One Soft Touch

Chapter 5: Late Night Encounter

Annabelle’s P.O.V.

I’m lying on the hotel bed with Niallynn, video chatting with Olivia on my laptop. As soon as the boys left earlier, I fed Niallynn and we took a nap. Now it’s almost midnight and I can’t fall asleep. Ni seems to be wide awake, too. I can tell tomorrow is going to be a long day.

“It was actually… normal. I had a good time,” I say to Olivia. If we are away from each other for more than a day, we always find a way to video chat. This time is no exception. I love talking to my best friend, though.

Olivia moves her face closer to the screen. “I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me, Belle. Spit it out,” Olivia says with a smirk. Her red hair falls to the side as she tilts her head, waiting for my response.

I’m not hiding anything. I told her about taking pictures with Niall and Harry. I told her about Harry looking at my cut. I told her about how sweet they all were with Niallynn. And I told her about eating Chinese with the boys. Maybe I didn’t tell her every single thought and… feeling. But I don’t see why any of that matters.

“I told you everything, Liv. Niallynn and I had a very good day,” I say to Olivia. After I flash a convincing smile, Olivia sits back against her head board.

“When are you going to see them again?” Olivia asks. She pulls her phone out of her hoodie pocket and starts messing with it.

I roll my eyes even though I know she’s not looking at me right now. “Never. I already talked to you about this.” My phone goes off on the bed on the other side of Niallynn. “Did you really just text me?” Olivia does this all the time. We can be sitting in the same room and she’ll still text me.

Olivia holds her phone up to the web cam. “Nope, I’m texting Gavin. Hunter probably texted you,” she says. Even when she just says Hunter’s name she looks disgusted.

I can’t help but laugh. Those two will never get along. Reaching over Ni, I grab my phone. I open the text.

From: Harry ;)

Are you awake??

“Harry?” I ask under my breath.

Olivia perks up and claps her hands. “Harry? What did he say?”

I don’t remember putting Harry’s number into my phone. Maybe that’s what he did earlier when he was messing with my phone. I look at the previous messages under his name and see he sent the pictures we took together to his phone. He even set his contact display picture as the picture when he kissed me on the cheek. But he cropped Niall out of it.

I look at the computer screen to see Olivia with a wide-eyed expression. “He just asked if I’m awake,” I answer with a shrug.

To: Harry

Yeah. Why?

“And you’re texting him back, right?”

“Yes, Olivia. I just did,” I snap.

I wait for a text back but I don’t get one. After about ten minutes, I push it out of my mind. Harry probably sent it to the wrong person. Olivia doesn’t say anything else about it because she starts talking to Gavin on her phone. She puts him on speaker so I can hear him through the computer.

“I was just saying, Belle. We need to find you a good man,” Olivia says and Gavin agrees.

I shake my head as I give Niallynn her pacifier. “I’m not looking for anyone. My focus is on Niallynn.” I look back and the computer and see Olivia shaking her head at my response. “Seriously, Liv, no one wants a girl with a-“