Love Thy Neighbour *editing*

"Slide pole A into pole B."

Niall had been furious when I had finally told him what had happened. He was all for going back in and starting something, but I manage to persuade him that it would be better for everyone if he just calmed down. But it had still taken a while.

"And they said that there was nothing they could do?" he demanded, opening my front door. I sighed and nodded again. I wasn't in the mood for talking; I just wanted to go back to my bed and forget everything that had just happened. I was about to go inside, when Niall put his arm in front of, preventing me from going anywhere.

"Evie," he murmured. "Just...talk to me. Please?" What did he want me to say? He had already voiced just about everything that was going through my head. Instead of trying to speak, I just rested my head against his chest, admitting defeat.

"C'mon, darling," he whispered, pulling me inside. "It's going to be okay." Okay? Who was he kidding? This was a complete mess. I was literally putting us all at risk. But he refused to acknowledge that this was my fault, which was probably seen as an admirable trait. Me? I saw it as him being bloody stubborn.

"Evie, is that you?" I grimaced when I heard Auntie Francis calling from the living room. I thought that she was living with the Gallaghers'; why did she insist on darkening our doorway as well?

I walked into the living room, closely followed by Niall. Auntie Francis was sitting on the sofa, surrounded by bridal magazines, her blonde hair tied up in a messy topknot. It was only when Niall stiffened behind me that I realised that Declan was standing in the corner, his face grave.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he snarled, stepping in front of me. Declan took a tentative step forward, pain flashing across his eyes.

"Niall, would you stop being so stubborn?" he pleaded. "Mam's cutting herself up about this."

"Should've thought about that before she threw me out," he growled. I put a hand on his shoulder, willing him not to get into a scrap in the middle of the room. He glanced down at me and his eyes flitted across my concerned face. Then he turned back to his brother and, although I knew it was absolutely killing him not to swing a punch, he sat down on one of the armchairs, his face murderous. I sat down next to Auntie Francis, feigning interest in her magazines, all the while watching Declan and Niall.

"What do you want?" Niall asked, not looking him in the eye. Declan sighed.

"Mam wants you to come home," he sighed. Niall snorted and got back to his feet, his stance menacing.

"So she got you round to do her dirty work?" he demanded. "Fucking typical, Declan."

"It's not her fault she's so bloody scared of your reaction," Declan shouted back. "And are you proving her any different?"

Niall just glared, looking more like a stubborn kid than a nearly full grown man. He crossed his arms defensively across his chest, his jaw clenched. Auntie Francis was babbling in my ear, and I wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention. Jesus Niall, please don't deck him...

"...and we've both decided that we'd really like you to be a bridesmaid," she said, giving me a sideward glance, "if that's okay."

"Eh?" I breathed, not taking my eyes off of the awkward confrontation.

"I was just saying that Declan and I want you to be a bridesmaid," she exclaimed. Oh crap. I turned to look at her, ready to argue. Bridesmaid, was she kidding? There was no way that I was getting up in front of everyone when I was - I quickly did the calculations in my head - seven months pregnant! Had she well and truly flipped her bloody lid?

"I was thinking of having you all in lilac," she pondered, flicking a page. "Or maybe peach?" I looked up at Niall and saw that the corners of his mouth were twitching, aching to go into full grin mode. I scowled at him, shaking my head in disbelief. How had I been roped into this? In my own home as well. Where was mum and Tommy? Why weren't they here to bail me out of it?