[3] how did we end up here ;; nh

47 » Never Enough

Los Angeles, California, United States of America, 11 December 2023

One Direction finished our tour last October. So here I am, in Los Angeles, opening the door to my house at 6 in the morning after another crazy night filming The Voice America for 2024 season.

Life feels like a whirlwind lately; I juggle between my music career and the business side of things. Even though I'm only a founder at Modest! Golf and not the main decision-maker, I still gotta stay on top of a few things for the athletes under our management. On top of that, I still work on my third album—most of which, if I'm honest, is about my fiancée. And yeah, I just finish taping The Voice. It's nothing new for us to wrap up right before sunrise since the beginning of the month.

I step into my home tucked in the quiet curve of the Hollywood Hills. It's modern but warm, with tall glass walls, lots of wood and greenery around. You can see all of LA from the backyard infinity pool. Inside, it's minimalist—earth tones, vinyl records on display, guitars on the wall, and plants in every corner.

I head straight to the master bedroom upstairs. But when I walk in, my fiancée is not on the bed like I expect her to be. I feel dead tired. I drop my jeans right away at the bedroom floor, leaving just my boxers on, shirt off, and make my way to the bed.

The sound of rushing water echoes from the bathroom. Shower's running. Probably my fiancée. She's probably getting ready for one of her meetings today. If I remember right, she plans to visit one of her dream wedding dress designers here in LA this morning. Not sure what time the meeting is exactly, but judging by the excitement she had yesterday, I'm guessing it's early enough for her to already be up and showering at this hour.

My fiancée. God, I love calling her that more than using her actual name.

I lay back on the crisp white sheets, staring up at the ceiling with a soft smile. I still can't believe I get to call her mine—my fiancée.

Then I hear her voice.

"You're home already? I thought it'd be like last night," she says as she steps out, wrapped in a fluffy white robe, her hair half-wet and messy in the cutest way possible. "Why didn't you text me on the way back? I could've made you tea."

I chuckle. "No need, lover," I say. "The kids weren't that chaotic today, so I got to head home earlier."

She nods and walks over to sit by the bed. "Then go rest, okay? No need to drive me today."

With her this close, I catch that familiar sweet scent—strawberry. Avril is obsessed with anything fruity, especially strawberries. She hoards strawberry-scented soap like she's prepping for the end of the world.

"Nah, I'm driving you anyway," I say. "Where's the place again?"

She looks up, thinking. "It's about four miles from here," she answers. "I can drive myself, seriously."

I shake my head. "No way. I wanna see the designs. Which one is it for?"

"For the ceremony," she says softly. "We still haven't figured out the reception venue, remember?"

"What about Bali?" I ask.

Her eyes light up. "Are you okay with not doing it in Ireland?"

"I want it to feel intimate," I explain. "I mean, Bali's where we kinda started, right? When Louis got mad at you for randomly inviting Zayn?"

Avril bursts into laughter. "Oh my God, yeah. That was wild. I'd be down for that," she says thoughtfully. "But I don't know if my parents approve that. Well, Indonesian culture. You know what happened in Jo's wedding, right?"