Darling (Harry Styles)

chap 08

ANNABELLE WILCOX
Louis' House

"I bet you that they couldn't even catch me if they tried." Cooper spoke cockily, stealing a handful of my popcorn and stuffing it into his mouth as he tried to speak again. "This pies guck."

"Speak like a human before you try to diss my husbands and wives, thank you." I retorted quickly, moving the popcorn bowl further away from him as he scowled. "You're just mad that Spencer Reid is hotter than you."

Cooper dropped his mouth, stray pieces of popcorn falling out which caused me to laugh softly. "Take that back right now, Miss Veronico."

"Nope." I turned my head away from him, but had to hold in my laugh as my peripheral vision showed that he still had his mouth open despite the yellow half-chewed food inside of it.

"You're going to regret that." He tsked, standing up from the couch slowly as I placed the popcorn back onto the table.

I narrowed my eyes at Cooper, not pausing the Criminal Minds episode that was playing on Louis' television. This was reruns for me anyway, it was Cooper's first time watching and he got jealous pretty quickly over my gawking at the terrific casting of the show.

Lately, I hadn't even wanted to leave my room—let alone the house. So, most of my time was spent in one of Louis' many rooms inside the house if and when I left my dungeon.

And I knew that Louis was worried for me as his three best friends began to spend more and more time at his house than they had before.

He was sort of becoming a helicopter parent, especially after Harry told him of how I awoke him screaming the other night. And that's saying something considering that he's not even a parent.

But now, Louis has moved me completely into his room and he sleeps on an air mattress next to the bed.

I have to admit that I do enjoy having someone familiar to me close by when I have the horrid nightmares, but that doesn't mean that I want to be treated like a child. Even when he's at work, he's spending all his time texting me to check on me.

One of these days, I'm going to strangle him in his sleep. I wish that I was joking. 

In a split motion, Cooper reaches into the drawer right next to me. Before, I can even realize what he has grabbed in his grimy hands, water is being squirted all over me quickly.

My mouth falls open as Cooper stops his actions, raising one eyebrow at me to challenge me in contempt to my previous words.

"You little bitch." I curse him out, standing up from the couch and running away instantaneously.

Who the fuck keeps water guns hidden in drawers inside their living room? And how has Maria let them stay in there?

My feet slam against the floor as water hits against the floorboards around me because of Cooper's absolute terrible aim with the damned thing.

You would think that a man trained to use a real, ya know life-ending, gun would be able to shoot a small girl with a meek water gun. Apparently not.

I head into the kitchen, halting the conversation Louis and Harry found themselves in as Niall took a call on the porch outside. "Help me!" I screeched playfully just as Cooper caught me by my waist, not letting me free of his grip.