Important author's note at the end. Make sure to read it!
"He was really drunk, Katie."
It was one in the morning and I couldn't sleep. The absence of Niall's strong, warm body beside mine made it almost impossible for me to even think about sleeping. The bed felt cold and way too big.
Eventually I got sick of tossing and turning and made my way into the hall. Liam's light was on in his room, so I had creaked the door open wider and asked if I could come in. A little while later, Harry had joined us.
"Like really drunk," Liam emphasized. "I've never seen him like that before."
"Me neither," Harry sighed, rubbing a tired hand down the side of his face. I felt bad for him. I knew what Niall said to him had hurt him.
"I don't know what to do," I admitted, dropping my head into my hands, my elbows resting against the knees of my crossed legs.
"You'll be okay," Liam assured, rubbing my back with a strong hand. "Trust me, Niall's going to wake up tomorrow and feel absolutely awful. He'll be apologizing for the next five years," he chuckled softly.
"It's not just that," I sighed, lifting my head to look at Liam. "You guys are going on tour. I mean, is it really a smart idea to start a relationship only to have you guys leave for a year?"
"She's got a point," Harry said tiredly, looking across the bed at Liam as well. Liam pressed his lips into a thin line.
"I guess," he finally said after a long silence. "But you shouldn't, like, break up with him or anything like that," he advised. "You guys have already come so far. If anything just don't start anything serious until he gets back from tour."
"Yeah," I sighed, falling back onto the mattress and rubbing my eyes, trying to ease the pain of the massive headache I had. I didn't want all of this mess anymore. Maybe it would have been easier if I hadn't decided to move in with these boys.
"You should get some sleep," Harry said in a low voice, and I could hear how tired he was. I nodded, peeling, my back off the mattress and crawling over to give Liam a well needed hug. Out of all the guys here, Liam was most like an older brother to me. He reminded me of Jared a lot.
"Come back if you need anything," Liam said, giving me a kiss on the top of my head and a final squeeze before letting me go.
"Okay," I replied, easing my way off the bed and walking towards the door where Harry was waiting. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," he responded, turning off his lamp. Harry and I made our way out into the hall again. I turned and started to make my way back to Niall's bedroom and was surprised to find Harry following me.
"I'm sorry about tonight," Harry said tiredly, rubbing the back of his neck. "If it wasn't for me you wouldn't be in this mess."
"Harry, don't," I sighed turning to face him as I leaned against Niall's bedroom door. "He was wasted, alright? He didn't mean any of it."
"Drunk words speak sober thoughts," he mumbled, and I dropped my gaze to the ground.
He's got a point.
"Listen... I have to tell you something," he sighed, almost reluctantly. I looked up at him, only to find that he was already staring down at me, nervously licking his lips.
"What is it?"
"Well, I know this isn't really the best time to tell you this, but... Katie, I l-"
"Oh, God," came the sound of Niall groaning from downstairs, quickly interrupting Harry. It was followed by the quick padding of bare feet against the floors and the cringe worthy noises of him vomiting up the alcoholic contents of his stomach. I closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose to curb the pounding in my head.
"You were saying?" I probed, wanting to know what Harry needed to tell me. It must have been important considering the fact that we were having this conversation during the early hours of morning, both of us low on sleep and wanting nothing more than to crawl into our beds and tune out of this chaos for a few hours.
"Never mind," he said quietly, giving me a small smile. "It's not really important."
"Just tell me-"
"I'm going to check on Niall," he said, cutting me off. "Get some sleep, Katie." He leaned forward, bringing his hand to the side of my neck and pressing his lips to my forehead. "Goodnight," he murmured before turning around and making his way back downstairs.
"Goodnight."
***
It felt like I only slept for a minute before my eyes were assaulted with bright sunlight streaming in through the crack in the curtains. Even though I was wrapped up in the covers, I found myself shivering.
I missed Niall.
Letting out a long breath, I pulled the covers off my body and threw my legs over the side of the bed. My headache from last night was now a dull ache in my temples, not fully gone yet. I reached over to the bedside table, pulling open the drawer and searching for the small bottle of Advil Niall always kept for me. I picked it up, only to notice that it was empty.
"Perfect," I muttered with sarcasm, tossing the empty bottle back into the drawer and shutting it closed. Maybe there would be some in the medicine cabinet. I climbed out of bed, made my way to the door and pulled it open, only to be greeted by the sight of Niall.
He was asleep, his back slumped against the wall, neck tilted at an uncomfortable looking angle and his arms crossed loosely across his chest. My heart broke at the sight of him. Had he slept there all night?
"I told him he could take Louis' bed," Harry's voice came from in front of me. I looked up from Niall, my eyes landing on an exhausted looking Harry, his tee shirt wrinkled and his sweats hung low on his hips. I wonder if he even slept. "He didn't want to. He insisted on sleeping out here because it was closer to you."
"He said that?" I asked with shock. Harry nodded, a solemn expression on his face.
"He spent the whole night apologizing for being a dick and every other minute he was throwing up," he explained with a fond smile in Niall's direction. "I don't expect him to be drinking again anytime soon."
"So are you guys... okay?" I asked hesitantly.
"Of course," he shrugged. "He's like a brother. I can't stay mad at him." I nodded, silently letting out a breath of relief. I don't think I would have been able to live with myself if I had been the reason these two best friends ended up hating each other.
"Just... go easy on him," he said, his voice sounding strained. It was like he almost didn't want to say it. "You two... you're good for each other. He really loves you." And with a final smile, he made his way into his room, leaving me alone with Niall.
I stood there, speechless. Was it true? Did he really think Niall and I were good for each other. Did I think we were good for each other? I mean, of course I did, but after all that has happened the past few days, was this all really worth it?
"What are you doing to me," I mumble quietly, kneeling down beside Niall's sleeping form. I brought a hand up to his pale face, flicking the few strands of hair out of his eyes. "Niall," I whisper, not wanting to wake any of the other boys up. Niall's eyes flickered open, focusing on me for a while before a look of realization crossed his face.
"I'm so sorry," was the first thing he said.
Well that was quick.
"I don't even remember most of it but I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."
"Shh," I hushed, grabbing his hands. "Come on. Let's get you in bed." He stared at me in confusion, probably wondering why I wasn't giving him the silent treatment or something like that. I tugged on his hands as I stood up, and he followed closely as I opened the door and led him to his bed.
"I didn't mean it," he continued. "Whatever I said, I didn't mean it. I didn't know what I was saying-"
"I know, you were absolutely smashed," I said, cutting him off. I walked to his dresser, opening the drawer and pulled out a clean shirt, tossing it to where he was perched on the edge of the bed. "Change into this."
"Thanks," he murmured, bringing his hands up to grip his shirt at the back of his neck, pulling it off completely. "I really am sorry, Katie. For everything. Really."
"You already said that," I informed dryly, grabbing his shirt from his hands and tossing it into the hamper.
"I know," he sighed, "but I'm going to keep saying it. You didn't deserve that, no matter how drunk I was. And I'm so sorry, Katie." I nodded.
"Just don't do it again," I replied quietly, silently forgiving him.
"I won't, I promise you," he spoke, his eyes looking into my sincerely. We stayed like that for a little while, neither of us moving until I broke our gaze and looked over at the clock on Niall's nightstand, surprised to see it only reading six a.m.
"You should sleep for a few more hours," I commented. He looked absolutely exhausted. "You look like hell."
"I feel like hell," he emphasized with a small twist of his lips. I sighed, stepping away from him and taking a few steps toward the door.
"Get some rest, Ni," I called over my shoulder, pulling the door open.
"Where are you going?"He asked from his spot on the bed.
"I'll be back," I said before pulling the door closed behind me. I made my way to the kitchen, finding a new bottle of Advil in the medicine cabinet. I took a pill, hoping for it to kick in soon and stop the pounding in my head. Grabbing another two pills and a water bottle from the fridge, I made my way back to Niall's room, pushing the door open as quietly as possible in case he had fallen asleep.
"Come sit with me," Niall said as I turned away from the door, being greeted with the sight of Niall sitting up against the headboard of his king sized bed.
"I thought you were asleep," I said, walking over to the bed.
"It's hard to fall asleep without you next to me," he confessed with a sheepish smirk.
I pressed my lips together, urging myself to suppress my smile.
"Here," I said, after climbing onto the bed with him. I reached my hand out, placing the two pills of Advil in his palm and the water bottle in the other. He watched me, a smile slowly stretching across his lips.
"Have I ever told you that I love you?" Niall asked.
"Once or twice," I shrugged, ducking my head to hide my grin. Finally, it felt like I could breathe again. With all the drama behind us, we could start fresh. I relished in the newfound feeling of freedom, not having to worry about last night.
I felt his fingers brush against my cheek, sweeping my long hair behind my ear before leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss on my cheek.
"Well I love you," he whispered, giving me a peck on the temple before pulling away and popping the pills in his mouth, chugging down a mouthful of water.
"I love you too," I replied, watching his Adam's apple bob.
Damn, he's hot, I thought. Even when he looks like he's been dragged through hell and back.
"Stop staring," he said smugly, peaking over at me with a grin.
"Can't help it," I shrugged, falling back on the bed and pulling the covers over my head. "You're hot."
"Aw," he cooed with sarcasm. "How cute. So romantic."
"Shut up," I grinned, kicking his leg underneath the covers. "At least I'm being honest." And suddenly my smile faltered, thinking about what started this whole dilemma. I wasn't honest with him and went behind his back to meet with Reece, something I should have thought twice about before doing. I hadn't taken into account the effect it could have on Niall.
"And, by the way," I started, swallowing the lump in my throat. "I'm sorry too. For everything... the whole Reece situation. It won't happen again. I promise, from now on I'll be honest with you." Niall bit his bottom lip, and I could tell he was thinking about what I had just said, and what he was about to say.
"Katie," he sighed, rolling onto his side to face me, "I over reacted, okay? You're not obligated to tell me everything, you have your own life, no matter what relationship we have. I know that now. What you did was smart, and I know there's nothing else going on with you and him. I... it's just the thought of him even close to you that sets me off. He doesn't deserve your forgiveness."
"Everyone deserves forgiveness," I whispered, reaching for his hand and entwining my fingers with his. He grasped my hand tight, bringing my hand up to his face and pressing a kiss on my knuckles.
"You're amazing," he whispered, his blue eyes flashing all sorts of emotions. "You truly are."
I didn't know how to respond to him, so I didn't. Instead, I scooted closer to him, resting my head against his chest as his toned arms fell around my shoulders, pulling me in closer to him. We stayed like that for God knows how long before we both fell asleep, this time being ten times better than the last.
And the bed warmer than ever.
***
Something was vibrating.
My eyes snapped open, and I was face to face with a sleeping Niall, his arm wrapped loosely around my waist. The vibrating continued, coming from Niall's side of the bed.
"Answer your damn phone," I groaned, my voice thick with sleep. He only grunted in response, letting the vibrations continue to pulsate through the mattress.
"Niall," I groaned, louder this time.
"Fine," he grumbled, heaving a heavy sigh as he turned on this right, grabbing the phone from beside his pillow. I watched as he raised his torso off the bed, lifting himself onto his elbow and bringing the phone to his ear.
"Hello?" he asked, his voice thick and tired, making my hormones rage.
There is nothing hotter than the sound of Niall's voice in the morning, I thought smugly, a smirk making its way onto my lips.
"No, I'm just hungover as fuck, why?" he questioned, rubbing a hand over his face. I couldn't take my eyes off of him.
Damn, I thought. Who knew being around Niall could make me this concupiscent?
Fuck you, PMS.
"A meeting?" Niall sighed, noticing my smirk. He raised his eyebrow in question, still trying to pay attention to his phone conversation.
My smirk widened into a grin response.
"Yeah," he said into the phone, though I doubt he was paying attention; his eyes never left mine. "Listen, can I call you back?" he questioned into the phone, his voice husky. He shifted off of his elbow and rolled his body on top of mine, supporting himself on his elbows. His head dropped to mine, kissing my jaw, causing my stomach to erupt with butterfly's at his close proximity. He was close enough for me to hear the person he was talking to.
"No, Niall, this is urgent," a voice I didn't recognize hissed through the phone. It sounded like a woman.
"Okay, well hurry up," Niall huffed impatiently. He looked down at me, pupils dilating as he licked his bottom lip, biting it to suppress his grin. "I have things to do."
My cheeks flooded with heat as I watched his eyes turn dark.
"The meeting is in an hour," the lady said curtly. "You all must attend, understood?"
"Yes," Niall replied with a roll of his eyes. "Like every other meeting we've ever had."
"Oh, no," the lady said, "the girl comes too."
"The girl?" Niall questioned, his eyebrows furrowing.
"Katie."
Niall's eyes narrowed, and I looked up at him in confusion.
"Me?" I whispered. Why did I have to attend? I wasn't even part of the band, let alone did I have anything to do with their business.
"Why?" Niall asked skeptically.
"We will explain once you show up," the lady said, obviously not giving anything away. "Just make sure she's here. See you in an hour." And with that, the line went dead, along with the flirtatious mood that I so wanted to pursue.
"Ugh," Niall grunted, rolling off of me as he sat up, tossing his phone beside him. "Alright, get dressed babe. We have to leave in twenty minutes."
I sighed, pulling myself out of the sheets and crawling to the edge of the bed, only to stop when I felt a light smack on my butt. I turned back to look at a smirking Niall, completely caught off guard.
"Did you just smack my ass?" I questioned in disbelief. He grinned.
"I think I like you all worked up in the mornings," he chuckled, earning him a smack on the shoulder. He caught my hand, pulling me back so that I was pressed against his chest.
"We'll continue this when we get back," he said huskily, bending to press a light kiss to my neck, sending sparks down my spine.
"We'll see," I said smugly as I pulled away, turning around to grab some clothes presentable enough to wear to a business meeting out of my dresser and made my way to the bathroom.
"You're such a tease," Niall called, still sitting on the bed. I laughed, shutting the door behind me.
"Only occasionally."
***
"I wonder what it's about," Louis asked.
The boys and I had all been driven to the office building in one car. Apparently this isn't really a normal thing, so we were all confused as to why everything about this meeting seemed so secretive.
"I have no idea, Lou," I replied, waking in between him and Niall as we all made our way to the elevator. "They wouldn't even say why I had to be here. It's kind of nerve-racking."
"I'm sure everything will be fine," Liam said. Niall's hand found mine and I gripped it tightly, trying to relax.
It's only a meeting, I thought.
Before I knew it, we were being ushered into a bright conference room surrounded by massive windows, like the ones we had at the flat. The sleek glass table was huge, seating a dozen chairs on each side.
"Woah," I muttered, completely intimidated. I did not belong here.
"Vivian will be here in a moment," a young secretary said, motioning toward the table. "Have a seat."
"I'm missing out on important things for this right now," Louis complained, crossing his arms as he sat back into the large office chair.
"Like what?" Zayn asked with boredom. It seemed as if none of us wanted to be there.
"Sex," Louis said plainly, and my eyes widened. The boys just nodded, seeming unaffected.
No wonder he was so eager to see her last night.
"Good afternoon everyone," a lady said, her heels clicking noisily as she walked into the conference room. "Nice to meet you, Katie," she greeted, sticking her hand out across the table for me to shake. "I'm Vivian, One Direction's head publicist manager."
"Nice to meet you," I replied, giving her a firm shake before sitting back down.
"So, I'm sure you're all wondering why you were called down here," she spoke. The boys looked at her, waiting for her to continue. "It seems we have a problem." Vivian tapped away at her iPad before turning it to us. "The fans seem to think Harry is in a relationship with Katie."
"We know," Harry spoke up tiredly. "You informed me last night remember?"
"That's not the problem," Vivian replied. "The problem is that the fans are absolutely loving it."
"What?" I asked in disbelief. Last time I checked, fans hated when any of the boys were taken, let alone Harry.
"It's true, " Vivian verified, pulling up pictures of graphs on her device. "Obviously not all of them. But majority are in favour."
"So what?" Niall asked, and I could hear the agitation in his voice. He didn't like this one bit.
"It's good publicity," she clarified. "The fans are liking Harry with Katie. She's not like other girls we've seen him with." She turned to me, staring at me with her deep brown eyes. "You have an innocent persona. It's desirable, especially when paired next to Harry. It boosts his image."
I looked over at Harry and saw him shake his head. He didn't like where this was going either.
"Okay?" I replied with confusion. What was she trying to say.
"Taking all this into account, we've come up with a proposal," she said as she straightened up in her seat, pulling out a manila file from her briefcase.
"No," Niall said immediately. I looked over at him, shocked. "Absolutely not."
"Let me finish, Niall," Vivian said. Niall stayed quiet, crossing his arms against his chest as he shook his head. She turned to me, pulling a thick stack of papers that were stapled together from the file.
"Vivian, no." This time it was Harry who had objected. I looked at him in confusion.
This is why I don't belong here, I thought with dread. I have no idea what's going on.
"Boys," Vivian snapped, and I flinched. What was up her ass? "As far as I know, you don't have much of a say in this. It is up for her to decide."
"What's up for me to decide?" I asked firmly, having had enough of all this secretive talk. What was the point of bringing me here if they weren't going to tell me why?
"We want you to date Harry."
What?!
"Excuse me?" I asked, startled.
"We want you to date Harry," she repeated. I looked over at Harry only to find him sitting with his elbows resting against the arm rests, his head dropped in his hands. I didn't dare look at Niall; God knows he was seething.
"No," I refused plainly. "I mean, no offence, but no."
"You see, Katie," Vivian sighed, though it sounded like she couldn't care less about what I wanted. "It's not that simple."
"Yes it is," Zayn said, speaking up for the first time. "She said no; that's her decision."
"Yes, but there's more to it than just that," she explained, turning to face me again. "But first, I'd like to know your reason for refusing the proposal?"
Silence.
"I'm... involved with Niall," I stated, not knowing how else to put it. I hoped that what I'd just said wouldn't end up biting me in the ass. I saw Niall's head turn to me in shock, but I kept my eyes on Vivian's.
"Is this true?" she questioned, turning to ask the boys. Was she being serious? She didn't believe me?
"Yes," Niall said, and I saw a few others nod.
"Oh no," she tisked, shaking her head. "No, that just won't do. Not at all."
"What won't do," I asked through clenched teeth. She was really starting to piss me off.
"You can't date Niall," she said as if she was my mother. My eyes widened and I clenched my hands into fists as they rested in my lap. "Not after all those rumours and photos of you and Harry holding hands circulated the media. You can't just jump from one guy to another, the fans will think you're a slut. They'll never approve of you."
"Vivian!" all the boys exclaimed at once. At least I wasn't the only one she was pissing off.
"Just stating the facts," she said innocently, raising her hands in surrender. "And you all know it. If she comes out as Niall's girlfriend then chaos will strike. As of now, the fans think Katie is Harry's girlfriend. We just can't allow her to date another boy, it won't work. It will be detrimental to both your image and her's."
"Is there some other option?" Niall asked desperately.
"Yes," she said. "But I don't recommend taking it."
"What is it?" I urged. Surely anything would be better than having to pretend to date Harry for publicity. That completely went against my morals. I was better than that.
"You must disappear from the media."
"What do you mean?" Liam asked, looking as confused as I felt.
"She can't be seen with any of you anymore," Vivian clarified, and my heart sank. "She will be required to move out of your flat immediately. You all must cut off communication with her via social media."
"You can't just do that," Harry said angrily.
"Yeah, we're not just gonna kick her out of the flat," Niall almost yelled.
"That's not your decision to make," Vivian rebutted. "The flat was bought under our company name, not yours. If she doesn't move out, we are able to file a lawsuit against her." She looked at me then, eyes cold. "It's up to you, dear."
"For how long will she have to stay away?" Louis asked, his voice quiet.
"One year, throughout the entirety of your upcoming tour."
I dropped my head into my hands in disbelief. How did I get myself into this position? Niall put his hand on my back, rubbing slow circles as he tried to comfort me.
"What are the conditions if she takes the proposal?" Niall asked slowly, and my head snapped up to see him looking at Vivian in dismay.
"Niall, stop," I said, quickly. "I'm not going to take it."
"Maybe it would be better if you did," he said, his jaw clenching. "Plus, where else are you going to live? Residence applications are long over, you said so yourself."
"He's got a point, Katie" Vivian chirped, sliding over the stack of papers with a fancy looking pen on top. "This is the contract. I suggest you read it over. There are many benefits that come with accepting this offer. Of course, you will get paid. It's a rather extensive amount of money in my opinion, but nonetheless, it's something to consider."
"I don't want your money," I said, trying to control my anger.
"Well, there are other benefits. Publicity, free travel, global recognition. We could also negotiate if there is something else you had in mind," she shrugged, leaning back in her chair as she waited for my response.
"Just weigh out the benefits," she suggested as I thought it over in silence. "Two months of dating Harry could cover your entire tuition costs. You can travel the world for free. People already love you, but it will just keep getting better from here on out if you accept the contract. What's not to love?"
"The fact that I'll be living a lie," I replied, though her question was rhetorical.
"Keep in mind that you don't actually have to date Harry," she clarified. "You can keep your relationship with Niall- behind closed doors of course. Out in public you will be known as Harry's girlfriend."
I stayed silent, as did everyone else in the room. Was this contract worth it? I mean, even Niall was saying that it would be okay. And I know Harry wouldn't mind. But what about me? Would I?
"The contract will last for the duration of the One Direction world tour," she urged, motioning towards the pile of papers resting on the table in front of me. I picked up the pen, reading the first few lines of the first page.
Should I?
"Sign, or leave," she said, sending chills up my spine.
"The choice is yours."
*PLEASE READ! IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE*
NATIE FT. SEXUAL TENSION???
SO WHAT DID YOU GUYS THINK? This chapter had a loooooooot of Natie sexual tension (partly because I'm currently on my period so my hormones are messing with my writing and partly because IT'S VALENTINES DAY!) I made this chapter extra long for you all (6010 words to be exact), hope you appreciate it :) Also, I have two things to ask you:
1) What do you think Katie should do? Sign the contract with management or "disappear" for a while? Comment which option you think Katie should choose, the option with the most comments will be the option I choose!
2) I'm thinking of changing the cover for this story! I want to have a little competition, so if you guys would like to be a part of it, mail me a cover that YOU made for When in London and I will choose the best one for my story! My email is skylarjay.pen@gmail.com, good luck!
Happy Valentine's Day my loves! Give someone a kiss and tell them I told you to LOL. Stay safe!
~ Skylar xx