Falling Love

Unexpected Guests.

Chapter 38

Harry's POV

I knock on the front door of Niall's home, waiting in the unforgiving November air. Thankfully I'm not waiting for long before Niall's mum welcomes me in with a smile. I've always liked Maura. Every time I come over, she bakes enough sweets to please three families on Christmas. She's been this way for as long as I could remember.

"Hello, Harry," she says in her thick Irish accent and gives me a warm smile. "The boys are down in the basement."

I thank her and make my way through the small familiar house and down the stairs that descend into the basement.

"He's alive!" Louis throws his hands up and calls when he sees me from his place on the desk chair. He spins himself around, arms still flailing in the air.

I raise an eyebrow at Liam, who's sprawled out on the futon with his legs on top of Niall's, silently asking what the hell he's talking about. Liam simply shrugs.

"When Ni said you were coming, I thought he was bullshiting us. Where the hell you've been? Actually, don't answer that," he holds his hand up, gesturing me not to talk. I'm relieved I don't have to explain my whereabouts. Zayn knows exactly where I've been, so lying isn't an option. "It's bad enough we've had to listen to Niall yap about Elizabeth and their romantic, ridiculous Ireland holiday for the past hour," he makes a vomiting sound.

"Oh you're just jealous," Niall says, cheeks full of color.

I take a seat by Zayn as Niall sets up his new PlayStation 4 that he's been shoving in Louis' face for ten minutes. Liam continuously has to separate them two. I don't even know why I came here. It's the same shit every time. They play FIFA, try to get me to play, I decline because I suck, Louis forces me into it anyway, I lose, they win.

"So, you told her, mate?" Zayn asks me without looking up from his phone, scrolling.

Here we go...

"Yeah," I sigh. "I really don't wanna talk about it."

"Well you don't have to be so wretched about it. I mean, seriously like when you told me the plan, I couldn't believe that you came up with that shit. It's genius," he laughs and I consider leaving now.

"You're taking the bet pretty seriously, huh?" Zayn shifts in his seat to slide his phone into his pocket.

"Listen, I don't...I shouldn't have done that. I went too far. I feel like shit-"

Zayn lowers his voice so Liam, Niall, and Louis can't hear us, although they're too invested in FIFA to notice anything else, "Hey, you came to me and told me you were back in this. You asked for the bet, now you're getting it. And I'd say telling her you're falling for her was a good call. Keep lying to her like that and you might have a chance."

The truth is, I didn't lie to Noel. Maybe...no, definitely. I'm definitely falling for her and fuck, I'm trying so damn hard to stop it, stop myself. I told Zayn a few days ago my plan to tell her. Of course, at the time, I kept telling myself that these mistaken feelings I have when I'm with Noel are just that, mistaken. I told myself that I think I have feelings for her because I'm so caught up in getting her to fall for me. But after yesterday, there was no denying it. I wasn't lying when I told her I'm falling for her. Now I'm just concerned if it was the right decision, truth or not.

"Why are you so into this shit, anyway?" I ask, irritated with him and this whole damn conversation.

"Well I thought now would be a good time to discuss that," Zayn smirks.