Typical.

Chapter 9: Symbols

Liam

Evie had been gone for less than twenty four hours, but, still, I felt the void inside me open wider and wider. I remember that it hurt, watching her leave. I remember hearing her cries coming from her room and being hopelessly confused. What had I done? I remember it feeling so good. Too good. So good that I didn't care about how she was cheating on her boyfriend. Fuck that, he's a douche, I never cared about him. I'm just making up excuses to feel bad about wheat we did, but I can't find any. 

I just remember feeling the imprint of her body on mine, the hungriness in her kisses and how much I wanted her and everything she did. Everything she was. I sat on my couch, glaring at my phone as Niall and Harry sat across from me. 

"I saw you two dancing, did you take her home?" Harry asked. 

"Well, yeah, she stayed here."

"You know what I mean."

"No, I didn't sleep with her."

"Oh, well, take what you get," said Harry with a cheeky smirk.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you're obviously attracted to her."

"Haz, it's not like that."

He threw his head back in frustration. "What are you even trying to pull on me, Payne?"

"I..."

"When's she coming back?"

"I don't think she is."

"Liam!" Harry said, getting my attention like I was four years old. "Niall, help me out here."

"What are you trying to prove to him?" Niall asked, uninterested as he tapped on his phone, obviously playing Flappy Bird. 

"That he's a fucking idiot? Honestly, Liam, what don't you like about her. Give me three things."

I started to think. What did I not like about Evie? I mean, she obviously had shit to deal with that didn't involve me, but there weren't any characteristics I don't like about her. I guess I'd just never thought of her as an option before.

When I didn't answer, he shot back with a triumphant "I knew it."

"Why do you have a say? You don't know her."

"I know that when we went to the club how you instinctively grabbed her hand to keep her safe from all the big scary blokes with bright shiny cameras. I know that she didn't hesitate to squeeze your hand. I know and you know damn well that she looked hot and you liked it. Hell, I liked it…”

“You always like when pretty girls are around.”

“…I know, but this is different.” He started. “Niall, help me out here.”

“…forty, forty one, forty two, forty three…” he said, tapping his screen insistently. “Damn you, Flappy!”

“Niall!”

“What?”

“Help me out here.”

Niall’s eyes lit up and he slid his legs over to face the two of us. Harry glared at his phone and Niall reluctantly placed it on the coffee table in front of us.

“Are we talking about Evie?”

“Obviously.”

“Oh,” he said. “Did you get on that?”

“Did you miss this entire conversation?” Harry snapped.

Niall threw his hands up, feigning innocence. “I was flapping hard.”