the coffee girl

Chapter 22

Kat's POV
"Niall!" Louis exclaimed loudly as he let himself into the house.
"I'm not Niall." I said unamused, sitting on the couch watching Iron Man 2.
"Oh. Where's Niall?"
I shrugged, "He took Belle out this morning with no more than a kiss and a 'have a good day I love you'."
"Well that's weird. He told me to come over."
"That is weird. Maybe we should call him?"
Louis shrugged, "You can do it. He's your fiance."
I rolled my eyes and grabbed my phone off the side table. Just as I found his name, Harry and Sydney walked through the front door. They both stopped when they saw Louis.
"What the hell?" Harry said.
"What?" Louis asked.
"Where is Niall?"
"I don't know." We both answered.
Sydney huffed as she walked over to the couch and sat down. "I'm so confused. Niall left some weird, crypted message on Harry's phone and sent some strange text to me and he's not even here."
I rolled my eyes again, "Does anyone know what has been up with him lately? I feel like I'm missing something."
Everyone shook their heads.
"Hello?!"
All of our heads turned to the door. Liam stuck his head in, "Oh!" He stepped all the way in. "Everyone is here." He looked around. "Except for Niall."
"I'm gonna call him." I sighed.
"Shit! Erm, actually Kat." Harry spoke up, "I think we should go out."
I gave him a quizzical look, "What?"
"Let's go out." Harry said, looking at Louis.
Louis' eyes widened and he smiled, "Yes, yes lets do that!" He walked over to me and pulled me up. Then he did the same to Sydney. "Syd, go get her dressed and then lets go!"
I groaned as Sydney pulled me down the hall to the room I share with Niall. When we entered I sat down on the bed. "What is going on?"
She walked to the closet and began picking out an outfit. "Stop asking questions, Kat."
"Do you even know what the hell is going on?"
She chuckled, "Nope. I just go along with Louis and Harry's antics."
"Why?"
Sydney shrugged as she handed me a pile of clothes, "After the first few months with Harry, I just got over the fact that the boys were always going to around and that they were going to do whatever their cute little minds wanna do. Early on it was pranks and stuff, now the things they plan are a little more meaningful. But no, I don't know what's going on. Now go put on this outift and we'll go find out, okay?"

Niall's POV
I hope the boys remember the plan that we came up with the other day. If I tell them to go to the house and they're all there but Belle and I aren't, then they're to bring Kat to this Nandos. I never told them when because I didn't know when Cam, the owner of my favorite Nandos, could close the shop down. But he called me this morning and said he could today. I'd kissed Kat goodbye and took Belle to set up. She's currently sitting on the floor playing with streamers.
Suddenly my phone rang and Belle giggled. I hoped down from the ladder I was on and ran over to her.
"Hello?" I answered out of breath.
"Niall!" It was Sydney. She was whispering.
"What?"
"What the fuck is going on?"
"What do you mean?"
"Don't do that shit with me Niall. Kat is super confused and so am I but the boys seem to know exactly what's going on."
I chuckled, "I'm not telling you anything Syd. Nice try. I'll see you soon!"
I hung up before she could answer. I handed the phone back to Belle who gladly took it and began to bite it. I don't really care, I've got warranty on it.
I returned to the ladder and climbed back up to finish taping the streamers.
"Daddy?" Belle said after a bit.
"Yes Belley?" I'd just taped the last of the decorations.
"Mama?"
"She'll be here soon, love."
"Mama!" She began to cry. I put the ladder against the far wall and walked over to her.
I picked her up and she wrapped her arms around my neck. "Shh my love. You'll see Mama soon."
I carried her around as I put everything behind the counter. The cooks were in the back preparing everything and Cam was returning shortly. It was perfect. I just hoped Kat likes it too.
It was almost five o'clock. I was getting nervous that they weren't here yet. Belle was quietly 'singing along' to the radio. And I was helping Cam and the waiters set up the two tables I had out in the middle of the room.
The door to the restaurant creaked open and Louis ran in.
"Hey mate." He said out of breath.
"Hi?"
"They're almost here."
I was confused, "Where did you come from?"
"Well Kat needed to go to the mall because she got a coupon for new shoes so we all tagged along. I snuck away and ran here to tell you."
I chuckled, "You never fail to make things harder than they need to be, Lou. You have a cell phone."
"Erm, actually, Kat took them."
I looked at him dumb-founded, "What?"
"Ni, I told you months ago that you had a feisty one. She got annoyed cuz we're on them all the time so she made us turn them off and put them in that big-ass bag she carries with her."
"You're not kidding are you?"
He shook his head, "Nope. So? Everything ready?" He looked around.
"Yeah. Just waiting for my girl to walk through those doors."
I looked back at Louis and he was smiling at me. "I'm glad you're happy, Nialler. You deserve it."
He put his hand out and I shook it. "Thanks mate."
Just then, the doors opened. We both turned to look. I smiled as I saw Kat's hazel eyes brighten.
She gasped, "Niall James Horan!"
I walked over to her, "Yes?"
"What is all of this?"
"This is for you, baby. Happy early birthday."
She had tears in her eyes. I pulled her into my chest and her arms wrapped around my torso.
"You're so sweet to me, Ni."
"Of course I am. I love you."
She sighed and I could tell she was holding back tears. "I love you too Ni. We both do."
I smiled and kissed the top of her head.
The others were seated at the tables as I walked her over to the chair I decorated for her.
"Here." I handed her the flower crown Belle and I chose for her.
"Thanks." She said taking it.
I held out my hand.
"What?" She asked.
"Your bag please."
She shook her head and chuckled, "Louis told you, didn't he?"
I nodded, "Yes. Now c'mon. Hand em over. That's not very nice. They brought you to a party."
"Well, if you had informed me of this plan, then our friends wouldn't have had to turn in their cell phones."
I sighed and took her bag. I distributed the phones back to their owners and the was a chorus of 'Yes finally' and 'Thank you'.
After setting Kat's bag down, I padded over to the blanket where Belle sat still chewing on my phone and picked her up. I placed her in the seat beside Kat and Harry.
"Thank you all for your help today. I'm sorry this was on short notice."
"It wasn't a problem Niall." Liam exclaimed. "It was quite fun shopping with Kat actually."
"Yeah?"
Harry nodded, "She doesn't take shit from anyone. She bitched at the salesperson for typing too slowly."
Kat hide her face in her hands, "I was irritated that I had to leave the house. I just wanted to go home, honestly."
I leaned down and kissed her head, "Well I'm glad you came out. I have something else for you."
Louis chuckled, "You mean you got her more than just good food?"
I rolled my eyes, "You know, Lou, despite popular opinion, I am quite romantic."
Kat nodded, "I can vouch for it. If he wasn't I wouldn't be engaged right now."
Louis sighed, "and to think I knew you well, lad."
I shrugged as I went to the counter and pulled my guitar out from behind it.
"Well lad, here is your first glimpse at that side of me." I sat on the chair beside Kat and looked at her. "I like to think of this as part two to our story, baby."
She smiled and her hands rested on her stomach, "We're excited."
I chuckled and began to play the new chords I'd put together just days ago.

**
I was sure I lost you
You didn't want to be found
I searched high and low
But you didn't come back

Then one night in the cold
There you stood out front
I didn't want to blink, sure you'd just disappear

Chorus: now this is your home
It's not going anywhere
I want you to stay
I want you to be mine

When she calls your name I know you're real
You've got me and I've got us
I never want this to end
I never want to lose you again

Chorus

Please never leave us, I promise this is a forever thing
**

I looked up as I finished and Kat's eyes were full of tears. One hand was on her stomach, the other was around Belle's hands. I leaned forward and our lips met in the middle. When we pulled away her eyes met mine, "I'm never gonna leave you Niall James Horan."
"Good. Because you, Katie Lee Marcus-Horan, belong right here and we're not letting you go."
Her cheeks tinted pink at the mention of Horan.
"Baby? I don't want to wait for you to have my last name."
She chuckled, "Ni, I'm in no position to have a wedding right now."
"No, no, no, babe, I just want to get married, change your last name, that's all! We can do a wedding later!"
"Really? You want to do that?"
I nodded, "Yes, Kat. More than anything right now."
I could see the wheels inside her head turning. She was seriously considering it and that made me smile wider.
"So? What do you think?"
She turned her head and looked around the table. Her gaze ended at Belle.
"Belley? What do you think?"
"Mama?"
"Yes?" Kat responded.
I grinned as Belle said her first full sentence. "I wuv you wots Mama!" Then, she giggled.
Kat turned back to me and out her hands on either side of my face, "It's a yes from me, Nialler."
I put my guitar on the floor before wrapping my arns around her waist. "I love you, Kat."
"I love you too, Niall. So much."
The group clapped and Harry whistled.
Sydney got up and ran over to Kat, giving her a hug as soon as I let go of her. After Syd, Kat kissed Belle's cheek, "I love you so much babygirl."
The boys got up and the four of us went over to the kitchen. I poked my head in, "We're ready Cam."
He nodded and started ordering everyone around, as usual. The lads and I stepped out the back door.
"Mate, congrats." Liam patted my back.
"Thanks."
"When are you going to the courthouse?" Louis asked as he pulled out a cigarette. The main reason for standing out back.
"Tomorrow, hoping she's feeling good enough."
"This has been two crazy years for us all eh?" Harry said.
We all nodded.
I sighed, "Um, speaking of, what are your guys' thoughts on having Zayn at our thing next month?"
They looked around at each other and eventually they all shrugged.
"That sounds like a good plan, mate." Liam concluded. "We began it with him, it is only right to have him tag along with us."
I nodded. "Okay. It's settled then."