Dirty Little Secret // C.H.

Twenty-four

Despite his multiple attempts to ignore it, Calum's heart ached watching Sienna and Niall dance around during the entire show.

Neither of them stopped moving the entire time.

Sienna had the biggest smile on her face. It had been there since Niall arrived.

They had been dancing together since the show started, and every few seconds Sienna would look over at Niall and smile.

She used to look at me like that, Calum realized.

He felt horrible about it, but seeing her so happy while he was still miserable made him angry.

It didn't matter if they were in a different city full of different people every night. He couldn't go anywhere, do anything, without seeing Sienna and Niall together.

He knew he should be happy—she was happy—but seeing Niall make her laugh or smile only reminded him that he no longer could.

Now, everyone was on the bus. On their way to the next city. Lounging around and talking loudly over each other.

Sienna had been listening intently to one of Niall's stories about something his nephew, Theo, had done when her phone rang.

Her face lit up as she jumped up from her seat and answered the call, heading to the other end of the bus so she could actually hear the voice coming through the phone.

"Louis!" She cheered.

Calum rolled his eyes.

Not only is there Niall, Calum thought, there's Louis too.

Niall chuckled as he watched Sienna bounce away, but his gaze caught Calum mid-eyeroll.

"Got something to say, mate?" Niall said abruptly.

"What?" Calum said in annoyance. "I didn't say anything."

"Alright." Niall shrugged, relaxing back in his seat, but watching Calum.

Calum, in Niall's opinion, had no right or reason to be angry with Sienna. None whatsoever.

If he was angry with the way things ended, he could talk to her about it anytime, but he hadn't. He hadn't even tried.

So, any of Calum's temperamental bullshit was not about to tolerated, especially not when he did it right in front of everyone.

Perhaps the other lads didn't notice the little things he did or they noticed but just brushed it off as Calum being moody, but Niall noticed. The eye rolling, scoffing, brooding, lashing out. All the things that would hurt Sienna's feelings if she saw them.

Niall wouldn't let it hurt Sienna further.

Calum was his friend, but he didn't have to worry about Calum the way he had to worry about Sienna. She was on unstable ground, able to relapse anytime. She was in a fragile mindset. Calum was the opposite. He could handle tough love.

She was strong—Niall knew that—but coming back from such a dark place is not an easy thing to accomplish. He wouldn't let Calum's hurt ego or jealousy get in the way of her progress.