Convalescence

XLI.

Her emerald eyes were twinkling under the dim light of the setting sun, her skin somehow glowing. How could she possibly be this beautiful?

Niall sighed gently. "Alright, fine. Let's go."

She smiled and turned towards the driveway, headlights flashing brightly twice as she unlocked the doors of her car.

In the cutest way possible, Lili pulled the passenger side door open and gestured for him to sit down. It was extremely adorable and too endearing for Niall to handle. He giggled and kissed her forehead before sitting down.

As she closed the door, he placed the gift bag securely between his feet to protect it during the drive. It would kill him if something in there broke before he even had the chance to display them around the house.

Out of all the picture frames in his house filled with pictures of Lili, this one was by far his favourite.

"How far are we going?" he asked as she slid in next to him. He would take any information he could to decipher where this 'plan' would be taking place, even if the anticipation of the surprise was enjoyable.

She licked her lips as the smile grew. "Not far. Don't worry."

"Is it in the city?"

"Yes."

"Have I been there before?"

"Many times."

"Is there food there?"

"Yes, but we won't be eating." She was suppressing a giggle, chewing the corner of her mouth. What on earth could that mean? "Stop asking questions," she added sternly, before shifting into reverse and backing into the street.

Niall lifted his hand and brought it to her thigh, cupping it gently and running his thumb across her sinfully smooth skin.

"Fine," he said, trying not to sound annoyed. He knew he was being a nuisance, but it was harmless fun.

He was silent for a few moments. "Are you not going to give me any hints at all?"

"No!" she exclaimed, letting out a slightly exasperated laugh. "Can you just let me drive?"

"Fine," he said again, huffing dramatically. "No need to get so riled up."

He sat back in the seat and closed his eyes for a second, trying not to laugh. He just knew she was pushing her tongue into her cheek to stop herself from sending a biting remark back at him.

It was always so fun when they went back and forth like that.

Niall opened his eyes to watch the drive, trying to see if he could figure out where they were going. They spent a few minutes on the busy freeway; when she merged off, she took two left turns and a right, before heading straight.

This drive was way too familiar.

He furrowed his brows and looked over at her. "Where are we going?" He thought he had an idea.

Her lips were pulled in a tight line, holding back a smile. Still, she refused to answer.

After a few more turns, they were cruising down his brightly lit street and pulling into his driveway. She parked behind his truck and calmly killed the ignition. Now he was absolutely clueless.

"I'm lost, love. I'm sorry." Did she want to switch to his truck? Why did they come to his house?

She removed her seatbelt and turned until she was practically on her knees, looking at him intensely. Shrugging, she pressed the eject button on his seatbelt, and Niall moved his head slightly so the belt could retract all the way and not get caught on his neck.