Beating For Two

Chapter 39

Monday, May 10th

“So you didn't actually give birth then?” Niall looked at me with eyes that told me he was deeply disappointed.

“No, I didn't actually give birth,” I replied monotonically and threw a dry look in Harry's direction. He seemed to find great amusement in the whole scene that displayed itself in front of him.

Niall pursed his lips thoughtfully for a moment and leaned back in his chair. “Na, I guess it would cause more damage than it would do good,” he said casually, “Tearing up your ass and everything.”

“And that's a cut for you, Niall,” Liam said loudly from where he was sitting at the foot end of the bed along with Zayn. They weren't sitting too closely together, I noticed, and I wondered if it was because they didn't want to upset Harry. He'd treated them normally ever since they stepped into the room half an hour earlier, though, and I couldn't do much but hope that he'd keep doing so. I had a sleeping baby in my arms, so for Harry to start yelling now would probably have a rather annoying outcome.

“What? I was just asking a question,” Niall said.

“Yeah, we all heard,” Liam said pointedly.

Niall just rolled his eyes and took a swig of the Coke-bottle he was holding. “So that nurse who was in here earlier...?” he said when he'd swallowed, looking back and forth between me and Harry.

“Is named Sydney and she's twenty-eight years old and married, you pervert,” Harry said with a snort.

“Maybe I wanted to woo her,” he replied with a cheeky smile, “make an honourable woman of her and all that.”

“You can't even make yourself honourable,” Zayn said soberly.

“No need to get snarky. We can't all be loved up like you four, you know.”

The silence that fell over the room was unbearably heavy and tense for a few seconds before Zayn spoke up. “You make it sound like we're all in one, kinky, four-edged relationship.”

Both Liam and Harry made sounds of disgust, and I scrunched up my nose. “I'd rather not go there,” Liam said, and Harry nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, I'll stick to Lou,” he said and threw a quick sideways look at me.

My face broke out in a wide smile at that, but I didn't say anything.

“You will, huh?” Zayn said with one eyebrow raised and a teasing glint in his eyes, “What about Lauren then? Judging by how she assaulted us with questions about your whereabouts at lunch today, I take it you haven't broken up with her yet.”

“I'm working on it,” he replied, “Not that I think it'll come as a big shock to her anyway, it's not like we've been that happy with each other lately. I'm kinda surprised she hasn't ended things herself already, to be honest.”

“This close to the formal?” Niall said with a laugh, “There's no way she'd risk having to go by herself.”

“Well, she's not going with me either, that's for sure,” Harry said and stretched his arms over his head, making a sound of contentment.

“Gonna ditch her the day before then?” Zayn asked with a sly smile, “Give her zero chance to find someone else?”

Harry returned the smile in the same manner. “Something like that.”

“You don't have to be so cruel, you know,” I commented.

“As if you wouldn't like to see her all angry and alone.”