(Liam’s POV)
Niall had just stumbled into the studio. He always showed up late. He looks like he just rolled out of bed. “Hello Ni!” I call out to him and give him a warm smile. He walks towards me with the same blank expression on his face.
“Tired?” I ask as he plops down on the couch. “Yeah. I didn’t sleep well last night. I had too much on my mind.” He stifles a yawn as he struggles to say the words. “What were you thinking about?” Claire was the first thing that popped into my mind. “Claire… and Josh, and this stupid paternity test.” The news that Claire was pregnant came as a shock to all of the boys and I. Niall had told us one day while we were recording. It was a day I couldn‘t forget for many reasons.
Niall had just arrived at the studio from being at the hospital. The rest of the boys and I were already there. We were all supposed to be there all day, but Niall said he had something important he had to do. Management was pissed at him, which was expected. We were really pushing to get the album all recorded.
“Hey guys.” He said quietly to us. He had seemed sadder than usual. We were all just starting to think that things were getting better for him. “Niall, is everything okay?” I asked him as he took a seat beside me. “I’m fine, really. I’m just a bit preoccupied.” He looked down at the ground, not really focusing on anyone in general. He had let out a gust of air and a loud sniffle. He definitely was not fine. “Niall…” I trailed off.
“Claire is pregnant.” He finally looked at me, tears brimming his eyes. I thought he was over that crush on her. He shouldn’t be upset that she was having Josh’s baby. “It might be mine.” He added.
My mouth dropped, along with the other lads. It had been totally unexpected. “H-how did this happen?” Had Claire cheated on Josh? Did Niall and her do this before she had gotten together with Josh? A million questions ran through me head. “Josh was ‘dead’. We had no clue he was still alive. She needed me. I made her feel better.” Niall explained quietly.
I had been really hoping that management weren’t listening in on our conversation. “What are you going to do?” Louis asked. We all just sat there quietly, watching Niall. He looked up at us with a sad expression on his and just shrugged.
I’m brought back to the present by the sound of Niall’s voice. “I’m scared out of my mind.” He mumbles. “And Josh has the nerve to say that even if it is my baby, he’s going to be a part of it’s life. I think I have some say in that, don’t you think? It’s not all just up to Claire.” Niall fumes, his voice rising slightly. “Do you want it to be your’s?” I ask. He never really told me how he felt about the situation. Only that he wants to help Claire as much as he can.
“Don’t make me answer that, Liam.” He shoots and then turns away. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting it to be yours, but just remember that Josh, the guy Claire is madly in love with, just happens to be your best friend. He has feelings too.” I say hoping Niall would think rationally about all this. It would be just like him to let his anger and jealously get in the way and something would happen, like it did when we were on tour.
I was pretty unsure about what Niall felt for Claire, but something told me that he had something for her that he didn’t want to admit.
(Claire’s POV)
It felt great to be able to be myself around Josh again. It was something I missed greatly those weeks he shut me out. His touch was also something I missed. Just sitting close to him made me feel better. I just needed to know he was there.
The next morning, after our dinner with Niall, I sat at the kitchen counter drinking a cup of tea. “Morning.” Josh smiles at me as he walks in sleepily. “Good morning honey.” I say as our eyes meet. Weirdly, I felt closer to Josh than ever. It was like our time apart brought us together.
“I was thinking about something…” He trails off as he sits beside me after pouring a cup of tea himself. I raise my eyebrows. “Did Niall seem weird yesterday or what…?” He says thinking almost my exact thoughts. “Yeah, I noticed that. Did he say anything when you talked to him while I was making dinner?” I hadn’t really talked to Niall yesterday, considering he basically refused to join in the dinner conversation and then left soon after we ate.
“He mentioned the paternity test.” Queue eye rolling from Josh. “He said he wants to be a part of the baby’s life, if he turns out to be the father.” He looks down at the speckled countertop awkwardly. We never really brought up the fact that there was a possibility that Niall could be the dad. “Did you see the way he was looking at us yesterday? It was like he was revolted by seeing us happy.” I say remembering the look on his face when he walked in on me and Josh kissing. “He probably was just taken back a little. He wasn’t expecting that.” He says. I nod my head, thinking about how true that was.
Maybe that’s why Ni was being so weird. He just needed to get used to Josh and I being like a couple again. And if he didn’t loosen up a bit, it would be an awkward hell of a lot of weeks.