The Brunette

Bella doesn't know

Chapter 25(Bella's pov): After Niall gets the job at Lyrix we go back to the apartment to get lunch with Louis. We all go to Nando's for lunch. Niall, of course eats more than both me and Louis's lunch put together. We all talk and laugh through lunch and after we go to a furniture store to start furnishing our apartments.

I notice that Louis isn't flirting with me like before. We're walking through the furniture store looking for couches. Niall and Louis find theirs first. They're looking for a coffee table to go with it when I find mine. Its dark brown leather in an L shape. I lay down, not caring if anyone saw me.

Niall finds me sprawled on the couch and takes a seat by me. "Are you going to get this?" He asks me, feeling the fabric. "Yup." I say while scooting up a little so that I could use his lap as a pillow. "Is this too weird for you?" I ask him. He shakes his head, looking down at me. "Nah." He takes a lock of my hair and starts playing with it.

We must have stayed there like that for a while. Louis eventually finds us, "Ive been looking for you guys for half an hour." He says, exasperated. I get up slowly. Ive been so tired and it felt so good to rest. Niall was such a good friend, letting me use him as a pillow. Louis looks at that couch we were on. "Bella, are you going to get this because I found a bed set that would go great with this." I nod and let him guide me to the bedroom section.

Niall walks up from behind me, taking my hand in his. Its such a normal gesture by now that I barely notice. We go around the store picking out the best pieces of furniture to our likings. I think Niall and Louis have the hardest time finding furniture because they both have different taste. They both argue incessantly about every little thing. I finish choosing my furniture first.

I lay on a sample bed, checking my phone. I have a voice mail from Zayn. He hasn't called me since the day I left. "Isabella," He says plainly. I wait, "I..." His voice cracks. I hear him sniffle a little. "You left your favorite sweatshirt." He says really fast, then disconnecting. I sigh.

I need to let go.

He'll be fine.

I need to move on.

I put away my phone, ignoring the messages from my sister and my friends. I sit up, looking around for Niall and Louis. They're not arguing right now because they're getting their beds, not needing each others opinions. I can't find Louis but I see Niall examining a bed nearby. I don't want to get up but I do anyway.

I walk to the bed Niall's considering and lay down on my stomach, putting my head on my hands, looking at him. He looks at me for a second and smiles then goes back to reading the card with the information about the bed. When he's finished he climbs into bed too. I shift until I'm lying on my back and stare at the ceiling with him. I lean my head on his shoulder slightly because the pillows are really hard. He takes a few strand of my hair and starts playing with it like before. We don't say anything.

Louis comes up from behind and smacks Niall on the chest with some rolled up papers. "No messing around in public, you'll have all the time you want at the apartment." He says, to him. We both sit up quickly. "Lou, you know its not like that." Niall says, getting off the bed. "Yeah, we're just friends." I finish. "Whatever you say." Louis calls, walking away toward the diner tables. We follow him.

Hand in hand of course.

(Louis's pov): I knew Niall and Bella where on the couch. I just said I was looking for them because we really needed to hurry up. I would've before but Niall looked so happy.

Bella was laying down with her head on his lap while he played with her hair. They looked like a regular couple.

I didn't want to tell Niall but I knew she didn't like him. At least she didn't like him as a boyfriend. She loved him. But as a friend. To her this was all just friendly gestures. The pillow thing on the sofa, the almost-cuddling on the bed, holding hands every where. Just friends. To Niall... I don't know what Niall thinks they're doing.

When I saw them on the bed, I thought, "This is it, he's finally going to kiss her." but I saw the store manager watching them carefully and he was about to go tell them to move. I had to do something so that we wouldn't get kicked out. If someone was going to ruin the moment it might as well be me.

After I tell them to get up we go to the dining sets. I notice they're holding hands. Niall is glaring at me. I shrug and mouth, "later" he huffs then goes to talk to Bella. I can't tell him that Bella doesn't like him. It would crush him. Ive never seen him so in love with somebody before. The way he looked at her made you want to come up to them and tell them what a cute couple they where. If they where a couple.

(Niall's pov): I now love this store. I also love the fact that Bella's a lazy person. When I saw Bella laying on the couch, I couldn't help but sit next to her. She then puts her head in my lap and I feel like everything in the world is complete. It should be like this, me and Bella, together.

Of course something had to ruin it.

I thought that that would be the closest we would ever get to each other for at least today but then we get to the bed section. While Im looking for beds, I see Bella on her phone, just laying there, looking as gorgeous as always. I had the urge to climb into bed him her and just play with her hair.

I don't.

Then she comes and lays down on the bed Im looking at. After I while, I climb into the bed with her. I wonder if thats weird or whatever but then she leans on me. Then I think, either she likes me, or Im so far in the friend zone that I have no chance of getting out.

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