey, Bails, you should come back with me!” Niall declared, nudging me with his elbow.
“What?” I asked.
“Just come visit for like a week.” Niall clarified. “C’mon, please. We miss you.”
I sighed.
“But, I have responsibilities here.” I stated. “I can’t just-“
“Arrangements can be made.” Liam replied, waving me off. “Come on, Bailey.”
I smiled and looked at Harry.
“Haz?” I asked quietly.
Harry shrugged.
“Yeah. Come. I miss you.”
I closed my eyes and tried to imagine a world in which that would be considered sincere.
“Okay. I’ll do it.” I agreed.
The boys all cheered and then hung up the skype call.
I closed the laptop and looked at Niall.
“Any idea what’s going on with Harry?” I asked.
Niall sighed, running a hand through his hair.
“Nope. No idea. Go to sleep. We get up at 4 am.”
I groaned as Niall laughed, kissing my forehead and shutting out the light, ending all conversation.