PERIPHERY | NH |

THIRTY FIVE

Hunter

"Boyfriend?!"

Cooper all but drops his glass as he walks across his living room to sit on the couch as I laugh, my head tilted back.

"Trust me, I'm just as shocked as you are." I say while taking a big bite of the pizza in front of me. "Like, I didn't need a title when it came to what we have but it feels... Nice."

"I'm so fucking happy for you. You know that, right?" Looking over, his eyes are trained on my face along with a far away smile.

"Are you going to cry right now?" Trying to conceal my laughter I cover it up with another bite of pizza.

Cooper rolls his eyes. "No, I'm not. I just feel like we've both been all over the place recently and getting to sit down with you and talk about how you're actually happy makes me happy."

"I could say the same for you."

Looking at him over the top of my glass of Diet Coke, I return the same kind of smile to him. Cooper has been traveling so much with his art that it feels like I've barely seen him.

Although the same goes for me.

I've been going with Niall to almost all of his appearances at his insistence, staying behind the scenes and showing him what it's like to have someone who loves you waiting in the wings.

His tour officially begins in two days and I've never been more ready for something.

I'd worked on countless projects before... But I'd never created something with someone I fell in love with along the way.

Everything about Niall is like a breath of fresh air—like taking in the spring air after it rains. He was unlike anyone else I had ever known and being loved by him was one of the greatest things my heart would ever experience.

Words aren't even good enough to explain his love.

"Sloane says hi, by the way."

Cooper draws me out of my trance, mentioning his girlfriend who he met at an open gallery night all those months ago. "We're supposed to leave for France next week, so I'll have to send you pictures as long as you promise to do the same."

"Of course I will. Taking pictures along the way is the best part about going on tour." I close my eyes, thinking about all the pictures of Niall already in my phone that will be more than likely doubled over the tour. "I'm excited for you guys to do these art shows in france. How fucking insane!"

I sit back and listen to my best friend as he tells me all about the art shows he has lined up, along with one's Sloane is going to be in as well. Both of them were the perfect match for the other and it made my heart swell that not only was I happy, so was the person who looked after me at my lowest was too.

"We might still be there by the time Niall plays one of his festivals, we should just meet up." Taking a huge bite of his own pizza, Cooper shrugs his shoulders. "I've never seen him perform and there's a slew of dates that we could see him at."

"That would work so perfect!" I shimmy in my seat, smiling and happy.

So fucking happy.

•

"Baby! Where are you?"

I hear the gentle sound of a melody flowing through the house as I sit my keys in the dish by the door. "I'm out here, bookworm!"

Following the sound of my favorite voice, I find Niall sitting on the outdoor chaise lounge just past the threshold of the back door. With an old scratched up acoustic guitar in his lap and a notebook spread out in front of him.