The Story of Our Lives | Sequel to Ten Years Later

Chapter Thirteen: Payne Family

Liam's POV

I can already tell, it'll take me a while to get used to cameras following me everywhere.

Sounds pretty ironic coming from me, doesn't it? All the time I was in One Direction, cameras tracked our every move. In public, that is. It was rare to have cameras in my house, except for a quick interview with my family every now and then. But now, people are getting an up close and personal look at my private life, and it's a bit of a big deal.

"Morning." Xavier comes downstairs, still in his pajamas.

"Morning," Danielle and I say in unison, getting up from the living room couch to join him in the kitchen.

Barking to announce her arrival, Libby comes in the kitchen as well, expectantly sitting by her food bowl.

"Well, looks like the whole family's here, lucky you," I say to the cameraman. He doesn't respond. "What? Am I not supposed to be talking to you?" He shakes his head.

"Well, screw that. We're gonna be talking to you anyway." Xavier smirks, and Danielle covers her mouth the keep from laughing.

"Gosh, they're so embarrassing," I complain, sounding a lot like Emily.

The cameraman (I think his name is Zack?) stops filming and lays his camera on the counter. "I actually like that, I'm keeping it," he laughs. "Okay, so at some point today I need to individually interview all three of you."

"I'll do mine after school," Xavier says, his mouth full of cereal.

"Yeah, I'll do mine later too. X and I have to leave in a few minutes." Danielle dials a number on her phone and leaves the room.

"I can go ahead and do mine now," I volunteer.

"Great! How about we go in the living room? The lighting in there is perfect." Zack (I don't care if that's really his name or not, I'm just gonna call him that) heads into the living room like he owns the place. "Okay, have a seat right here. Relax, stop looking so stiff. Basically I just want you to tell me what life is like for you now. What you're doing, your relationship with Danielle and Xavier, stuff like that. Start whenever you're ready."

I take a second to gather my thoughts. "When I was in One Direction, there were so many times when I would get tired of it all. Constantly being away from home, never having any privacy, only getting a couple hours of sleep every night, and so on. So by the time it ended, I thought I'd feel nothing but happiness and relief. I could finally be with my family every day, and I wouldn't constantly be on the move anymore. I was a little shocked when I broke down in tears during our final concert. I had never felt much sadness toward One Direction ending before then. But in that moment, I realized that the band and the lads had basically become my entire life, and once the last song ended, the best decades of my life would be over. It was a very sobering thought.

"Now that One Direction is over, I feel like an old man entering into retirement. There was always something to do every single second of the day then, but now I have more downtime than I know what to do with. I've gotten some new hobbies, made some new friends. None of that will ever compare to the excitement of being in One Direction, but I'm content with my new life. I get to spend much more time with my family, and that's all that matters.

"Danielle is the most amazing woman I have ever met. Sure, we've had some problems in the past, but now our bond is unbreakable. She's always been there for me. Before she had Xavier, she would come on tour with me and go to every single event the lads and me attended. Even after he was born, she still supported me in every way she could.