LONG AUTHOR'S NOTE THAT YOU NEED TO READ:

1. comment on this chapter, and okay, so i was REALLY cryptic on my end author's note last chapter. i'm fine, it's just that some things happened on my vacation. mistakes were made and things have changed with my sanity but honestly, it'll be alright in time.

2. also, i have a question; how would you guys like to watch me write a chapter of HR108 (and do a lot of other stuff bc let's face it, i multitask)? i found a site where you guys can watch what i do on my screen i think it would be cool to do, you know? would you like it? or would it be boring af?

3. one more announcement; though this book is nowhere close to done, i can happily announce that i have a sequel planned! i'm announcing now because if we do the screening of the next chapter, i'm 99% sure you'll see the sequel in my works lol

time skip: 3 weeks
chapter twenty-nine

N.J.H.
With Thanksgiving long gone, the only thing that's on my mind is Christmas. Christmas is my favorite holiday of all, mostly because my family lets me have this holiday to myself. I spend every other holiday with them, and this is the one I get to spend with whoever I please. It sounds sad, but it's just the way my family operates successfully.

Plus, I'm happy; the circumstances have led me to spending the holidays with my very own Harry Styles. His company is only granting me with better and better things. I feel ten times more elated with every day I spend with him. We spent an entire weekend decorating his house for festivities and it's putting me in a very celebratory mood. It's getting close to Christmas Eve, which means I also have to start shopping for Louis.

"Well," Harry says, interrupting my thoughts as he comes in with his mail, "look what I've received."

He holds up his father and Tiffany's wedding invite and I groan outwardly. I had completely forgotten about them until he mentioned it. The invitation is decorated with white and pink striped laces and what looks like a happy couple.

"It's on March 12th, in...Ocho Rios?"

"Wait," I get up quickly, "Ocho Rios, as in Jamaica?"

"It seems to be," he laughs, "I guess this is where they've decided to get married, at Riu."

"I may just go so we can visit Jamaica," I say.

"If you got invited," Harry reminds me, "You aren't on good terms with the bride or groom."

He keeps reading the invitation and suddenly his face lightens up.

"What?" I say in confusion.

"If you don't get invited, guests are allowed to bring a plus one."

"Good," I mutter sarcastically, "I'll be your date."

"Ha," he chuckles, sitting on the couch and wrapping a sleeve covered arm around me, "you wanna go though? I dunno, it could go wrong, especially with our relations with them. If--"

"Harry of course I wanna go," I answer for him, "though, it'll be a lot of money."

"That's the best part," he laughs, "They're paying for all the guests!"

"Oh my god," I snatch the invite from his hand, "You've gotta be kidding."

"No lie babe," he reads the card aloud, "we will be paying for every guest attending, so RSVP as soon as possible."

"We're going," I say quickly, "A free trip to a resort in Jamaica? Absolutely."

•

"Lou," I repeat, "what do you want for your birthday?"

"Zayn's dick," he mumbles, "but he's really playing hard to get with me so unfortunately I don't think I'll be having anything, good day."

"Hey!" I grab his wrist as he tries to walk away, "don't you dare storm away from me!"

It's the 23rd of December, the day before Louis' birthday, and he has yet to give me a single hint about what he wants for his birthday (other than the fact that he wants Zayn's cock). I have no idea what he could want, since Louis is a person of many personas and likings. One day he could be into hardcore rock and the next bubblegum pop. He's unpredictable, and maybe it's one of the reasons I wanted him to be my best friend so badly.

"You know what..." Louis mutters suddenly, "I know what I want; to get revenge."

"On who?" I ask.

"Who do you think? Shahid."

"What? Louis," I stress, "I thought you already did."

"That was Zayn being a gentleman,"he continues, "I wanna really hit him where it hurts. You know, he's supposed to be accepting some stupid award for valor and honor. I wanna crash it."

"How did you even know about it?"

"One of my stupid interns told me. I fired him right after he told me."

"Oh my god," I sigh, "is this what you really want?"

He nods innocently and I fish my keys out of my pocket, caving towards the love of my best friend,

"Where is this place?"

"Uh...Manhattan."

"Manhatt--Louis that's literally an hour away!" I whine, "Are you kidding?"

"I'm sorry!" he apologizes again, "But please please please?!"

•

"This is crazy," I whisper as we pull into the club one hour and fourteen minutes later. Louis is jumping up and down in his seat giddily as I stop the engine.

"This is going to be so great," he says, "sweet sweet revenge."

"How do you suppose we get in?" I ask, eyeing the bouncer in front of the door, "he doesn't look very nice."

Louis glances at him, eyeballing him up and down,

"He's gay. I can tell."

"How?"

"He checks out every guy walking his way, but not a single girl."

"Huh..." I say, "so, what do you think we should do?"

"Leave it to me," he replies quietly. Louis opens the car door, puts on his sunglasses, and strolls out. It suddenly occurs to me that Louis is an extreme flirt. He might actually pull this off if he plays it right. I follow him, anxious of what's to come,

"Hey," he says as he steps up to the bouncer, looking him dead in the eyes, "we don't have tickets, because we missed the deadline, but do you think we could go in?"

"You know I can't do that," he mutters gruffly, "just leave before you make me angry."

"Or," he repeats, "I can blow your mind later tonight."

The bouncer's eyes widen as he takes two small pieces of paper out of his pocket; tickets.

"Right after the show, got it?" he says.

"Yeah yeah," Louis sighs, "thanks."

He grabs my arm and drags me inside, slipping his sunglasses off the top of his nose.

"That...was something." I say.

"It helps when you're an expert at breaking hearts," he explains.

"Huh?" I say.

"I've trained myself not to wear my heart on my sleeve," he continues, "It's too risky to leave myself out there for anyone to take."

"Oh," I say, remembering Louis' hints of vulnerability. The club is dimly lit, with a pretty large crowd. There's no way all these people came to see that idiot of a man. Though Louis' plan, whatever it is, seems to be well thought out, I'm worried about how he'll feel if it ends up failing to his dismay. It'll crush him if he gets humiliated.

We both enter the room where the event is being held. and the first people we see are Shahid and his small clan of followers.

"This is the guy that you want to wreak hell upon?" I ask, looking at him strangely.

"I mean...yeah."

"Really Louis? You're wasting so much of your time and energy on this guy? Look at him just-- look at him. Just the way he sits shows me that you're twenty times better than him."

"Niall," Louis folds his hands together, "it's not that simple--"

"Tomlinson?!"

Oh no...

"You're kidding! What are you doing, stalking me?!"

Louis' entire face goes pale and for the first time in years, I see a hint of weakness etched on his features. His eyes shrink, the corners of his mouth turn down and his fingers begin the quiver.

"This was a bad idea Niall," he mumbles quickly, "why did you let me do this?"

"Because it's what you wanted," I mumble back, "and now we're screwed aren't we?"

Louis nods and hangs his head as Naughty Boy approaches us with his group,

"You know, I haven't gotten you back for the pub," he says, pushing Louis back slightly with his fingers, "Dunno why you're showing your face around here."

"Hey," I step in front of my friend, slapping his fingers off of his chest, "hands off dude."

"What are you, his new bodyguard?"

"Try lifelong," I threaten, "you don't get to him unless you go through me."

"Fine," he chuckles, "then I will."

His fist sinks into my jaw and I fall to the floor, pain circulating throughout my entire body. It hurts like hell, but it's the last thing I want him to see.

"Hey!" I hear Louis exclaim from above me. I scramble to sit up on the floor, upset that I couldn't do more to stand up for him.

"Why the hell did you do that?!"

"Because anyone that's a friend of yours has to be a little pussy. I'm just toughening him up a bit--"

Glass breaks and I jump at the sharp sound of Shahid landing on top of a table. Louis is fuming, his hands clenched in fists and anger bellowing through his body.

"You bastard!" he screams, "You fucking dare punch my best friend in the face?! You actually fucking thought you'd get away with that scott free you jackass?!"

I stand up frantically, watching as Louis leaps on top of him, throwing fists left and right. I start to cheer him on, happy that he's finally giving him what he deserves, until I see one of the men take a gun out of the side of his jeans.

"Shit!" I shout, grabbing the gun and throwing it to the side, "Louis we need to go now!"

I grip his wrist and drag him out of the club quickly, heading straight for my car. He shouts protests at me and curse words and the men chasing us down, but I can't pay attention to either. All I can think about is how this was a huge mistake and that we may die if we don't get out of here.

"Niall what the hell?!"

"Louis that guy has a gun," I tell him sternly, "Get in the car or I will throw you in the car."

He jumps in at the same time as me and I rev the engine, speeding away as quickly as possible.

"Oh my god..." he says, "Ni I'm so sorry, I didn't even realize our lives were in danger. I was just so mad--are you okay?"

"I'm okay," I say, holding my cheek as I continue to drive at a fast pace on the empty country road, "but Louis you can't just do something like that without being careful."

"I know, I'm sorry, it's just that he makes me so mad because he thinks he's just this god that can do anything he wants without considering anyone else. Niall he's gonna take everything I've worked for from me. I'm losing the copyright case, even though it's a total fraud. I'm running out of options and all I've wanted to do since this entire event started was seek revenge."

"Lou," I continue, "why are you gonna stoop down to his level? The Louis I know would have let him do whatever the fuck he wants. The Louis I know would let Naughty Boy wreak his havoc but make his wrath stronger than ever. Louis, you used to elegantly show people who the true boss is without trying. What happened to my best friend?"

I look down at the clock, noticing what time it is,

"Hey," I say to him, "it's 12:01."

Louis laughs a little, looking at the clock with me,

"Happy Birthday Lou," I tell him, "you're 23 now. I really hope you'll mature a bit."

The radio hums quietly in the background as Louis raises his fingers to his teeth, biting his nails.

"You still do that?" I tease him. He smiles shyly and nudges my shoulder playfully. Both of us lean back into our seats and sit in silence with the wind whipping in our ears and through our hair until Louis speaks up again.

"I love you Ni, you know that, right?" he asks, his voice soft in volume, "You're a good friend, I hope you know that I don't take that for granted."

"Yeah," I tell him, reaching over and squeezing his thigh, "I know you don't. And I'll always love you Lou. I don't remember a time when you weren't there for me."

•

After dropping Louis off at his house, I drive to Harry's to spend the night. I want to leave Louis alone with his thoughts for awhile, just so he can get his head straight. I knock on the door, not loudly because I know he's still awake. The door opens and Harry's smile immediately forms into fear as he looks at me.

"What happened to your face?!" He exclaims, rushing me inside and looking at my bruises,

"Louis thought it would be smart to go threaten Naughty Boy face-to-face," I explain, "I'm fine."

"Oh my god," he whispers, holding me close, "I wish I could've done something."

"It's okay," I repeat calmly, "I'm okay."

"Ni..."

"I'm fine babe."

Though he stops protesting, I know in his mind he's still telling himself it's far from okay.