Almost Lover (Harry Styles) - Book 1

Chapter 33: Toasts and Secrets

-Ava's POV-

Dinner was absolute ridiculousness.

All twelve of us somehow managed to squeeze around a table for six and devour every single bit of food on the table. After dessert was served, Louie decided we needed to all make toasts for the occasion. By this time, the alcohol had been flowing for awhile so no one protested.

And so the madness began; every toast earning whistles, laughs, and shouting in agreement as we made our way around the table.

Eleanor: "To Niall, for arranging this wonderful holiday!"

Luke: "To surviving a soccer ball to the face!"

Niall: "To good food and a cold pint!"

Poppy: "To being surrounded by the most smashing people on Earth!"

Perrie: "To the fans not finding out we're all on holiday together!"

Zayn: "To a night we won't remember with mates we'll never forget!"

Calum: "To absent friends!"

Aston: "To Louie, who offered us ear plugs when he found out we were staying in the annex with Poppy and Niall!"

Gemma: "Kudos to that and to my little brother who made sure our food tonight was edible! No offense Niall!"

Me: "To a much needed break and no knock knock jokes during dinner!"

Harry: "To breakfast turning into dessert and chance meetings changing your whole life."

Louis: "And last but not least, to this booze for making you all seem tolerable!"

Everyone throws their napkins at Louie as he bows, obviously very proud of his toast.

Soon after we all retire to the living room, talking and laughing about old times.

I decide to take my chance to sneak away and go for a swim at the pool down the street. I love swimming at night.

I slip on the plain white bikini the girls insisted I get and throw on a cover-up over it.

Thankfully everyone is so loud that they don't even notice me slip past them and out the front door.

As I walk down the road towards the pool, I can't help but think about Harry's toast. Obviously the first part of it was about this morning. No one else understood it but of course my cheeks flushed red as he smirked at me. And the second part I'm sure everyone thought was about the band getting together, and maybe it was. But I'm thinking that may have been about us as well.

Ugh! Why is my mind always such a mess when it comes to him?! I always control my emotions pretty well but when he comes around they are all over the place.

I click the gate shut behind me as I walk into the pool area. Dropping my towel on a chair, I then pull off my cover-up and toss it next to it.

I walk to the deep end of the pool and dive in, letting the cool water envelope me. I float on my back for awhile, just enjoying the beautiful star filled sky above me.

I decide do some laps to get some much needed exercise after I gorged myself at dinner.

I've done only a few when I feel someone jump into the water right next to me.

I stop as Harry's head pops up out of the water.

"So you can swim!"

"Haha yes." I say, splashing him in the face.

"I saw you coming out here so I thought I better save you... don't want you drowning now do we?"

"Very funny Styles!"