Bittersweet

22

Niall's POV

"We need to make sure that my mom left the house key in the draw when we get home, okay?" Emma reminds as we leave the plane.

"Should I get us a taxi?" I ignore what she says. If she really believes her mother left the only key to our home she had, she must be mad.

"I've actually got us other transportations." She grins softly and points through the crowd. I follow her finger and I see Harry hugging Esme tightly and the two laughing there heads off. "Hey guys!"

They look up at us as Emma gives them both hugs at the same time along with kisses on there cheeks as I awkwardly wave in there faces. Really? She had to choose them to pick us up? Why are the even together? I thought Harry was going back to California?

"You guys took forever to get off the plane and they had already started to empty out all the luggage." Harry tells us and pats our bigger suitcases next him.

"Awe, thank you sweetie!" Emma smiles and grabs ahold of one of them as she begins to roll it towards the exit.

"The car is parked right out front." Esme says, jogging up ahead of us and opening the door to help Emma out. I'm the last out and of course we make awkward eye contact before she rushes to the drivers seat. I thought we were okay now, what did Harry say to her?

Harry takes shot gun leaving Emma and I to sit in the back, which I don't really mind. I try my best to coolly glance at Esme and I see her fiddling with the radio with strands of hair from her bun covering her face and her glasses brimming her nose. Oh what I'd give for it to be okay to reach across and fix those strands.

"So what'd we miss in dear England?" Harry sparks up a conversation.

"Nothing much after you two left. It was actually quite boring just cooped up in that house but Niall and I had a date in London the night before we left. It's so beautiful there." Emma tells them and my stomach twists at the mention of our date. I look back at Esme and she's gripping the wheel with one hand as she tries her best to swat Harry's hand from her shoulder away. She couldn't care less that I took Emma on the date we planned we'd take backing high school. "And what about you two, anything new?"

Esme finally gives up on Harry who starts to stick the loose strand of hairs behind her ears which makes her blush bright red. Oh please don't say they're dating, please, please, please.

"Nah, nothing really." She shrugs as she pushes her glasses back up.

"Liar, we live together!" Harry yells and pokes her cheek. They what? Living together? Why? How?

"Oh yeah! I forgot, it feels like you've been here for ages." She says to him. "But yes, we live together."

Live together.

Taylor and Louis live together.

Emma and I live together.

Zayn and Fin live together.

"It's this one, right?" Esme asks as she slows down in front of our red brick town house.

"Yes, you guys should come in and stay for lunch!" Emma suggests and I catch them sharing looks.

"No we-"

"Oh come on! My mother made us her famous chicken Alfredo and it'll only take twenty minutes to reheat." She urges.

"M'kay, I need to pee anyways." Esme gives in and takes the engine off.

"It's up the stairs to the right!"

Esme's POV

When I open the door to there home, I notice how perfectly placed and organized everything was. They had a black and white theme played throughout the house and nothing otherwise. I swear remembering Niall saying he hated houses like these. As I head up the stairs and gaze at the many pictures of them, I realize how odd this was. The Niall I knew would never live here. Ever. I hear the door open and shut again and I look down the staircase to see Harry in utter shock. He looks up at me and gawks at the sight as I mouth, "I know, right?"