Lastly (L.T.)

Chapter 42

I didn't see Louis for the rest of the night. I ended up picking up my luggage from where I had left it in the basement and heading up to the top floor that held Louis's and my apartments.

I felt good to be back in the nice living quarters of Louis's tower after my crappy apartment and the hotels we had been staying in. I wasn't sure if Louis had any other plans for the night, but I hadn't heard from him so I figured it was fine to go to sleep. Fuck knows I needed it.

--------------------------------------------

I jolted awake the next morning to Fleetwood Mac's "The chain" blasting from the living room of my apartment.

What the hell?

I grabbed my knife from the bedside table and sprinted into the living room.

I had no idea what I was expecting to see when I ran into the room, but it certainly wasn't Louis in his oversize sweats, dancing around my kitchen with a spatula, while Niall sat criss-cross on the countertop, eating a bag of chips...sorry...crisps.

Harry was sitting at the table reading a book, which was at least a slightly more normal activity. Liam was nowhere to be found.

It took several seconds for any of them to notice me. Louis finally noticed right as he decided to do a sock slide across the kitchen and he stumbled when he saw me, a bit of egg flying off the spatula and falling on the floor.

"What the fuck?" I blurted out.

Niall's head snapped up, but Harry's stayed down and he responded with a slow "morning."

"Good...morning?" I was so confused, Harry also rarely spoke at all, much less to me so I didn't know whether to be more shocked over what Louis and Niall were doing or the fact that Harry was actually speaking to me.

"I was going to come and make breakfast but these two dickheads slept at my place last night and just followed me out the door in the morning." Louis explained in a rush, looking like a kid that had been caught with candy he wasn't supposed to have.

I wasn't mad. It wasn't like they had broken into my apartment and stolen food or anything. Oh wait...

I actually wasn't angry though. I was happy to wake up to Louis any day, especially if he was in this good of a mood.

He was always so serious around me, it was nice to see him just fooling around with his friends.

"Where's Liam?" I asked. I was so used to Liam and Niall being a package deal, it was strange to see them apart.

"He's with Maya." Harry said bluntly again, turning the page of his book in total disinterest to the three of us.

"His giiiiiirlfiend." Niall singsonged, lying down on the countertop with his bag of chips and continuing to eat them.

Was he drunk? It wasn't even ten am!

"You need to get over that mate, they've been dating for a year." Harry told him sternly like he was scolding a small child.

"But I don't like it that she always steals him away from us!" Niall whined.

I couldn't help but chuckle. They were such a tight-knit group, it was funny sometimes.

They embraced each other's weird and lived in their own little world where eating chips on countertops was normal, and so was reading a book at a table. I admired how accepting they were of each other. They never tried to change one another, just accepted.

"Liam will be back soon, Ni." Louis told him soothingly. "And until then, you need to eat."

Louis passed around plates, handing Niall his so he could eat while still sitting up on the counter. Harry simply took his and sat it next to him, nibbling bacon with one hand and holding the book with the other.