The Parallels (Larry Stylinson+Niall Horan)

Chapter 19

Eyrie

A week had passed by smoothly. Zayn took me to an amusement park and for a drive. We talked about a lot of things and had a really good time by ourselves. There were moments when I wanted to tell him about Niall but, I did not. I felt slightly guilty about it. I kept telling myself that I had a good reason for keeping it from him and that telling him might give rise to complicated situations.

We went on a lot of scary rides and it was amazing because both, Zayn and I, are thrill seekers. Neither of us are scared of height or speed. The long drive, on the other hand, was super calming. There was a really long road with trees on both the sides and it was almost empty. We stopped at a mall and had some ice cream. I know that its weird to go to a mall just for an ice cream but, we love doing idiotic things. When he was finally dropping me off at my house, I felt as if a few more hours were still needed. Any number of hours with Zayn are never enough for me. I hugged him tightly and thanked him with a kiss on his cheek. He smiled at me and drove away.

Life in the last week was all about fun and spending time with my mum and my friends. My dad was in Doncaster all of these days to discuss a business deal. He was going to return tonight. There was one thing, however, which worried me. Harry had one of his episodes, lately. I wasn't present there but, Zayn and Niall told me about it. He broke a mug and accidentally got a deep cut in the palm of his right hand. I tried asking them the reason behind these instances but, they said that it wasn't their secret to share. Just that there were some things that had happened with Harry in the past that still terrified him. Later that day when we all met, Harry looked shaken and upset. He was really scared because when I touched his shoulder from behind, he shivered and winced. I wanted to know the reason but, I did not have the heart to ask him about it.

Tomorrow is Louis's birthday and Christmas eve. My mum and I had already filled the house with lights, decorations and above all, a Christmas tree. She was too tired to continue with the front porch and driveway so, I called Zayn, Niall, Lyv and Luisa over to help me. Harry finally had the chance to spend some time with his mother so, I did not want to interrupt him. Liam was with Louis so, there was no point in inviting him, either. The four people that I had called, arrived in about half an hour.

"Hey, Eyrie! Long time no see, girl!" Lyv exclaimed like she was some rapper.

"We just met day before yesterday, didn't we?" I asked, laughing.

"As I said, long time." she said, trying to make an obviously face.

"As you say, madam." I replied. I always felt happy around my friends. Lyv, especially, was always enthusiastic and cheerful. She always reminded me of Niall whenever he wasn't around. Right now, he was standing right there, talking to Zayn about something.

He looked adorable. He was wearing a blue jumper and grey sweatpants. He had white shoes on and his hair were messier than usual. He looked sleepy and soft. He kept rubbing his eyes and that made me fall harder. It was eleven in the morning but, I'm pretty sure that he wakes up even later. Zayn must have forced him up to bring him here. I had this strong urge of hugging him because he looked exceedingly cute but obviously, I could not.

All the ornaments and decorations were already lying outside. There were two major jobs to be done. One was to hang the lights and the other, was of placing the decorative articles. Zayn was very keen to go with the decorating part and Lyv wanted to to work with Zayn. She did not say that clearly but, it was plain to see by her longing looks in my direction. Luisa offered to pitch in with them, too. That left me and Niall with the lights.

When it was all decided, he walked towards me. I could feel nervousness creep into me. The way that Niall looked right now, was too much for me to take in. This messy attire, was something different.