Act Like You're in Love {Niall Horan}

Chapter 28: The Family

~Mariah's P.O.V.~

Laughter travels through the walls into the empty kitchen that I'm standing in, getting some food for the baby quickly.

Niall and I are leaving tomorrow, but we got to see Denise and the baby come home today! All of us have practically been living in the hospital for the past few days, spending so much time with Denise and Greg, and of course Theo.

I have really controversial feelings about leaving. I love my job and the rest of the boys - although, don't get me wrong, a week's break was nice - but I absolutely adore Niall's family and spending time with them.

No matter which place I am, I'll be happy. Life seems pretty wonderful right now. I don't even care about the whole scandal thing to the point that I'm super upset. I'm just...happy.

The only things missing are my family and actually being with Niall.

Niall's family is almost like a replacement for my own though. Happiness just shines from them, and I'm starting to let go of everything that happened before college. It sounds horrible to be forgetting my family, but it wasn't my fault and I need to get over their fact that they're stupid enough to let their child go.

I head back into the living room where everyone is sitting and give the dainty bowl to Denise. She smiles gratefully before spooning out the mush from inside it.

I plop myself down on the couch next to Niall and snuggle up to him without a second thought. When he slides his arm around my shoulders and pulls me a little closer to him, I finally come to a realization that we act really close.

Like, boyfriend and girlfriend close.

I don't know how I didn't see it before. It was just natural. It seemed more like we were just comfortable with each other like best friends, but it's not. It's cute, cuddly, relationship snuggling.

And I like it.

From across the room Denise looks up right as the happy smile from thinking about Niall was forming. She smirked a little, and I knew I would hear about this later.

A few minutes later Theo starts to cry quietly and so Denise brings him upstairs. Niall's dad says he needs to go, so we goodbye him and then decide on watching a movie by the time Denise comes back down.

The lights get shut off and Niall goes to the kitchen to get some food. Denise sits down next to me and smirks.

"So, you were getting a tad comfy with Niall over there before, mm?"

"We're like best friends, Denise, we do that all the time."

"I know, which is why it's even cuter because you're romantic all of the time."

I open my mouth to protest, even though I know it's true, when Denise starts to talk again.

"Best friends do that, but lovers are best friends, remember? Lover best friends cuddle," Denise points out.

"Fine, fine, you win," I sigh.

"Wins what?" Niall asks coming up behind us.

"Um, she, uh, won a free seahorse from me?" I blubber lamely. Denise gives me a 'really?' look and so does Niall.

Niall pats my head and sits down on my other side. "Okay, sure."

Denise laughs. "I'm just gonna play the movie now."

She presses the play button and we get quiet, immediately immersed into the fictional world about a romance. My mind notices the details, though, such as the way a character talks throughout different parts of the movie depending on the mood, because that's what I have to when I act.