We All Have Our Sad Stories

Chapter 17

Daylight streamed through Lilly's window as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She studied the dark bags under her eyes. Ever since Zayn had pointed out that Lilly had stayed the night with two of the boys already, she had avoided all of them, with the exception of Niall. She didn't want to come across as a whore. She wasn't like that. Lilly just liked sleep, and the company of others let her do so.

There was a knock on the door and Lilly turned her attention away from the mirror and walked to the door, opening it to find Niall. Harry still tried to interact with her, but she would refuse his company. He would comply, but then stomp away in a huff. She hated doing that to him, but she had to.

"Hey, we are going to have a bonfire tonight in celebration to us being here two weeks. Want to help me gather firewood?" he asked. She nodded sleepily and yawned. He quirked an eyebrow upwards and stared at her.

"Are you sure? You might need to get some rest." Her eyes widened.

"No! I'm fine, really." She reassured him. He just nodded slowly, not entirely believing her. She grabbed her gun and walked outside with Niall.

He led her to a large section of dead trees fairly close to the mountain home, and began hacking at them with an axe as Lilly took watch.

Zayn, who was back at the house, crept back into the room he and Perrie shared. He hadn't slept in the well-furnished room yet, where the pale green, lacy wallpaper brought him back to his grandmother's house from when he was younger. The room looked ancient, almost as if it hadn't been touched for years. The oak dressers and bed frames were scratched and marked by memories that had transpired a long time ago.

Taking his eyes off of a portrait of a pretty young lady, he focused on his fiancé, who was laying on her side, snuggling with a pillow that was almost as tall as her. He smiled at her beauty. Her disheveled hair, closed eyes, and dirt-covered face entranced him. Tip-toeing over to the bed they were fortunate to have, he slipped the pillow from Perrie's grip, frowning when she whimpered. To help console her, he replaced the pillow, sliding into the bed next to her and wrapping her arm around his torso. She smiled while unconscious, nuzzling her face into to his chest and inhaling and exhaling deeply in consent.

He grinned at her reaction and fixed his view on the ceiling above him, wishing the fan above him still worked so he could lull himself to sleep with the motion of the thin boards spinning in endless circles. Bored and wishing for sleep, he looked at Perrie, grinning as he saw her perfection. Even dirty and tired she was gorgeous. Drowning himself in the flawlessness of her face, he finally drifted off, content with a girl he loved in his arms.

In the living room, Ness and Liam were walking in circles around the room, avoiding the little furniture that stood in their way. Ness was determined to get back on her feet, no matter the price. Seconds later she was falling on her face, a damn water bottle having tripped her. Liam gasped loudly as she held her nearly-healed side in pain, rolling back and forth on the ground. He apologized profusely for letting her fall again.

"It's fine, Liam. A little pain won't hurt anything." She laughed at the audacity of the words. "Well, maybe it will." Liam chuckled along with her, glad she wasn't in too much pain. Ness stood when Liam offered his hand to her, gladly taking it and letting herself be pulled up. She had been trying to get Liam to help her a lot over the past few days so he would feel like his silly debt to her was fulfilled.

"Will you pick that damn water bottle up? I don't want to trip again." She pointed to the object for him to get, not willing to bend over and retrieve it herself. He complied and grabbed it before throwing it away in the nearby garbage can. "Thanks," she said.

He just nodded before bringing up the celebration bonfire going on later that night. "Are you staying in or going out?"

"Probably staying in," she answered. "Crowds aren't my thing."