It's not the End [Book 5]

I was losing them.

All of them.

Louis and Harry would go their separate ways. Niall would disappear into something new. Zayn already had. And Harry... also was making it clear he was ready for something else. Something solo.

The only constant left was Liam.

And even though I knew he'd stay-he said he would, over and over-I couldn't help the wave of fear that surged through me.

What if it all unraveled?

What if this really was the end?

I snuggled closer to him, burying my face into his shoulder for a second, needing that moment of safety.

"I'm losing everyone," I whispered to him, barely audible over the quiet clink of glasses and silverware around us.

He turned to me, resting his forehead lightly against mine. "You know I'll stay," he whispered back. "They all will, D."

Tears threatened, but I blinked them away. "I'm sorry," I murmured.

"For what?"

"For all the fighting. All the crap I put you through. The yelling. The silence. The pushing away when I didn't know what else to do."

He shook his head, kissing the side of mine gently.

"Baby," he said, pulling me in closer, "there's no necessary reason you should apologize to me. You've always been in it with us. Even when it was hard. Especially when it was hard."

I couldn't speak. My throat was too tight.

Louis drained the rest of his beer and looked around, his voice quieter than usual. "You know what I miss? I miss when we used to just kick around... wasting time."

Harry smiled faintly. "Before the world started watching."

"Before we knew what we were doing," Niall added.

"And now look at us," Louis said with a dry laugh. "All grown up and still just as clueless."

Angel rested her chin on her hand, watching them. "You guys are legends. Don't forget that."

"No pressure, though," Harry said with a smirk, "but if we never perform again, that was kind of the moment to go out on."

We all fell quiet again.

Because we all knew what none of us were saying.

That it was the end. Even if we promised to