Bruise of Love | L.S ✔

Curious Guy

The files are spread out in front of him. The pair's relationship is uncanny. There's something clearly not being noted.

The pieces of the puzzle are being placed wrong but he doesn't know how to correct them.

● ● ●

Niall is knocking on the door again, this time there's a kettle on the stove, a cuppa already in my hand.

I open the door, unable to ignore his loud curses. He is the human version of an ocean's waves, brash but calming.

The fallen petals of the heathers decorate the table, porcelain plates stacked with fluffy pancakes.

We eat, Niall talking a mile per minute. I'm still thinking about Liam Payne.

Niall slaps my arm,"Harry wasn't home last night. Did ya bail that tit out?"

My eyes widen, the wheels in mind whirring, I exclaim, tugging at the sleeves of my jumper,"But I was told that yesterday his lawyer bailed him out!"

Niall stops chewing, then resumes, a muffled answer coming out,"He didn't come home. He never had a lawyer, Louis. He is not rich enough to afford a lawyer and bail himself out. Not the way Ansel or you are."

I grunt indignant and huffy. My head falls into my hands, mind spinning with possibilities but one sticks out the most.

"What if Zayn helped him?" Zayn would. He always liked the taste of trouble on his tongue and the stain of fraud on his hands.

Niall's fork hangs midway. He sets it down and purses his lips. "Zayn gains nothing bailing him out. Why would he even reach out to Harry?"

"I don't know anymore. It is becoming a huge mess, Niall." That's what I say. I don't let him see the anxiety latching onto my nerves.

I don't mean it, Niall is so sure that Zayn has nothing to do with Harry. He never told me who delivered the flowers either.

I slowly blink at him, trying to brush off the feeling that he's hiding something. "Ni, who got the flowers, yesterday?"

Niall flinches, his eyes darting around, finally they settle on me,"I don't know."

The feeling doesn't fade away. He knows. He knows more than he lets on.

I shut my eyes and nod. "Okay." I take my plate and start to wash my cup, keep my eyes off Niall.

"Bye, Tommo, gotta run to sainsbury's need something?" Niall places his plate beside me on the counter.

There's honey and a bite of pancake left. Fishy.

"What are you so out of, Niall? You never shop." The nagging suspicions rise again.

Niall laughs, loud and strained,"Fruit and bread. Might grab a few more of those cereal boxes."

Fruit.

"Get me a pack of those chocolate oreos, yeah?" I paste a smile on my face.

He pats my back,"Good lad. Good lad. See ya Tommo!"