Guys, I'm so happy to have OVER 200 READS! Thank you so much! I know I keep saying it, but I really do mean it. Sorry if I haven't updated in a while, but this is the longest chapter I have ever written. Hopefully you guys will enjoy reading this chapter as much as I have enjoyed writing it. All the places mentioned in this chapter are REAL (I did my research), but please forgive me if there are any spelling errors (they are from Google). So please keep up your voting and commenting! I really enjoyed reading your feedbacks! Without any further ado, I present... Chapter 7!
-Elaina
P.S. My story will be a little bit different from Kristie's now. Just to clarify, there will still be parts of it that may be the same but I'm gonna be branching away slightly. Still it does not hurt to read her story "Be Your Burden" (bakerscoyne). So please go read it! Thank you very much
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CHAPTER SEVEN: FINDING THINGS
ELAINA'S POV
For the past six days, we've gone from Helsinki to Stockholm to Oslo, and now we're in Amsterdam. We were spending two nights here just like the other cities with a concert on the last night. Eleanor and Perrie have joined us on tour and the four of us girls have been hanging out. We've done so much sightseeing and shopping that all of us were bored out of our minds. The boys were restless: having so much energy but nowhere to spend it on. The bus pulled into the entrance of the hotel and we all clambered off wearily.
"I have an idea of what we should do," Louis announced suddenly as we waited in the lobby for Paul to give us directions. All of us looked at him eagerly. "Let's have a scavenger hunt with Polaroid cameras! Paul can be our referee! We can have five teams with two people per team! And we'll compete against each other. How does that sound?" he asked us, bouncing with excitement. We looked at each other and then back to Louis.
“Yes!” Eight voices cheered in unison.
Paul walked over to us, “Are you guys doing the scavenger hunt?” he asked.
We looked at Louis suspiciously who shrugged, “Paul came up with the idea.”
“So are you?” Paul persisted. We nodded obediently. He grinned, “Very well then,” he took out a piece of paper, “Since I’m serving as your referee, I have already determined your teams.” Everyone looked around at each other hesitantly. “Oh I’ll think you’ll find your teams very satisfying,” he smirked smugly. “Alright then, first team will consist of… Louis and Eleanor!” we clapped as Louis and Eleanor shared grins and kissed quickly in front of us. “Next team, Niall and Kristie!” Kristie beamed at Niall. I fidgeted nervously. “The third team will be Liam and Elaina!” Liam smiled at me and I felt my heart give a lurch. I thought back to Kristie’s confession about Liam liking me. How was it possible that he liked me? A broken girl from nowhere. I sighed quietly and moved to step next to Liam. He smiled down at me and I felt his big, warm hand grasp mine. I think the beating of my pounding heart was audible to everyone as I looked down at my feet and blushed. “The fourth team will be Zayn and Perrie,” Paul announced. “And lastly but not least, since you’re the only without a lady friend,” Paul winked at Harry, “You get to pick. Josh Devine or Lou, Lux and Tom,” he told Harry, waving at the four people behind him.
“Luxie!” Harry knelt down in front of the six-year old. “Wanna play a game?”
“YES!” shrieked the little girl in the pink dress, who held her arms up to Harry. Harry laughed and picked her up.
He ruffled her hair, “I think I’ve made my decision,” he turned to Paul. “Sorry Josh mate,” he addressed the drummer. Josh shrugged.
“Wait hold on!” Louis said, “Harry has three other people on his team! That’s not fair!” he protested.
“It’s fair because you guys haven’t heard the rules yet,” Paul said. He passed out sheets of paper.
THE RULES:
· All members on the same team MUST stick together: NO SPLITTING UP
· The only mode of transportation from destination to destination allowed is the bicycle.
· No use of smart phones, GPSs, or any other electronics for help. You may only use a paper map of Amsterdam, which will be provided. Phones are allowed for EMERGENCIES ONLY.
· You can ask the locals for help (directions, places, etc.)
· You must take pictures of the items or places required with a Polaroid camera. You must place the pictures in a yellow envelope. The Polaroid camera and the yellow envelope will be provided.
· If it doesn’t say take a picture, you will assume to take a picture
· Everyone will be expected back at the hotel no later than 7:30 pm
· The main point is to HAVE FUN so NO CHEATING.
· Stay safe
· Have fun
THE PRIZE: Winners will eat dinner tonight at the Restaurant La Rive; losers will pay for the winners’ feast! ;)
“If Harry’s team wins, you guys will just pay for the price of two people, while I’ll pay for the other two,” Paul said, answering our unspoken question.
“The La Rive!” Niall cheered. “Oh babe, we have to win!” he told Kristie. Kristie raised an eyebrow. “They’ve got the best food in Amsterdam!” he told her.
Kristie grinned, “You got me at food.”
“Alright, are you guys ready for the list?” Paul asked. We nodded eagerly. Again, he passed out sheets of paper.
THE LIST:
· Go to the Amsterdam Museum and find the 700 year-old shoes
· Buy a tulip at Bloemenmarkt (along the Singel)
· Rent a canal boat (rental places are listed on the map)
· Go rollerblading at Vondelpark
· Eat a raw herring at Stubbe’s Haring on the Singe Haarlingersluis
· Visit the Beijnhof
· Have lunch at Kantjil & de Tijger and order the rijsttafel (rice table)
· Visit Anne Frank’s house at Prinsengracht 263
· See the city’s oldest church, the Oude Kerk
· Have a stroopwafel at the De Bijenkorf (near Central Station)
· See the Statue of Liberty at the Restaurant De Kroonpins on Prins Hendrikkade
· Have some of the world’s best chocolate at Puccini Bomboni
· Pose with the 3-D representation of Rembrandt’s Night Watch on Rembrandtplein
· See the narrowest house in the world at Singel 7
I skimmed the list and glanced shyly up at Liam, who looked like he had been given a free day pass to the amusement park. My heart thudded loudly when his eyes met mine. Maybe it is time to move on, I mused. After all, I’m hanging out on tour with One Direction for heaven’s sake! It couldn’t hurt to have a little bit of fun, I assured myself. Liam grinned at me like a little kid and I could see the excitement in his eyes. Before I could stop myself, I smiled back at him and his grin got wider. Who knows? Maybe this is exactly what I need. “I hope you’re good at reading maps,” he whispered to me.
“I hope you can bike fast,” I whispered back. What is this? Am I flirting? I haven’t flirted with a guy in… so long. So very long.
He grinned mischievously and I swore my heart skipped. Or stopped. Or both. “We’ll see,” he murmured. “Depends on how much you want to win.”
“I can assure you, Mr. Payne, I’m a very competitive person,” I replied, winking at him. Flirting. I can do this. I silently cheered.
He raised an eyebrow, “Oh? Well it seems like you’re in luck, miss, I happen to be a very competitive person also.”
“So does that mean we’re going to win?” I countered cheekily. He only smiled back at me before reaching for my hand again. The weight of his warm hand in mine felt like standing at the end of a diving board. Positive. Hopeful. And maybe just a bit uncertain. And strangely, I liked the feeling.
“Alright, here are the materials you need,” Paul handed each team a black backpack. “The maps, cameras, envelopes, and money are all inside,” he told us. “Now come with me,” he gestured toward the hotel front doors. We followed him outside where a row of colorful bikes was lined up. Four pairs of bikes and a group of three bikes waited. All of us picked out our bikes. Lou strapped Lux onto a bike seat. We got ready. “Any last minute questions? Comments?” Paul asked.
“We’re gonna win!” Niall and Kristie cheered.
“You’re gonna lose!” Louis and Eleanor shouted back.
“And we are going to win!” Zayn and Perrie called out.
“Guys, don’t even try, we’re obviously going to win!” Harry’s team jeered. Liam and I kept quiet, sharing the same secret smile.
Paul laughed. “Alright take out your maps, you have a minute to confer with your teammates on the first place to start out at,” he commanded.
Liam dug out the map from the backpack and I spread it out. “Where do you want to go first?” he asked. I scanned the list again.
“Canal boat,” I whispered, pointing at a rental place not far from the hotel. He grinned and nodded. I rested the plastic map on the handlebars of my bike.
“Are you guys ready?” Paul asked. We nodded. He checked his watch. “I expect you guys to be back here in thirteen hours. Have fun and DO NOT CHEAT, got it?” We all nodded obediently again. He took out a whistle, “3…2…1…” He blew the whistle hard and all of us started in different directions, cheering and laughing.
“I hope you know where we’re going, you’re leading after all,” Liam teased as we rode steadily side by side. The city of Amsterdam was just starting to wake up, since it was about seven in the morning; the streets were not very busy.
“I don’t know, am I?” I gestured to him, “You’re next to me.”
He slowed down enough just so I was a little bit ahead. “Now you are. So you know where we’re going?”
I raised an eyebrow at him, “Do you doubt my map reading skills?” I asked.
“No, I was just wondering,” he was quick to reply. I shook my head at him.
A few minutes later, we arrived at a quaint little boat rental. “Tada!” I stuck my tongue at him.
“I never doubted you!” he protested as we locked up our bikes. We rented a paddleboat for half an hour. “Smile!” he held up the camera as I got into the boat. I grinned and waved as he took a picture. The picture popped out, and he shook it to make the picture develop. He bounded over to me and jumped in the boat. “Why Miss Elaina, don’t you look lovely,” he said softly. My cheeks burned at the compliment.
“C’mon, let’s get going, we have a lot of things to do,” I sang, as I checked off “Rent Canal Boat.” We paddled around in amicable silence as we pointed out random things and laughed at each other’s attempts to call the ducks over. All too soon, our half hour ended, and we paddled back to the dock.
“What’s next?” he asked as he helped me safely to land.
I scanned the list. “Chocolate sounds good… How about trying the world’s best?” I asked.
He grinned, “You had me at chocolate,” he answered.
I shoved the map at him, “Now let’s test your map reading skills,” I pretended to glare at him.
He laughed, “Alright,” he allowed, “I suppose it’s only fair that Daddy Direction gets to lead sometime.” He got us to Puccini Bomboni in ten minutes and I gotta say I was impressed. We got chocolate truffles and had someone take a picture of us eating our gigantic truffles under the store’s entrance as proof. After that, we found the 700 year-old shoes at the Amsterdam Museum, saw the oldest church, visited Anne Frank’s house, took a picture of the world’s narrowest house, visited the Beijnhof, snapped a picture of Lady Liberty atop Restaurant De Kroonpins, and posed with Rembrandt’s Night Watch. It was about 1:45 when we arrived at the Kantjil & de Tijger. “Spicy Indonesian Food,” Liam read the inscription on the doors. “Huh, are you up for Indonesian?” he asked.
I shrugged, “Even if I wasn’t, I still have to,” I nodded at the list in my hand. We still had five more things to do. “And plus, I’ve never tried Indonesian before.” I opened the doors just as Louis and Eleanor came out.
“Little late to the party, are we?” Louis asked, smirking.
“We’re almost done,” I said smugly.
“How many more?” Eleanor asked slyly.
“Well after this one? Four,” Liam replied triumphantly.
A flash of panic crossed their features and Liam and I shared the grin we’ve sharing for hours. “Don’t worry, we’re almost done too,” Louis laughed but Liam and I knew he was bluffing.
“Get the payment ready mate,” Liam advised him, wrapping an arm around me. For the first time ever, I didn’t freeze. I didn’t throw his arm off of me. Liam’s arm around me made me feel warm, comforted. Protected, even. He grinned at me and I felt the ever familiar lurch of my heart. Let yourself go honey, something inside me urged. And I did just that. I laughed merrily as Liam, with his arm around me, walked past Louis and Eleanor into the restaurant to enjoy our Indonesian meal. Lunch was fun. We took pictures of each other with our faces scrunched up when we ate things that were too spicy. “Where to now?” Liam asked, once we came out of the restaurant at 2:30, stuffed with spicy Indonesian food.
“Let’s go try the raw herring!” I suggested, noting the unchecked items.
He raised an eyebrow, “Now? After we just ate lunch?”
“Well we have two food ones and then we have to buy a tulip and go rollerblading,” I consulted the list. “And I don’t know about you but I would like to get the disgusting food out of the way first,” I wrinkled my nose. “And that includes the raw herring.”
“Good point,” Liam nodded. “Alright let’s get this thing over with.” We found the raw herring place and bought two herrings. “Ready?” he asked nervously, staring at the piece of raw fish on a cardboard plate.
I got the camera ready, “You first,” I snickered.
He grimaced as he held the slimy fish by the tail and dangled it above his mouth. “Eat it whole!” the vender cheered enthusiastically. Liam squeezed his eyes shut and popped it into his mouth in a flash as I took a picture, doubling up with laughter. He chewed slowly.
“Not…bad,” he managed to squeeze out, opening his eyes. He grinned at me, “Now you,” he handed me the other fish. I looked at his face to see what it really tasted like but he had composed a straight poker face. I wrinkled my nose at the smell and dangled it just like Liam did.
“I cannot believe Paul is making us do this,” I muttered, staring at the fish above me. Quickly I shoved the fish inside my mouth and chewed quickly. Urgh. The sliminess reminded me why I don’t eat sushi often. I contorted my face out of its grimace. “Next,” I managed to say.
“Shall we try the stroopwafel then?” Liam asked.
“Anything… but that again,” I agreed heartily. Liam laughed at my expression and led the way to a stroopwafel vendor. The stroopwafels were delicious and we savored them as we strolled along the marketplace.
We walked to the Bloemenmarkt where Liam picked out a beautiful sunset-colored tulip. “For you, my lady,” he said softly, handing the flower to me. I smiled at him as he took a picture.
“Alright!” I exclaimed. “One last lovely thing to do… Rollerblading!” I sang as I showed him the list.
“Think we’re gonna win this thing?” Liam asked as we hopped back on our bikes.
“We are going to win this thing,” I said confidently as we found our way to the Vondelpark and rented roller skates. “I’ll warn you though, I’m not good at rollerblading,” I admitted. “I know how to ice skate but I’ve never really picked up on rollerblading,” I laughed.
Liam stood up and held his hand out to me, “Then we can be clumsy together.” He smiled at me.
“Don’t let me fall,” I whispered as I hesitantly took his hand.
“I won’t let you fall” he said firmly.
“Are you sure?” I tried to joke. “Because when I fall, I tend to get hurt pretty bad.” He held tight onto me as I wobbled unsteadily.
There was some sort of raw emotion in his eyes but I couldn’t pick up on it. “I promise I won’t let you fall,” he told me seriously. I looked into his eyes. Warm. Brown. Sincere. “Trust me,” he whispered, holding onto my hand tightly. And somehow I got the feeling we weren’t talking about rollerblading anymore. “Now take a step,” he instructed softly, his eyes never leaving mine. Shakily I took a step and almost instantly fell flat on my face if not for Liam. He gripped me tighter. “See? I promised I wouldn’t let you fall,” Liam murmured. I suddenly realized that we were pressed together tightly, with his arms wrapped around me and his spicy cologne filling my nostrils. And then I realized something else. I didn’t mind it. “Alright I’ll take a step backward and you’ll take a step forward, ok?” I nodded. We started moving. And somewhere in the back of my dazed mind, another thought popped up. We were like dancers. His arms moved slowly from my waist to my arms, steadying me and I almost wanted to protest. Being in his arms made me feel safe, secure, and comforted. And I’ve never felt that way before. Comforted, yes, but I never got that sense of protection from Will as I did from Liam. “Are you ready for me to let go of one arm so we can both go in the same direction now?” Liam asked quietly.
I looked at him for a minute. “I think so,” I managed to say. Feelings clashed together in my head. What the hell was happening to me? Very slowly, he let go of my arm and faced the way I was facing. His arm snaked around my waist as he held me close. I almost forgot to breathe. We started out slowly as I tried to get the hang of it. Pretty soon we were zipping through the park. I smiled down at our intertwined hands and grinned shyly up at Liam. “This is fun,” I admitted.
Liam smiled, “I told you to trust me.” He whispered. My heart gave a hard throb. I was so confused. Should I be feeling like this? What am I feeling? We took a break on a park bench and I tried to sort out my crazy feelings.
“Excuse me” a voice called out with a slight accent. We both looked up to see an old lady shuffling closer to us. “Sorry to bother you,” she said softly when she reached us. “But I just couldn’t help noticing how much in love you both looked,” she smiled down at us warmly. “I’ve been watching you two and it warms my heart to see a love like yours,” she grasped our hands. “Please please don’t ever let that go,” she beamed at us.
The two of us were too shocked to even speak. “Um, we’re…” I tried to say something. Tried to come up with something to tell the lady that we weren’t together. But words wouldn’t come to mind. After all, love was like a dead concept to me. Love didn’t exist. All because a certain guy had let my heart shatter into a million pieces. He let me fall into a deep, dark void.
“Ma’am, if you don’t mind, would you please take a picture of us?” Liam suddenly said, producing the Polaroid. I tried sending him a very pointed look but he ignored me.
“Of course!” the lady exclaimed.
“Smile,” Liam whispered. “This is for the scavenger hunt that we’re trying very hard to win, remember?” He tickled me, making me laugh just as the woman clicked the button.
She handed the camera back to us, “Please don’t let that love go!” she urged as she walked away slowly. I examined the picture. The two of us looked happy. Like a couple. The thought popped into my head.
“Now, let’s win?” Liam grinned at me. I silently slipped the picture into the yellow envelope, with a strange urge to keep the picture. I handed the envelope to him.
“Yeah,” I grinned. “Let’s.” Something unspoken had happened between the two of us. We still biked the same way, laughing and cracking jokes. But when we waited for cars to pass so we can cross the streets, our fingers would brush against each other. We would smile at each other and then continue biking. His gaze would linger on me and I would sneak glances at him once in a while. Whatever had happened, it only made the feelings inside me more confused. By the time, we got back to the hotel, I felt like there was a tangled ball of feelings rattling around my brain. I glanced at the huge clock in the lobby. 6:42.
Liam casually held my hand as we made our way to Paul, who was lounging on the couches with a drink in hand. “Paul!” he called, swinging our hands between us. Paul looked up, surprise clearly evident on his face. “I think we’ve won?” Liam said.
Paul chuckled. “Well you guys are the first ones back, but I still have to check your pictures to make sure you’ve got everything,” he put down his drink. “Pictures please?” Liam handed the yellow envelope to him, excitement in his actions. Paul flipped through the pictures and got to the last one just as Niall and Kristie burst in through the doors of the lobby.
“PAUL!” Niall shouted, sprinting toward us and dumping their yellow envelope into Paul’s lap.
Paul laughed and slipped our pictures back into the envelope. “Sorry Niall and Kristie, but Liam and Elaina beat you guys,” he said, handing the envelope back to me. There was a split second of shock as I stared up at Liam before the two of us broke into a cheer.
“WE WON!” the two of us shouted. Liam crushed me to him, picking me up while I giggled like crazy. He finally set me down.
“We won!” He said again, laughing.
“I did tell you,” I smirked at him. He wrapped me up in another bone-crushing hug.
“Well something happened between the two of you,” Kristie muttered. “Finally.”
“Restaurant La Rive!” Niall wailed, “How could you!”
“Babe, I’m sure there are other places in Amsterdam that serve up good food,” Kristie comforted him while laughing. Lou, Tom, and Harry holding Lux’s hand ran into the lobby. Their faces fell when they saw us.
“We’re too late, aren’t we?” Lou asked. Liam and I nodded gleefully.
“Well Luxie,” Harry picked up the little girl, “How do you feel about pizza tonight?”
“I WANT PIZZA!” the little girl shrieked happily. Louis and Eleanor came running in, out of breath. They were followed closely by Zayn and Perrie.
“Great, everyone’s all here,” Paul said. “The winners of the scavenger hunt are Liam and Elaina,” He told us. Liam and I beamed at each other. “Which means,” He said slowly, “All of you guys will be paying for their winners’ feast at Restaurant La Rive,” Paul pointed at them. “The cost is about € 200 per person so € 400 in total! All of you will pay € 40,” he said. There were a lot of grumbling as everyone reached into their pockets, wallets, and purses to find € 40. They handed the money to Paul and he smiled. “You two better get ready for dinner,” he nodded at us. “The dress code is dressy!” he called. The two of us parted ways. I went to the room Kristie and I shared and he went to the room he and Niall shared. I changed out of my plaid shirt and shorts and went to take a shower. The tangled mess in my brain only got more confusing the more I thought about it. Sighing, I gave up and just decided to get ready for dinner. After all, one little night won’t clear out these feelings. I picked out a nice strapless dress (See insert on side ^_^) and curled my hair. I did my makeup lightly and sprayed my favorite perfume. I couldn’t shake off the feeling that I was getting ready for a date. Don’t be ridiculous, I told myself, you two are just going to dinner since you won the scavenger hunt; there’s nothing wrong with it.
“Have fun!” Kristie called after me as I walked out the door. “Let me know what happens!”
“Nothing is going to happen!” I called back. “We’re just going to dinner together, what can possibly happen?” Boy, was I ever wrong…
LIAM'S POV
I got ready for dinner, seemingly couldn't wipe off the stupid grin that has been plastered to my face throughout the entire day. I hummed cheerfully as I pulled on a pair of dark wash jeans. I wore a white shirt with a navy suit jacket and put on my favorite white Converse.
"Just ask her out," Niall said tersely. He was still bitter about losing the competition and hasn't spoken to me at all. Until now. That stopped my humming.
“Niall,” I said evenly, “I’m sorry that you guys lost,” I tried to say before Niall huffed at me and turned on the TV. I shook my head, sighing. There was no use arguing with Niall until he forgave me. “Niall, take Kristie to dinner at…” my voice trailed off as I tried to remember the restaurant that Niall had liked so much, other than the La Rive. “Restaurant Vermeer?” I asked.
Niall looked up, “Their veal sweetbread is so good!” he cheered up. He pulled out his phone and started texting Kristie. I grinned and headed out.
“See you later mate,” I laughed. I waited down with Paul in the lobby patiently for Elaina but deep inside, I was a nervous bundle of nerves. Questions like what we were going to talk about, what we were going to do, ran through my head. How I was going to act was the real question. Something had happened to the two of us during the scavenger hunt. What that something was, I wasn’t sure. But I found myself yearning for her touch. Craving it like a drug addict. I wanted to make her mine. Right then, Elaina walked out of the lift, smiling nervously and all my thoughts and worries went out the window. She looked stunning. I couldn’t help the way my feet raced across the lobby. Or the way I gently took her arm. Or the way I leaned down and murmured “You look lovely,” in her ear. She blushed and as we walked out to the waiting car, I thought I heard a tiny sigh slip through her mouth. Neither one of us is sure, I realized as I helped her into the car. It’s like standing near the edge of something, peering into the unknown while afraid to jump. Well then let’s see where this takes us.
My worrying was all for nothing. Conversation flowed between the two of us just like it did earlier. The food was excellent. The company was even better. I found myself staring at her, getting lost in her as she chatted animatedly. We laughed, we cracked jokes, and we talked about the most random things ever. Even when I thought we had exhausted every single conversation topic there ever could be, we managed to come up with more. I’ve got to make her mine. I thought fiercely.
ELAINA'S POV
Dinner was amazing and Liam was the perfect conversation partner. Still, I couldn't shake off the jumbled mess in my brain and I needed something to distract me. "Can we go clubbing?" I asked suddenly as soon as we finished our dessert.
Liam looked startled before composing himself. "I didn't figure you'd be the type to go clubbing," he teased me.
“I don’t know,” I said, “I just want to go dancing, partying.” I explained. “Maybe we should celebrate our win?”
Liam gestured around us, “Isn’t this our celebratory dinner?”
“Paid for by our friends,” I interjected. “I wanna go partying.”
He nodded, “Sure, I’ll call Paul and see what club we should go to,” he pulled out his phone. They exchanged a few words and then he hung up. “Alright, let’s go clubbing,” Liam grinned.
LIAM'S POV
I couldn't understand why she wanted to go clubbing, but I obliged. We stood in front of the trendy Jimmy Woo nightclub and the bouncer let us in effortlessly, paying no attention to the massive line. (A/N: Creds go to Kristie for providing this scene with music! ^_^)
"WHOO!" Elaina cheered as we took in the flashing lights, the dance floor, and the writhing mass of people. "C'MON DANCE WITH ME!" She shouted above the pulsing music, tugging me into the midst. David Guetta's "Where Them Girls At," started playing and Elaina started dancing. I danced with her before she excused herself to get some drinks. Shaking my head as "In the Ayer" played, I retreated to the edge of the dance floor as I watched Elaina dance to "Club Can't Handle Me." She was holding two drinks and I watched her carefully as she downed them. We danced. And danced. And danced. She had unlimited amounts of energy. Or maybe that was due to the countless drinks she's had. I lost track of her as the night wore on.
I then found her staring moodily into a glass of vodka soda at the bar. “Hey,” I said quietly, “Maybe it’s time to head back to the hotel?” I suggested, moving the glass slightly away from her. She didn’t reply but rather downed the glass and made the universal gesture for another at the bartender. “Young and Wild and Free” started playing in the background but Elaina made no move to get up dance. She only tossed back the vodka soda like it was water and gestured for more. “Don’t you think you’ve had enough?” I asked anxiously. She hiccupped and turned her eyes on me. “C’mon, let’s go back to the hotel,” I said softly, grabbing her arm. Suddenly, she burst into tears and rushed at me. Startled, I caught her and she sobbed in my arms. “Hey… Shh… what’s the matter?” I murmured, guiding her to one of the lounge areas.
She grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and gulped it down. “MY BOYFRIEND BROKE UP WITH ME” She shrieked. “THAT GODDAMN ASSHOLE! HE TORE MY HEART OUT AND DIDN’T EVEN GIVE A FUCKING SHIT. THE NEXT DAY HE GOT HIMSELF ANOTHER GIRLFRIEND. JUST BECAUSE I TOLD HIM I’M MOVING TO LONDON. HE DIDN’T EVEN TRY. HE JUST LET MY HEART SHATTER. FIVE YEARS! FIVE YEARS DOWN THE DRAIN! WHY?!” she wailed in a rush, slurring her words together. I was trying to process this information as red hot anger ran through my veins. I wanted to punch the slimy jerk for hurting her. She met my eyes full on and I had to catch my breath. She was breathtaking. Her eyes were beautiful. Full of hurt, but beautiful. Her long lashes framed her lovely brown eyes as she cried. Her lips looked redder then ever and there was a faint flush on her cheeks from all the alcohol. I reached out and wiped her tears away with my thumbs. “God, why does it have to hurt so much?” she cried. Suddenly she staggered up, tossed back another drink, and wobbled unsteadily. “I’m going to dance,” she mumbled. And she was gone before I could grab a hold of her. I searched through the crowd and after a few minutes, I finally found her grinding against some random guy. I had to fight down the jealousy as I reached for her. “LIAM!” she greeted me. “DANCE WITH ME!” she giggled, wrapping her arms around my neck. I dragged her away from the guy.
“I think it’s time to go back to the hotel,” I said firmly, grabbing her arms and pulling them down from my neck.
“But why?” she whined “IWANNADANCE,” she slurred, stumbling along me as I pulled her off the dance floor. “LEEEEEEEEEYUM” she dragged out my name, giggling. “DANCEWITHME” she laughed hysterically. I shook my head and tugged her out of the club.
“C’mon, we’re leaving,” I told her, stopping her frisky hands. I pulled her gently into the waiting van. Paul looked at us disapprovingly while Elaina laughed her head off. “I didn’t drink,” I told him. He sighed and started driving.
“LEEEEEEEEEYUM!” Elaina giggled. “YOU’RE SO HOT” she cooed. “HOT LIKE…” She searched for a word. “LIKE THE SUN!” as she broke into a fit of giggles again. I sighed; I shouldn’t have let her have that many drinks. When we had finally gotten back to the hotel, Elaina was reduced to a giggling, hysterical mess. I picked her up as she pointed out things and laughed uncontrollably. I knocked on the door of Elaina and Kristie’s suite. Kristie opened up the door and stared at us.
“What happened?” she finally asked.
“KRISTTTIE!” Elaina yelled, laughing in my arms.
“Oh my god,” Kristie finally realized. “Is she drunk?” She glared at me.
“Yes, and I have to take care of her. Can you stay with Niall tonight?” I asked patiently as I put giggling Elaina on a bed.
“KRISTIEILOVEYOU!” Elaina slurred and giggled uncontrollably.
Kristie sighed and grabbed her phone. “You better take care of her,” she shook her head as she closed the door behind her.
“KRISTIECOMEBACK!” shouted Elaina. I walked over to her.
“Hush, babe, Shh,” I murmured.
“LEEEEEYUM,” she laughed. “LEEEEEYUMILOOOOOOOOOVEYOUUUUUUUU” she sang. I froze for a second as I stared at her. The three hardest words to say just slipped easily from her mouth like water running over a rock. But, I thought sadly to myself, they weren’t true. She was drunk and… What was I thinking?! Why did I let her have so many drinks?
“Maybe it’s time for you to go to bed,” I murmured.
“MAYBEIFYOUCOMEWITHME.” She grabbed my shirt. I stopped her hands from unbuttoning my shirt. “IWANTYOULIAM” she slurred as she tried to pull off my shirt. I caught her wrists.
“C’mon babe, time to get you in bed,” I said gently.
“NAKED?” she giggled. I sighed mentally. We shouldn’t even have gone clubbing.
“I’m going to get you some water,” I said, pushing her gently off of me. I went to the kitchen area and poured a glass of water. When I walked back to her, she was sound asleep. I set the glass of water on the nightstand beside her and gazed down at her. Her tear-stained face pressed against the pillow, like she had cried herself to sleep. And it pained me when I thought about that. I caressed her cheek softly and kissed her forehead. I then wandered out to the balcony, shedding my suit jacket and looked over the blinking lights of Amsterdam and sighed, thinking back to what she had said earlier. So she had a boyfriend for five years and he broke up with her because she had to move to London. And apparently the next day, he got another girlfriend. That was what I had gathered from her rant at the club. My fist curled, just itching to hunt down that bastard and punch him. Wearily, I sighed and looked at her sleeping figure. She didn’t deserve this. All this pain. None of it. I could tell she used to be a lively girl. She showed that side today when she let her guard down. And I desperately wished she wouldn’t brace herself behind heavy walls. I walked back into the room and closed the curtains. I then put two Advil next to the glass of water. I sat on the bed next to her, looking down at her. God, I want so much for this girl to be mine. My thoughts wandered to the first time I saw her, sitting atop Kristie’s countertop, eating a chocolate cupcake. I had thought she was beautiful. Without a care in the world, swinging her feet and eating that cupcake. She didn’t notice us until Louis spoke up. And when she did, she didn’t fangirl. She had remained calm and had flirted with Louis. When she had smiled at me, I had remembered a feeling of peace. Though there was pain evident in her eyes, she had kept smiling and talking cheerfully.
“Liam,” her soft mumble broke through my thoughts. I glanced down and brushed her hair back from her face. “Liam,” she murmured, turning towards me with a sigh. I wiped my thumb over her tear-stained cheeks, sighing softly to myself. She curled closer to me and I wrapped my arms around her. I couldn't help the stupid grin working its way back on my face. Are you dreaming about me? I wondered. "Liam..." she sighed my name again.
“Shh… babe…” I murmured and couldn't help myself when I grinned down at her like a silly kid. I loved the way she said my name. I gently began singing “Heart on Fire” by Jonathan Clay to comfort her. She sighed contentedly in her sleep and pressed herself closer to me. I couldn't wipe off the silly grin on my face as I sang and watched her sleep.
I'm falling in,
I'm falling down.
I wanna begin
But I don't know how
To let you know,
How I'm feeling.
I'm high on hope.
I'm reeling.
And I won't let you go,
Now you know,
I've been crazy for you all this time.
I've kept it close
Always hoping
With a heart on fire,
A heart on fire.
With a heart on fire,
A heart on fire.
It was a crazy night. I sighed and drifted off to sleep. Who knows what will happen to us now?
ELAINA'S POV
I woke up, groaning. It felt like my head was going to split open. My entire body felt like it went through a wringer multiple times. The room was still dark and I was very thirsty. What the hell happened last night? I remembered going to dinner and then...hazy nothingness. I made out a glass of water and two Advil tablets on the nightstand. I eagerly drank the water and swallowed the two pills. "Urgh," I moaned as I stood up; dizzying nausea rippled through me.
Liam walked in, hold a glass of orange juice. "Feeling any better?" He asked softly, handing me the glass.
I swayed gently, holding my hand to my pounding head and groaned again. “What happened last night?” my voice was raspy and hoarse. I drank the orange juice in a rush but still couldn’t get rid of the dry feeling in my mouth.
“Well after the dinner, we went clubbing,” Liam said mildly, watching me carefully. “You just had too much to drink.”
I staggered to the couch. “That’s not…possible,” I whispered hoarsely. Liam raised his eyebrow. “I never drink,” I explained. “I hate the taste of alcohol.” I closed my eyes and groaned again, feeling like the room was spinning.
Liam pulled a soft sigh through his nose. “Just take it easy, ok?” he said, taking the glass from me and filling it up with more orange juice. He handed it to me. I drank it down greedily. “Don’t worry, I’m going to take care of you,” he whispered. I nodded weakly. He wrapped me up in his arms and it felt nice. But my head felt like there was a second heart in there. My mouth was a dry, parched desert. And a cold shower sounded really good now.
I sighed, “I’m going to take a shower,” I mumbled as I staggered off to the bathroom.
“I’ll call up some soup,” I heard him say as I closed the door. For the first time in my life, I got drunk. And it was so frustrating not knowing what happened. What the hell happened last night?