Stockholm Syndrome |n.h

•31•

Just as everyone was dressed and ready, there was a knock at the door. I looked through the peek hole before turning the knob and saw a man in a suite, standing on the porch.

"Don't you see the sign, no solic-" my words are cut short when the man rams into me. I scream and Niall comes running in, along with Harry.

"Hey man get off of her." Niall growls.

"What? Am I not allowed to hug my favorite cousin?" I gasp and take in his figure.

"Kyle?!" I smile and return his hug. He has changed a lot. He is taller and more muscular, definitely the second. He is nearly crushing me. Kyle was really my only friend throughout grade school until I got into high school where I met Alex and Casey. He is older than me, so halfway through my sophomore year, he went off to collage and we kind of lost touch, until now.

"How you doing, Shortcake?"

"I'm good, great actually. How bout you, Romeo?"

Shortcake and Romeo, those were the names we gave each other at like the age of five. I liked the cartoon strawberry shortcake and he heard the name Romeo somewhere and would always use that name wen we played house. It just kind of stuck.

"Uhm." Niall clears his throat behind us. Harry awkwardly walks out.

"Oh! Haha Kyle, this is my boyfriend Niall and his mate Harry." I introduce before Harry is completely out of the room. "Everyone else is downstairs."

"Everyone else?" Kyle raises an eyebrow.

"His band mates." I explain. "They are in a band, pretty popular." I smile as Blondie comes to stand next to me and pulls me close to him by placing his arm around my waist.

"Oh, cool. Is your dad here?"

"Working." I shrug. "So why are you all dressed up?" I giggle and pull at his suit jacket.

"I am a law graduate." Kyle answers proudly. "Been studying since your freshmen year." Niall tenses beside me and his grip on my body tightens.

"Nice." I nod and give Niall a weird look. "Um, we will go get everyone, make yourself at home." I smile and drag Niall with me to the end of the hall. I pull him into a guest room before he walks downstairs. "What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?" He breathes. He is flustered and looks at everywhere but me.

"Niall, I know something is wrong."

"It's just," he sighs. "He is a law major. That's the last thing we need is someone else working on your case, and you guys have cute nicknames for each other and stuff."

"Is Niall jealous?" I smile.

"No," he scoffs.

"We have nicknames." I state.

"You have one for me." He corrects.

"Then give me one." I laugh. "And about my case, it will be okay. There are no signs pointing to you or anyone else." I assure him.

"Alright... Bubbles." He smirks.

"Bubbles?" I raise an eyebrow. "Okay, whatever." I giggle and drag him downstairs to fetch the guys, but it seems that Kyle got to it before I did.

"'Pretty popular' huh?" He asks me. "I JUST FREAKING MET ZAYN MALIK!" He shouts at me with a hint of a smile.

"I didn't think you would know who they were." I shrug.

"Thanks." Louis comments.

"I say it because I love you."

"You better."