Half A Heart › New Edition ✔

Chapter 8

A/N: Very important authors note at the end, please read it!

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I wake up about twenty minutes later to a car full of sleeping boys. Well at least I think they're sleeping, I can only see Niall and Liam. My eyes might be deceiving me since I’ve just barely regained consciousness. I guess my peaceful, not quite awake, not quite asleep, state turned into a nap. My first afternoon out without TIff and I’ve already managed to fall asleep, this has got to be a new record.

I blink a few times and try take in my surroundings. I'm still in the car but I'm no longer leaning against the window. I have moved closer to Louis; or should I say on top of him considering my head is on his chest and his arm is around me, holding me close. It would make more sense for it to be on his shoulder because we just met but what do I know, nothing’s made sense since I met them.

I don't have to look up at him to know that he’s awake; I can feel him playing with my hair and It’s actually kind of nice. Absentmindedly, I start to trace the letters on his shirt.

"Hey there sleepy," he says.

I want to say hello back but all I can focus on is the fact that I'm really close to him and I can smell his cologne again. "You smell really good," I say.

"So I've been told." He says still playing with my hair. I forgot that I already told him that.

I feel him move the slightest bit before he returns it to his former position.

"I think I see your store."

I don't want to move but I force myself to get off Louis and look out the window.

There it is, Crush, the only store in San Fran that manages to look like a bunch different department stores and shops from the mall all mixed together. It's like the Ikea of clothing stores, big enough to get lost in and popular enough to tolerate.

We pull into the parking lot and the driver parks right in front of Crush. The boys’ security guard gets out and opens the door next to Liam. The light and the loudness of the door makes Liam jolt awake, waking up Niall in the process.

"Good morning sleeping beauties," the guard says and Liam hits him in the arm.

"Haha. You're so funny, Paul," says a groggy Niall. Okay. The guard’s name is Paul.

"Don't you like having a funny tour manager?" Paul says. Oh, he’s not their security guard, he's their tour manager. Alright, Paul, the tour manager.

"Hi," he says to me. “I haven’t had the chance to meet you properly yet. I'm Paul, the tour manager which is basically just a nice way of saying on the road babysitter."

I wonder how much a traveling babysitter gets paid? Probably not enough, these guys are a handful.

"I'm Cassie. It's nice to meet you, Paul."

"You too," he says before turning his attention to Harry and Zayn. He pulls out a whistle and Niall gets super bug eyed.

“Harry... Harry!” Niall says loud enough to wake an entire village. He only manages to wake Harry. Zayn's a heavy sleeper.

“What, Niall?” Harry asks, his voice a little horse and incredibly sexy. Why do I have to love accents so much?

“Paul got a new whistle.” I look back at Harry and he looks horrified; so much so that he starts frantically poking Zayn. Harry’s poked him at least fifty times but he’s not moving.

Paul moves the whistle to his lips; Louis places my hands over my ears and then his hands over his own. I turn back to look at Zayn. This is probably going to be one of the funniest things I witness today.