Niall carried me all the way down to his frat house, and put me down on the porch by the front door.
"You are so childish." I muttered and crossed my arms, still holding the clothes he gave me minutes ago.
"Go up to my room and get changed. Meet me in the backyard when you're done."
"What makes you think I'll obey you?"
He raised his eyebrows.
"You really need to learn that you're not allowed to talk back to me."
"But you like it when I do." I told him, thinking about the list Maya came me ages ago.
Well, not really ages ago, but still.
I saw the corner of his lip twitch as he held back a smile. Then he opened the door and pushed me inside. A few boys greeted me from the living room and I sighed to myself, heading upstairs.
Niall's point of view (finally!!!)
I watched as Sam went up the stairs and I turned to my mates in the living room.
"Okay, she'll be back down here in just a few minutes. I need you to make sure everything and everyone is ready when she gets back."
"And why should we do this? Because you're banging her?" Andrew asked, laughing along with Zayn.
"No, because I'm vice present and you have to do as I say."
He muttered something under his breath, but seconds later he got up from his seat and went into the kitchen to grab some alcohol. Zayn and Harry helped him get it all out in the backyard and I told Ted to go outside and start the music. I was about to send Louis upstairs so he could distract Sam if necessary, just when the front door opened and the girls stepped inside.
"She here yet?" Maya asked, as the rest went straight to the backyard.
"Yeah, upstairs. You got the neon paint?"
She proudly held up the bags.
"Good." I said. "Ethan will help you set them up."
Maya nodded and walked past me, but turned around again.
"You know... it's kind of sweet you're throwing a surprise party for Sam. She'll love it."
"I hope so. We've planned it all week." I said.
"No, you've planned it. I was just helping out a little." She grinned and disappeared outside.
I rushed upstairs, only to almost bump into Sam in the hallway.
She's so hot in that bikini
"I left my sweats in your room, even though I still don't understand why I had to change." She said.
"I was thinking we could go outside and maybe take a swim in the pool." I lied.
"You're up to something." She stated, sounding suspicious. "If it was something as casual as that, you would have told me in the first place."
"Okay, I was actually planning on throwing you into the pool, just because I'm an asshole." I grinned, hooking my finger around the belt loop of her shorts to pull her towards me.
My entire body was screaming 'kiss her!' so that's what I did.
In the middle of the kiss I heard the music started playing in the backyard, which meant it was time to surprise her.
"Seems like we won't be the only ones using the pool." I told her, and she giggled a little.
"That won't be a problem. I like your brothers." She said in a mocking tone.
"Hey, just because you live in that shitty dorm you don't get to make fun of our community and special bond."
She laughed again and headed towards the stairs, dragging me by the hand behind her.
"Yeah, I'm missing out on so much." She teased.
"I might have to throw you in the pool sooner than I thought." I told her as we walked down the stairs.
"You carried me all the way down here, aren't you tired of picking me up?" She asked, looking at me.
"I'll never be tired of picking up chicks." I told her, grinning and she smacked me on the arm just as we stepped outside.
She turned around and everyone yelled 'SURPRISE!' and she got scared enough to stumble into me.
"What the... what's all this?"
"I told you I'd throw you a huge birthday party, didn't I?" I mumbled in her ear.
"You did this?" She asked and looked up at me.
"Well, Maya helped me a little. But it was my idea, yes."
Her hand touched mine and she was about to either kiss me or do something else close to my lips, when her cousin came over with the tubes of neon paint.
"Which colour do you want?"
"What's this?" Sam asked.
"Paint that will make you glow in the dark once the sun goes down." Maya smiled. "So, choose."
"Green."
"I'll go get you a drink." I told her as Maya grabbed onto Sam's arm.
I walked over to the table Zayn and Harry had set up earlier today, where all the alcohol was now waiting. Louis was there too, talking to Kayla.
It's been a while since the two of them hooked up and I wonder if was because of Harry.
"So you managed to surprise her after all." Louis grinned as I grabbed two plastic cups from the table.
"Yeah. She had no idea."
"And a weekend in LA wasn't enough." Kayla smirked.
"You're just jealous." I told her and she glanced at Louis.
"If you could teach your roommate how to be romantic, I'd be very thankful."
"Not going to happen, love." Louis chuckled, sipping on his drink.
Kayla muttered something under her breath before walking over to Maya and Sam to get her stomach painted in blue.
"Sam is really something special." Louis said once we were alone by the table.
"I thought you were into guys now."
He glared at me.
"Geez Niall, care to said it even louder?" He muttered. "And I'm not gay. Just... exploring and leaning."
"Learning what exactly?"
"Oh, shut up."
I grinned to myself and took a sip from my cup.
My eyes fell on Sam once again. Maya had drawn yellow stripes over her arms and a green heart on her stomach. She was now painting Sam's chin and lips red.
"So, when are you going to move on to the next girl?" Louis eventually asked me.
"What makes you think I'll move on from Sam?"
He chuckled.
"Oh come on, you usually don't stay with one girl for this long. Mate, you took her to fucking LA to see a concert. I can't even afford pizza."
"No wonder why Kayla's tired of you." I teased him, causing myself to be shoved to the side.
"No, but let's be real for a minute. Sam is special, but not that special."
"What do you mean?" I asked with a frown.
"She's hot and everything, but her laugh can be quite annoying. And she's always talking, like, more than me. Her boobs are fine, but the rest of her body is kind of boring."
"Hey, don't look at her body that way." I warned him.
"I still like the female body." He grinned. "Okay, but I've noticed a bad habit of hers, which is irritating as fuck."
"You're irritating as fuck."
He shoved me to the side once again.
"She's always cracking her knuckles." Louis said.
"So?" I questioned. "Maybe she's getting ready to fight someone, someone named Louis Tomlinson for being an annoying piece of shit."
He glared at me, again.
"Can you stop listing her flaws? I like them." I said and crossed my arms, watching her with a smile. "They're kind of charming, don't you think?"
"Oh my god, you're in love with her!"
I snorted and glanced at him.
"I don't fall in love."
"But you have." He grinned. "And you're just too damn proud to admit it."
I was about to answer him when Maya made her way towards us with the neon paint.
"You're not getting away this year, Horan. Choose a colour."
I sighed and put down the two cups I was holding.
"Blue."
About an hour later I saw Sam talking to Liam, so I decided to join them. I walked over to them and placed my arm around her shoulders.
"What are you two talking about?"
"Actually, Liam were just telling me about a song you two wrote together."
I frowned, looking at Liam.
"What song?"
"The song you and I wrote with the help of Zayn a few weeks ago." He explained, but my frown remained. "Change your ticket?" He sighed.
"Oh, right! Yeah, we never finished it though." I said.
Behind us Louis called for Liam, telling him to join them in beer pong.
"Excuse me." Liam smiled at Sam and headed over to the boys.
Sam wrapped her arms around my torso and smiled up at me.
"I can't believe you threw me a surprise party."
"Believe it." I mumbled and leaned down towards her face, but stopped a few inches away. "Hm."
"What?"
"Your lips are painted in red and I'm pretty sure mine are still blue. Wanna make purple?"
She grinned and nodded, so I leaned in closer and kissed her. Out of old habit my hands went south and I carefully squeezed her bum, and she squirmed when I did.
"Niall!" She giggled upon my lips and tried to push me away, but I only pulled her closer and started to kiss her neck.
"Can you stay here tonight?" I mumbled against her skin.
"And share a room with Ethan and Louis? No thanks."
"I can kick them out." I suggested and leaned away from her neck to look her in the eyes.
"Or I can talk to Alex and see if she can stay at Chi Omega for the night. That way we'll have the entire dorm to ourselves." She said with a smug smile and tugged at the hem of my shirt.
I smirked back.
"Would you do that for me?"
"Yeah, since I rather sleep in my own bed than sleeping in the same room as three guys."
"Again, I seriously would kick them out of the room if you asked me to."
She smiled and pulled me closer.
"And where would Ethan and Louis sleep?"
"Louis can either crash in Harry's room, or with Kayla. Depends on if he's feeling straight or not tonight."
A frown appeared on her face.
"He should really decide on who he wants to be with, because Harry isn't himself anymore."
"I can talk to him about it if you want."
Her smirk was back.
"You are so whipped, and I love it."
She placed a quick kiss on my lips before letting me go. From a distance I could see Jesse staring at us and I started to wonder why I invited him in the first place. I still don't know if Sam has ended things with him or not, and I refuse to share. I've finally found a girl I really like and a guy like me doesn't find girls like Sam that easy. Jesse is a great guy and most girls would love to be in his company.
And god knows how freaking scared I am to lose Sam to him. Or just to lose her. It's only been a few months but I'm so damn scared to lose her. We're not official or anything and I don't want to put a label on what we have, not just yet.
"Come on, let's do shots." She said and took my hand to drag me over to the table.
"Why don't we do body shots instead?" I suggested, and she looked back at me with a grin.
And that's what we did five minutes later.
Zayn and I were smoking in the corner when Jesse approached us. I frowned to myself as he sat down across from me.
"Can I help you?" I asked.
Jesse shrugged, shooting Zayn a quick look.
"I just wanna talk."
"Let me guess." I said, exhaling the smoke in front of him. "This is about Sam."
He slowly nodded and glanced at Zayn again.
"Then spit it out, Adams. Your company is starting to annoy me." I said.
"I was hoping we could talk in private."
Zayn and I looked at each other, but none of us moved.
"Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of Zayn. He's not much of a talker anyway."
"Okay... I don't think you and Samantha should be together. It's not going to last."
"So?" I shrugged. "I'm not gonna end things with her just because you have a crush."
"You do know she kissed me just a couple of weeks ago, right? And we went on a few dates too, before you came along."
"What's your point?" I asked and sighed.
"My point is that I think Sam and I have something. I care about her."
"Well, here's a newsflash for you. I care about her too."
"So tell me, do you see a future with her?" He asked and placed his elbows on the table.
"What kind of question is that?" I asked while taking another drag of my cigarette.
"A question I would like for you to answer." He simply said.
"I'm gonna answer your question with another question." I said and leaned closer, just so I could exhale the smoke right in his face. He annoyingly waved it away, and I grinned because I managed to piss him off at least a little.
"Do you even know Sam? You're kind of pathetic for liking someone you don't know."
"I probably know more about her than you think. Actually, she once told me how extremely annoying she thinks you are. So again, the thing between you two won't last that long."
I just stared at him for a couple of seconds. And he smirked.
"You're too fucked up for her, Niall. Spare her the pain and walk away with the tiny dignity you still have."
Then he stood up and left.
"I never thought Jesse was such an ass." Zayn mumbled once we were alone again.
I snorted. "He's just jealous and sad that he lost."
"Lost?"
"Yeah, I won. I got the girl."
Zayn frowned.
"Are you just fooling around with Sam to piss him off?"
"What, are you crazy? Of course not, I like her."
"Maybe he's right though. You are kind of fucked up."
"So just because I'm a screw up, I don't deserve to be happy?"
"That's not what I'm saying."
He put out his cigarette in the ashtray in front of us.
"Then fucking explain it to me why you're taking Jesse's side."
"Mate, I've seen her drawings. She has depth." Zayn said and looked at me. "You're a black hole and you refuse to share stuff. I've known you for over a year now, but it's like I don't know anything about you. Sam on the other hand... she's like an open book, if you understand her drawings. I sit next to her in class and she's always telling me about her background and goals in life. You're my brother, but a pretty messed up one. That's why I think Jesse is right. Do you really want Sam to tell her grandkids about the guy in college who screwed her over? Anyone with an eye for art will be able to see her pain in her drawings."
"So Sam has a soul and I don't. Great, thanks."
I threw my cigarette away and stood up from my seat. Zayn asked me to stay, but I ignored him and headed inside. Sam and I made eye contact from a distance, and seconds later she was inside the house with me.
"Hey, what's going on?" She asked, tugging at my arm and I could hear the concern in her voice.
"We need to talk."
I headed up the stairs with her closely behind. We entered my room and she sat down upon my bed.
"Niall, you're acting weird."
"I just talked to Jesse and Zayn. They think I'm bad for you."
"So?" She said with a laugh. "I don't care what they think."
She stood up again and went over to wrap her arms around me, but I stopped her.
"Maybe you should."
A frown appeared on her face.
"It's just..." I sighed, trying to find the right words. "You deserve someone better. Someone who will understand your drawings, someone you can plan a future with."
"Are you fucking serious?" She asked me, sounding a bit upset. "I deserve someone better? Can you please tell me where I will find someone who will take me to LA for my birthday to see my favourite band at a concert? Someone who will let me fall asleep in his car and then carry me inside? Someone who will stay the night just because I ask them to?"
"Why don't you tell me if you see us becoming a thing? A thing that will last in the long run?"
She stayed quiet.
"That's my point. You should start looking for someone to settle down with, because it's not going to be me."
Then she started to laugh.
"I'm nineteen and you're telling me it's time to find the person I'm gonna marry? You're crazy."
"You once told me you wanna move to the suburbs and shit. I'm sure Jesse would make a great husband and would love to buy you a house, so you can gossip with your neighbours over your white picket fence."
"Why would you drag Jesse into this? And why are you suddenly talking about the future? I have three and a half years left of college; you have two and a half. Niall, we're not even official, so you know it's too damn early to be talking about this."
"I'm just saying-"
"No!" She interrupted. "Just stop. We're young and we've just started... I want to say 'dating' but we're not doing that so... Do you want to put a freaking label on what we are, or are you going to back out because of what Jesse and Zayn told you?"
"I'm not backing out... completely."
"Completely?" She asked, slightly raising her voice. "Just tell me what you're feeling because I'm done with guessing."
"I can't, because I don't know what I'm feeling Sam, okay? One second I want to fuck you against a wall and the next second I want to hold you in my arms until you fall asleep. It's fucked up, what we have. And neither of us wants a fucked up relationship, so we better end it before it goes too far."