Ignition [h.s]

14 !

It's a factor that's important to all of us, really. Growing up in an orphanage, you become really attached to your bed. It's the only thing there that's actually yours. Normal children have beds, sure. But they also have homes to return to and families to take care of them and bedrooms to play video games in. We had none of that, just our unstable bed frames with springy mattresses that prodded our spines as we slept. And yet, those beds were the most important things to us. So, I get that now. I know why Niall, internally, is curious as to where we're going to sleep. It's why Harry always makes sure we have a motel or a hotel room to stay in. A mattress to sleep on is the only continuous thing any of us guys have ever had to rely on.

Harry hums in thought, pinching his bottom lip between his forefinger and thumb. Evidently, he hasn't thought this far ahead yet.

"Actually, I know a place we could stay." Elise randomly pipes up. All of our eyes shift towards her in interest. So far, she's been pretty reserved and docile on the journey. She said she'd never been outside of New York, so I think we're all a bit surprised that she's taking the lead for once. Telling us where we can go instead of us telling her.

She tucks her blonde hair behind her ear and looks at each of us quickly, before fixing her blue eyes on Harry. "My—my mom had a holiday home here; I've never been but I'm pretty sure it's still in the family. We could crash there."

"Pretty sure? That's a bit fucking useless." Zayn disagrees immediately, so quick that it's safe to assume he wouldn't have accepted anything Elise suggested to begin with. He seems to have this hatred against her for some reason, and I don't like it.

Harry clearly doesn't either. "Zayn, shut the fuck up for once in your life, okay? Elise, that sounds like a perfect idea." She walks over to him and takes his phone out of his hand, quickly typing in what I assume is the address of the house.

Nobody would ever dare to touch Harry's phone like that, he'd probably shoot your hand off if you did. It's a marvel that he allows Elise on it so nonchalantly. He must trust her a lot for that to be the case. He doesn't really even seem to care, his green eyes focused more on Elise's face than whatever it is she's typing into his phone.

There's a small twist in my gut, but I'm not sure why.

"I called a driver; he should be here in a second." Liam walks up to us from around a corner as Harry grabs Elise's hand and pulls her away to the other side of the car. I pretend to pay attention to the conversation at hand, but I don't miss out of the corner of my eye how Harry has Elise up against the side of the car, tucking her hair behind her ear. He bends his head down, but due to the angle and height of the car roof I can't see what they're doing. Maybe I don't want to.

"Louis? Did you eat my orange this morning?" Niall asks suddenly, his brow raised, looking displeased.

I hold both my hands up. "I ate an orange. It wasn't yours if it didn't have your name on it, dipshit." I say defensively, but the whole topic is quickly dropped and also pretty irrelevant.

"Oh look, there's the driver." Liam notes as a taxi rolls up into the spot behind Harry's car. I jog forwards and grab the handle, opening the door and motioning for Elise to climb in first. I pass her a courteous smile. "After you."

"Thank you," She smiles back, stepping her foot halfway into the car when Harry slots himself in the way, stopping her. Elise's pants rise up her calf a little, exposing a bandage Harry wrapped around it after she sprained it on the mechanical bull yesterday.

"Want to ride with me? That way the guys won't have to sit on each other." Harry chuckles, holding onto Elise's arm. She retracts her foot from the vehicle and nods, following Harry back over to his car. Inwardly, I wish she would've just rejected Harry's offer and come with us, but I get it. She's most familiar with Harry. Her being here is his fault anyway.