The Nanny

Friends

I was getting tired of this game I was playing with Aria.

Don't get me wrong, it was fun. I enjoyed it but it was exhausting always being on your toes. I had to be on every time she was near, which as it happened, was always.

I was at the point where I was willing to reach an actual, legitimate truce. One were we could try to actually be friends, maybe friends that picked on each other often though.

Besides I was getting sick of being the only one out of the loop.

She seemed to get on with everyone but me, maybe it was time to swallow my pride and make the first move.

And I would be lying if the fact that she had been spending more time with Niall didn't play a small part in this revelation.

I wasn't sure what they were up to but I was sure they were up to something. They had been spending a lot of time together recently, more than usual, and as much as I would like to say it didn't bother me, it did.

I reasoned with myself that it was because I didn't want Niall getting involved with her and getting his heart broken. And no matter what anyone said that was the reason I was sticking to.

I was sure it was bound to happen. They weren't right together so he needed to stop while he was ahead. I knew he liked her. It was obvious but he needed to back off.

For his own good of course.

And then there was Aria herself.

Even though she did annoy me, I was getting quite used to Aria being around. Darcy loved her, and I loved that Darcy was happy.

And maybe I was a tiny bit jealous that she had her guard up around me all the time. Maybe a small, unmentionable, part of me wanted her to laugh and joke with me the same way she did with my mates.

I knew she knew how much her spending so much time with Niall was irritating me. If anything we had become pretty good at reading each other, it was probably how we knew how to irritate each other.

She was definitely trying to push my buttons. After all it was part of our game, but it didn't make me any more okay with it.

I also knew she didn't care how I felt about the matter but I wanted her to, no matter how much I wish I didn't.

"So it's set then-" Niall's voice trailed off as soon as I walked into the kitchen. The scene reminding me of a few days ago, when they started these little gossip sessions during nap time.

I raised an eyebrow as Aria stood up straighter catching a glimpse of me. Niall rubbed the back of his neck and smirked. They had a secret. I could tell.

"Hey Harry." He said as if I hadn't just heard what he was saying before.

I wasn't about to play this game with them.

"What's all set?" I asked looking from Niall to Aria, who were looking at each other.

They seemed to have silently come to an agreement when Aria turned to me with the biggest fake smile I had ever seen.

"Well you've ruined it now but we were planning your surprise birthday party."

My whole face dropped. "So you're not going to tell me?"

She looked offended as she held her hand to her chest delicately, Niall laughing silently from his seat. I hated that they seemed to have a joke I wasn't part of.

"Ugh... why would you think that wasn't true?" She asked and I could just make out the corners of her lips fighting to rise into a smile.

I rolled my eyes at her and made my way to the refrigerator. "To begin with my birthday is in February but that would only be relevant if I actually believed you would care."