Farewell and Goodnight || Sequel to Closer to You

Eight

One of my good friends just deleted her account on here. :( I miss her already. 

Enjoy the chapter. Thank you for being so sossososososos patient. i am like eternally grateful for the ten of you, which is perfectly okay because i'm not really about how many fans/fame/ranking, i just love writing. <333

DO YOU LOVE THE LOVE SQUARE THAT I HAVE CREATED BETWEEN NIALL, LUKE, MICHAEL, AND ELLIE? 

* * * * * 

Chapter Eight.

{ E L L I E }

As soon as I stepped out of the sanctuary of my room, I heard all the noises of Christmas morning. Screaming children, laughing children, their toys, and often, someone cooking in the kitchen. 

I almost tripped over a train set and got my head chopped off by a helicopter that was zooming around the halls. These kids didn't know how good they had it.

Christmas morning was another awful day in the Payne household. I'd be lucking if I received a gift that did not come in the shape of a clenched fist that could make my skin light up so much it would change colors.

I made sure to give Meg, Louis, and Liam something extra special. Without any of them, I would probably be dead.

"Ellie!" I heard a familiar voice chirp. I turned my head to the right to see Nicole and Niall, and Perrie and Zayn there was well. I guessed Harry decided to stay back home with Marisa. 

"H-Hi." I choked out as I stared at Nicole, who was already pulling me into a hug. I could never hate her, even though she had one of the most precious people in the world. She was one of the most precious people in the world. They were perfect for each other, so I swallowed my pride, and embraced her, wishing her a very Merry Christmas.

Perrie and Zayn smiled at me from the living room and only then did I notice how big their kids were. "This boy is almost as tall as me. This is not okay. This is not a drill." I said dramatically, as Shane laughed before pulling me into a hug. 

"Reality check." Perrie sang. "We're getting old."

"Ah, reality. What a wonderful thing to ignore." I laughed as Zayn shook his head with a deep chuckle. He had not changed very much either. I turned to see my brother and sister and their spouses talking quietly in the kitchen. Everything was an open space, so it was not hard to see that there was some sort of elephant in the room. I wanted to go over and sit by Niall, but Nicole was here and it would probably panic the both of us. Perrie and Zayn were staring at each other intensely - which I could understand because they were both good looking - and the kids were too young for my age so I felt out of place.

I decided to go over to my sister. Maybe it was really nothing at all.

Liam saw me first. He usually saw me first in any given situation. Maybe it was a brotherly instinct, or perhaps it was just his awareness, but he always knew when I was coming. He smiled kindly at me, his eyes crinkling a little at the sides. He reached out an arm a little bit, and I tucked myself into his side.

"Am I interrupting something?" I asked cautiously, looking around at Meg, Louis, then Danielle.

I watched Meg's complexion. I found her easiest to read because I knew her the best. Her complexion showed no trace of denial, as she nodded no. "Just talking about plans we made today."

"For who?" My eyes lit up a little.

Meg smirked, looking over at Louis. "This guy." She squeezed his hand. "But mostly you."