Race

Chapter 9

"Coming!" I screamed when I heard the doorbell ring, walking towards my door.

I stopped in my tracks, realizing how stupid I had just been. I was living on the second floor of a townhouse! How was someone standing in front of the house downstairs supposed to hear me?

I gave myself a once over in the mirror, checking my appearance just in case Harry decided to show up at my front step. Unlikely, but who knew what he was up to? Nobody got his way of acting, anyway, so it was good to expect the unexpected.

My long hair looked messy and I wasn't wearing the most stunning outfit. Grey sweatpants, grey UGGs and a crop tee.

Mentally cursing myself for wanting to look good I grabbed a key and walked down the stairs to the front door.

When I opened it, I was indeed greeted by the sight of a tall young man with the last name Styles.

But it wasn't Harry.

Niall's blond hair was messy and he looked exhausted, his blue eyes not sparkling like the last time I saw him.

He was wearing sweatpants just like me, a sweatshirt and high tops. Next to his shoes was a giant duffel bag.

I looked at the bag and then at him, confused. What was he doing here? Was he going back to Italy and wanted to say goodbye?

"Umm hi, Vee," he said, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Hi?"

"I know this is awkward... but I had a giant fight with Harry and he kinda kicked me out and Jake's visiting some relative and you're the only person I know in this town..." he paused.

"Yes?" I asked, waiting for him to go on, oblivious to the reason he came.

"Can I stay at your place for a few days?"

What?

What?

Had he just asked me to stay at my place?

He may be Harry's brother and Jake's friend but I actually barely knew him.

I was about to tell him that he needed to stay at a hotel or something like that because my flat was really small and opened my mouth to do so when I saw the way he was looking at me. He was looking at me with big blue eyes, almost seeming desperate, and I realized he was already expecting me to say no.

"Yeah, of course you can stay at my place for a few days," I said, before being able to change my mind.

His eyes brightened and he started smiling at me. "Really?" he asked.

"Yes," I said, mirroring his smile. "Follow me."

He picked up his bag and followed me upstairs and into my flat.

"So this is the living room and you can count yourself a very lucky mister because my Mom made me buy one of the most comfortable couches that is perfectly qualified for being used as a bed incase she ever decides to visit me and needs somewhere to sleep."

"Your Mom is amazing," he said, laughing a very adorable laugh.

I showed him through the rest of my flat and told him he could do whatever he wanted to do and take everything he wanted out of the fridge and so on. I was new at being a host but I guessed that was what you normally did when someone decided to stay at your place.

We ended up at the kitchen counter in the middle of my kitchen that I always used as a table, talking while having mugs of coffee and some cookies I had bought yesterday while being at the supermarket (I now knew where it was).