Always & Forever (A Niall Horan Love Story)

23. Life After You

Watch out. You'll be hanging by your toes at the end! xx

Possibly three more parts after this one :):)

Enjoy!

*Updated as of 2-28* I'm flipping some things around here! Sorry if there's a bit of confusion! xx

Chapter 23- Life after You

Leah-

“Cole! Get your lousy butt in here!” I yelled teasingly, awaiting his padding footsteps as he came down from his room. “You’ve still got lots of toys to clean up before we go! And you better hurry!”

Mom had arranged enough time and supplies so that we could work from Lizzy’s house for a day on the catering business. Lizzy was going to help with a bit of cooking of course, and we’d killed two birds with one stone by getting her mother’s permission. We had a huge party coming up and we needed a few extra hands. Both Lizzy and her mother were taking a cut of money for the use of their skills for today. And Bethany and Cole would have a day-long play date- something that would be a lot less frequent once school started back in a month or so.

I heard Cole trot into the room, heard the sounds of the toys clanking together as he stowed them away in his toy box. Mom was gathering our extra supplies for today, and I was in charge of getting Cole dressed and out to the car in reasonable time. “Come on, kiddo,” I rushed, helping him finish putting things away. 

“I know, I know,” he said. “I’m so excited!”

“I know, I know,” I mocked. “You’re always excited when it comes to Bethany. Right?”
Cole shot me a furtive glance. “Right.”

I ushered Cole through the door and to the car, coming back to help mom carry dishes out. Everything was packed and ready finally, and I settled in to listen to Cole’s ranting and raving on the way to Lizzy’s house. “Bethany said… She said… Mom, are you listening?”

“Of course, honey. I hear you,” Mom said, turning onto the highway toward Lizzy’s city home. We lived out in the country a ways, and it was always strange hearing the cars buzzing by Lizzy’s- no matter how many times I visited.

“Well, Bethany said… she said that we’re gonna watch a lot of movies. And Barrett, my friend, he thinks Bethany is cute… and I get to hang out with her all day,” Cole chattered smugly. I couldn’t help giggling.

“You must feel special,” Mom cooed. Cole kept chattering, unaware that my mother was poking a bit of fun at him.

“I am special! I get to hang out with her. She’s my best friend, and Barrett is too. And he says… he said I could invite him over too so we could all play together. Because he thinks she’s cute. I think that’s funny,” Cole said animatedly. “Cause Bethany is cute. But she’s ador- adorable cute.”

If only little Bethany knew all the things Cole said about her. I smiled to myself, flashing forward to Bethany and Cole’s future wedding once again. By then, I would be married, hopefully. I’d be the older sister to Cole, with a nice handsome man waiting at home… maybe a child on the way. That would only happen… If I could find my true love soon, the one God had planned out for me. It was a feat that I knew could be accomplished with prayer and seeking through God’s word. But right now, my love-life wasn’t panning out like I would want.