Twisted Friendship

Chapter 30

"Well Katie can sleep in my room-"

"She's sleeping with me." Louis states flatly, long fingers curling around my wrist.

"What?" I exclaim.

Louis's mouth twists into a half smirk, grey eyes twinkling beneath the fringe that rests above his long lashes. His gaze takes in my worried expression with obvious amusement at my discomfort.

We had minutes ago arrived in Niall's flat, the small yet messy place that would be our hideout for a while.

"My dads not home." Niall had explained, choosing his words carefully "He's never home."

Sleeping arrangements were being made, since we were all exhausted from the day.

"Babe." Louis says, trying to contain the laughter in his voice "We're just sleeping. Sleeping as is you're unconscious, probably dreaming of me shirtless I might add."

I feel my cheeks tinge as I stare at my shoes, tracing between the ridges of the kitchen tile with my sneakered toe.

"And I'll be unconscious, because I am as sleepy as hell. You look like I just asked you to go sky diving."

Louis's finger curls under my chin, tipping my head up to look at him. "Relax."

And later, I'm looking at the sky through the thin slots of the blinds in Niall's bedroom window. Louis is pressed right behind me, my back against his chest as his arm wraps around me protectively. I can feel hot breathe hitting my neck. Our legs are tangled together, his hand loosely fisting my tshirt in his sleep. It's all very warm and soft and feels safe.

"It's been a while since we've done this." Louis had said, sitting criss-cross on Niall's bed as I emerged from the bathroom, wearing an old pair of his shorts and tshirt I borrowed from the boys.

I paused to roll the waistband on the shorts, "About a month. As long as you've been in a coma."

"You say it as though I chose to go into a coma." Louis scoffs, leaning back against the pillows and patting the spot next to him. "Except this time, I'm not letting you leave me."

I climb up onto the bed, immediatly having his hand grab my ankle and yank me onto my back as I get tugged along the sheets. He buries his nose in my hair, inhaling deeply.

"You smell like a girl." he comments.

"Do you realize we aren't dating?" I ask slowly.

"So?" Louis replies, shrugging his thin shoulders.

I stare up at the blinking stars, feeling him shift in his sleeping behind me. Our relationship made no sense to me, all cuddly and cute and sleeping together with no set title to it. So? Even though the conversation was a half an hour ago, I'm still buzzing. What a strange answer from a certainly strange boy.

--------------The Next Morning--------------

I wake up feeling disoriented, unsure where I was. Rubbing back sleep from my eyes, I look around the room, gaze falling upon the rumpled sheets next to me. Empty.

The sound of a shower running comes from the bathroom. I slide out of bed, giggling when I hear Louis's voice singing alongside the patter of water.

"I could really use somebody-" Louis sings as I tug my messy hair up into a ponytail.

Padding out of the room, I wander down the hall, emerging into the living room where all the boys sit crowded around the TV.

Zayn turns when he hears my tentative footsteps. "Good morning Katie."

"Good morning." I reply, coming closer to see what they're so fascinated by.

"Look, we're on the telly!" Harry exclaims, pointing with excitement. Liam shushes him as the news reporter comes on screen.

"Saint Mary's hospital is in dismay after the fire alarm got pulled late yesterday." the perky blonde explains, mouth outlined in bright red. "And in the ruckus, patient Louis Tomlinson was snuck from his hospital room."

A blurry black and whire video taken by the hospital video cameras shows us pushing Louis out of his room by his wheelchair.

"Oh my god." I gasp, watching the tape as we struggle through the water logged hallways.

The news reporter appears, shifting her papers. "Louis Tomlinson was taken in from a gun shot wound, and stayed for several weeks in a coma. His accomplice Zayn Malik-"

A grainy picture of Zayn flashes across the screen. It's him when he was a bit younger. Not smiling, looking serious and dark and intimidating. But he's staring straight at the camera like its a...

"That's a prison photo!" I exclaim.

"Shhhh." Liam whispers, poking me lightly.

"Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson do have a past record with working together, and are well known by the police. They also have friends Harry Styles and Liam Payne with them."

"Woohoo!" Harry cheers from beside me, earning a smack on the head.

"This isn't a game." Zayn growls, eyes darkening as he stares at the screen.

"They have taken Katie Tehan with them, who was reported missing yesterday. We are unsure yet whether this was a kidnapping, or whether she went voluntarily."

"It's not a kidnapping!" Zayn huffs, as an old school picture of me appears on screen.

Niall cocks his head, "How old are you in that picture? Sixth grade?"

A sense of dread is spreading across every inch of me with prickly panic. This is not good at all. Not in any way, shape, or form and I can't help but wonder what I've gotten myself into.

"They have another accomplice with them, but we are unsure who at the moment." Niall breathes a sigh of relief. "But if you see these boys, call the police immediatly. Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson can be very dangerous if provoked-"

"That's enough for today." Zayn says hurriedly, flipping the channel.

I stare at him in shock, feeling my breathe quicken. "What. Just. Happened."

His eyebrows furrow, "Katie, you gotta stay calm."

"You're dangerous?" I exclaim, getting to my feet and backing away slowly. I stumble on a discarded pair of shoes and tumble down to the carpet again.

Zayns muscular frame suddenly towers over me. "Well not really."

"Only if provoked!" Harry chirps from the couch."

Zayn turns to glare at him, "Not helping."

He turns back to me, and I see the darkness in his eyes and the muscles on him and tattooes and fear welcomes me like an old friend. A criminal. With a record. A criminal with a record with police, dangerous if provoked.

I think of Louis singing in the shower, the way his eyes glow and mouth does that half smirk.

And I wonder how many secrets these guys have.