less than lovers (h.s.)

seven

did you ask niall yet?

I glanced down at the text I had just received from Liv. She'd sent me varying messages with the same question throughout the hour I'd been waiting for Niall, but I had yet to provide her with the answer she wanted.

Not yet. I don't know if I'm even going to ask him.

That was definitely not the answer she wanted, which was made apparent by the reply she sent in not even in a minute later.

JONESY

you have to ask him! you promised

If you want to know so bad, why don't you ask him? I'm sure he'd have no problem telling you.

no. you have to do it. don't act like you aren't curious because i know you are. is he done yet??

He's about to be finished.

what's today's segment about?

Him and Millie are starting a new one for relationship advice. Clearly he thinks he's the Love Guru now.

lmao

keep me updated

I will.

My eyes strayed over to the recording booth, and at that moment, the red blinking light switched off, indicating that they were finished. I waited patiently outside, waving to Millie when she stepped out.

Millie O'Brien was Niall's co-host at the radio station, where he had worked since first year. She was a fellow Communications major just like him. Radio and presenting in front of big crowds came easily to her, but when it came to one-on-one conversations, she was quite shy, which I found ironic. Nevertheless, she had always been nice to me, and her and Niall got along well. In fact, theirs was the top radio show on campus.

"Hi, Sydney!" she beamed at me, calling me by my real name. "I don't think I've seen you since the semester started. How was your summer?"

"Hi, Millie," I smiled. "It was good. What about yours?"

"Really great, actually. I got an internship at my local news station, which was so exciting," she gushed. "I can't wait to just graduate already and start working. Do something I'm really passionate about, you know?"

I didn't know, actually, but I wasn't about to tell her that. Instead, I just nodded in agreement. "How's the new relationship segment going? Niall told me a little bit about it. He said it was your idea."

"Oh, right." Millie ducked her head bashfully at the acknowledgement. "I thought it might be fun to do something different. We got a few new callers in as well, which was exciting."

Before I had the chance to respond, Niall stepped out of the booth, consumed by something he was reading on his phone. When he noticed me, he smiled. "Thanks for waiting, Jonesy. Maybe next time we should get you on the air with us."

"Oh, yes, that would be so fun!" Millie exclaimed, her face lighting up at the idea. "I've tried getting some of my friends to join me, but they're all too nervous. It's not like anyone is going to actually see their faces."

"It's 'cos they all know you're going to outshine them easily, Mills." The compliment slid out of Niall effortlessly, without second thought, but I noticed the way her cheekbones flushed with color.

"Well, I have a meeting, so I should go," she said after a moment. She snuck a glance at Niall, but he was looking elsewhere. "It was nice seeing you, Sydney. Niall, I'll see you tomorrow." Then she quickly scurried out into the hallway.