Trace

Chapter 32

*buzz buzz* 

  My eyes slowly flicker open and I subconsciously reach for my vibrating phone. Already, I can tell that I have several messages.

  Harry: hey baby

  Harry: you still at Niall's? x

  Harry: text me when you get back home

  Harry: El?? are you alright??

  Harry: please let me know if you are okay babe

 Harry: good night beautiful girl. i love you. 

    I groan at all the worried texts. Why does he always get so worked up?

~ Morning. I just woke up. I spent the night ovr Niall's. X

    Not even 30 seconds go by until my phone goes off again.

Harry: what?? you slept at his house last night???

~omg hazz nothing happened.

Harry: i was worried sick last night. u werent answering my texts

~ I'm okay. 

 Harry: ok well I'll leave u 2 alone now. talk to u later?

~ yeah

Harry: I love you so so much. dont u ever forget that.x

~ love you too :) <33

I sigh and lock my phone. I turn over to face Niall. He looks so peaceful when he's asleep. Without even thinking of what I'm doing, I take my hand and run it through his hair. His eyes remain shut, his breath even. 

  I plop back down onto my pillow and just decide to go back to sleep. However, I notice that I have to pee. Like really bad. I do my best to concentrate on other things, but the thought keeps coming back and my bladder feels as if it's thumping. 

  When I feel like I have had enough, I throw up the duvet and quickly walk to Niall's door. I very quietly open and close it and walk out into the hallway. 

The wooden floors feel cold on my feet as I tip toe to the toilet. I open the bathroom door and relieve myself as fast as possible. I flinch as the toilet flushes, loudly, and I turn on the faucet. As I am washing my hands, I hear voices coming from the downstairs. It's most likely Abigail and Tomas. 

     Though I try my best to be as silent as possible, the bathroom door creaks when I open it. It sounds like Abigail and Tom are talking about a sports game.

  Good, I think to myself. That means they are not arguing right now. 

If I were closer to the Horan family, I probably would have walked right down and joined them for breakfast. But since I'm not, I tiptoe back to Niall's room and lay back down under the sheets next to him. With an empty bladder, I am now able to fall back asleep.

********************   

HARRY'S POV

 It's not that I don't like Niall. Because I do. I mean...he's a good lad. But I just can't make myself not angry at the fact that El spent the night with him. 

  Did he kiss her again? Did he touch her? Did they have sex?

As hard as I try, I cannot push the endless possibilites of the things Niall could have done to my girlfriend last night. When I'm in Liverpool, it will give him much more freedom to mess around with my El. Maybe he'll even get her pregnant.    

 *******************************

EL'S POV

  I feel the sheets rustling next to me. Before I have a chance to open my eyes, a pillow impacts my face. 

   "Noo," I groggily whine, and push my face into my pillow.

I hear Niall quietly chuckle. "Are you up yet?"

  I groan into the pillow tiredly, "Niall, I just wanna sleep. I already peed when you were sleeping 'cause I had to go."

   This seems to delight Niall, as he lets out one of his loud laughs. "You are such a weirdo."

I turn around and face him and see that he's typing something in his phone.

  "Who are you texting?" I say, still half asleep.

"Nobody. I'm posting the Keek I just made of you," he grins.

   "Oh my God. Niall!" I complain, reaching for his phone.

"It's classic, really."

   "I don't even know what I said! I was like half asleep!"

"Exactly," he laughs, "that's what makes it so hilarious!"

   I pout as we watch the video. From Niall smacking me with his pillow, to me mumbling something about peeing.

   "Ughhh why do you do these things to me?"

"Because people need to know that you pee when other people are sleeping," he winks at me.

   "Jerk," I say and twist my head back around.

"Hey, no! Don't fall asleep again, Cae! I'm starving," Niall shakes my shoulder.

   I let out another "ugh" of disapproval.

"Oh, by the way... we never talked about why you came here last night. What did you wanna talk about?"

   I shrug. "Nothing much. I was just pretty upset about Harry leaving in a couple of weeks."

Niall frowns. "Aw, don't worry about that, love. He will be back before you know it."

  "I hope so," I admit sadly. "It's gonna be weird here without him."

"Hey, you can help me move my stuff into my new flat," Niall offers.

   "Where?"

"Just outside of London. Not nearly as nice as Harry's though. So don't get your hopes up."

   "Since when do you compare yourself to Harry?" I ask him.

"Since I realised he is dating the most gorgeous girl in all of England."

   I can feel my cheeks getting hot and my heart beats a little faster.  

"You gotta stop doing that, Horan."

   "Doing what?" he blinks innocently. 

"Saying stuff that catches me offguard. I never knew you to be such the flirt."

   He winks, "There's plenty more where that came from."

Niall jumps out of bed. "Now up! It's food time!"

   I turn around again. "Noo," I protest, "I'm comfyyy."

Niall sighs and comes over to my side of the bed. He throws the duvet back and picks me up like I'm no more than a rag doll and throws me over his shoulder. I shriek and pound his back, while laughing. 

   "This is what happens when little girls are naughty," he says in a weird announcing voice. 

I laugh all the way down the stairs as I flop around over his shoulder. I hear Abigail gasp an "O my!" and hear a laugh. 

   Niall finally puts me down and my face is flushed with excitement and surprise. 

"Well that is definitely one way to get me out of bed!"