This Heist Can Only Go in One Direction

Chapter Twenty-Two

We won the trial easily, with a unanimous decision from the jury. We all held onto each other, relief radiating off of us as our kidnappers recieved the life sentence for kidnapping, attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, and conspiracy of murder. They were sentenced to a high-tech prison somewhere in Nevada, so there'd be no chance of them escaping. 

The boys' families were there, along with Stella's. Perrie and Eleanor had shown up as well, hugging all of us as the trial ended. We exited the courthouse, weaving through the paparazzi as they yelled questions at us. The only thing we screamed back was, "We won! We won!" 

Thousands of tweets and posts were directed to us that night, with nearly every media station in the world reporting on us. Every news outlet was trying to get in contact with us, including overseas stations. Stanley returned to combat mode, throwing dates and rules at James as they sat in the suite, trying to talk over our screaming and cheering. Stanley shouted guidelines to us on what and what not to post and say, and "Harry! Jasey! Get off of that damn balcony! If I have to tell you one more time, I swear I'll shave your heads!"

The parents took us all out to dinner. I sat in between Liam's family and Stella's, getting to know Liam's family. His sisters were almost exactly like him, just as sweet and cheerful as his mother, who continued to tell me how good I was looking without a sling. Liam held my hand through dinner, introducing himself to Stella's parents like the gentleman he is. They loved him, inviting him to come stay with us out in Colorado sometime if he was looking for a good vacation. 

When the night was over, the parents asked if we were heading home. To my surprise, Zayn threw his arm around me with a smile. "Actually, there's still one thing we need to do."

"Do they hurt?" Niall asked quietly the next morning, staring at Zayn's arms and his fresh tattoos.

"Nothing a real man can't handle!" Zayn told him with a smirk, staring at the portrait of Perrie.

"Next!" The tattoo guy, Drew, called. Harry stood with a short wave, sauntering over to the chair. We had come last night to get our tattoos done, but they rescheduled to today since there were six of us getting tattoos. Zayn went first since his were going to take the longest, and the symbols fit in perfectly with all his other tattoos on his arms, as if they were the missing piece to a puzzle. Harry only took another hour, deciding to only get the symbols instead of the bird as well. The symbols went below the cage he already had on his side, and looked great. Louis' went below his elbow on his forearm, as did Liam's. Mine came out beautifully, just the right size on my shoulder, and the roses really did look great. And while Niall complained a lot before he got into the chair, he made almost no sound while getting it, smiling broadly when he was done. He got it in the same spot I had, only a little smaller. 

"Aw, look at my survivors!" Stella cooed, smiling at us. "Everyone get together so I can take a picture!"

Niall and I turned around so our shoulders were facing her phone, and Harry stood in between us with his arm up and the side with the symbol facing Stella. Louis, Liam and Zayn all kneeled and put their arms out below us to we could see their tattoos. She sent the picture to all of us and then tweeted it. Stanley sent out a group message not thirty seconds after it was tweeted, to our amusement. 

We were driven back to the suite where Stanley gave us a clear rundown of the next two months for us. All of us were only paying half attention, our spirits lifted now that this whole thing was finally over with. When he realized he wasn't making any headway, Stanley finally left us alone, and we went out to celebrate.

The entire night, I felt nothing but happiness. My friends were around me, we were safe, and everything could go back to how it was. Life could finally return to normal, to how it was back before the incident in the bank. I had Liam by my side, and that was all I needed.

After the club, we walked back to the suite that night, Zayn stumbling father ahead with Perrie, Niall and Stella while Harry hopped around and teased them all. I let Liam go ahead and looked behind me for Louis, who was walking just a bit slower than everyone.

"Lou, come on!" I groaned, pulling him along once he had caught up with me. He smirked at me, drunk, "Oh, I'm coming with you, don't worry."

Even with how drunk I was, I knew that was an odd thing to say. So I stared at him until his smile enlargened and he spoke again.

"I'm coming with you." He told me, "I'm going where ever you go, where ever you end up. I'm not giving up on you, Jasey, not yet." Then his arm slipped out of my grasp and he jogged ahead, throwing an arm around Harry. I walked much slower, stomach twisting in knots. Liam had to keep urging me forward as we walked, seemingly oblivious to my inner turmoil as I thought about what Louis had said to me.

Louis wasn't giving up on me? That meant...oh no. I shook my head, holding on tighter to Liam's arm. This couldn't be good. Did that mean he really liked me? And it wasn't just my imagination? What about Eleanor? And how would he follow me back to Colorado with the band still going on?

"I'm so glad I have you." Liam whispered into my ear that night, pulling me closer once we had gotten home and gotten 'settled into' bed. I snuggled closer to him, smiling in the darkness as his arms encircled me. 

"Night Jase. I love you."

I held tightly to him, my mind doing an endless loop between thoughts of him and thoughts of Louis. I was torn, torn between the one who had kept me safe and protected, who loved me openly and held me at night, and the other who helped me when things went wrong and kept me smiling when all I wanted to do was break down. Liam loved me, and had made it apparent he was willing to do almost whatever it took to keep me happy. But Louis was as well, holding me even when I said I was okay. He stayed until I was smiling and supported me when I made an argument. He had started off trying to keep Liam and I together, yet ended up almost becoming the one between us. 

"I'm not giving up on you, Jasey." 

"Love you too, Liam."

With a growing sense of despair in my stomach, I realized this was far from over. Louis was stubborn: when he wanted something, he got it, and he never gave up until he got what he was after. Eleanor or not, Liam or no Liam, Louis had set his sights on me. Whether I could do something to change that or if I would become helpless in his path, I didn't know. But Louis was certainly right about one thing. This wasn't over, not yet.