Chapter 33         Charlotte POV            Day 55 of Tour: New York City

“I was a PLAYER when I was little! But now I'm bigger, I'm BIGGER! A heart breaker when I was little-!”

I threw a pillow over my face and moaned, “LOUIS TURN THE MUSIC OFF!”

“I’m bigger, Charles. And you and all those haters look SO SMALL from up HERE.”

I growled.

I squished the feather filled thing to my face even tighter. The sound was barely muffled.

“Come on, Charles! I’m making some foooood!”

Well okay then! He could have just said that to begin with.

I sat up and hoped down from my tall bed. I wandered over to Lou and looked over his shoulder as he made us some peanut butter sandwiches. I smiled.

“Can I turn down Bieber?” I asked him.

“Eh,” Louis pretended to care.

I turned on Bruno Mars and then lowered the volume on his IPhone. The Lazy Song played throughout our room.

I shuffled in my green socks over to the table. I pulled myself up into a chair and stared out the window. “What time is it?”

“Seven.”

I sighed. “That’s really early, man.”

“Yeah but we only have what, like one day left together?” Louis gestured at me with a limp piece of bread. “So we’re going to make the most of it.”

“Oh yeah…” I tried to hide a smile. “We won’t be seeing each other for a while…”

Louis looked at me funny. “You’re being weird, Charles. What’s up?”

“Nothing,” I tried to cover my tracks as casually as I could. “I’m not being weird you’re being weird.”

“Suuuure,” Lou laughed. “Now come on, spit it out.” He looked over at me from where he was making our breakfast. “Did this have something to do with you and Niall?”

I bit my lip and nodded.

“Okay… about your little date last night?”

Hesitantly I nodded again.

“Oh my God,” Louis stated dully. “OH MY GOD!” He shrieked. “I knew you guys were up to something up there on that rooftop in the middle of the night-”

“Louis-”

“God I can’t believe it. I lost a bet to Hazza. I can’t believe I owe the bastard twenty.”

“Louis-”

“No don’t apologize. I’m just a little shocked. You both seem so reserved, you know. Huh. On a roof? Was it uncomfortable?”

“LOUIS!”

He stopped talking for once. I took a deep breath and then continued, “That’s not what happened.”

“So you went back to his room?”

I slapped my forehead with my palm. “No Louis. Nothing happened last night. Nothing like, that anyway.” I smiled a bit. “I talked to Niall last night. About moving. I’m moving in with him.”

Louis grinned.

The door in between mine and Niall’s room suddenly flew open. Zayn came in wearing his boxers. “Louis did you take my new pants? I just had them.”

“Charlie’s moving in with Niall!” Louis blurted.

Zayn looked from Louis to me. “Really?” He asked. I nodded with a smile. “THAT IS AWESOME!” He ran up and tackled me in a shirtless hug.

“GROUP HUG!” Louis screamed and joined in. I was being squished.

“What’s going on here?” Niall stuck his head in the open door and smirked.

“Huggy time Nialler,” Louis explained. “Come on handsome Irish boy, you know you want to.”

Niall sighed. “Fine.”

He jumped down and wrapped his arms around us.

“Now isn’t this nice?” Louis said. “Everyone’s all huggy and it’s all at the same time-”

“BEEP! BEEP!”

“My food!” Niall pushed off and ran back into his room at the sound of his microwave.

Zayn looked up at the table where his stolen pants were sitting. “My PANTS!” he took off as well, clutching the jeans to his chest. “You’re a thief.” He pointed at Louis and exclaimed.

“She did it!” Louis tried to use me as his scapegoat.

“They aren’t my size!”

The door between our rooms was clicked shut. I looked up at Louis with a smile. “Can we eat now?”

“Yes, Charlie Sheen. Let us eat.”

 **************************************************************************

It was that same day but much later in the evening. We were all huddled in Niall’s room in a circle of pillows and blankets that had been put up in attempt to build a fort. The boys were singing acapella to the chorus of I Wish after I had said the words in sarcastic context. But I liked it when they sang, so I just sat back and watched.

Louis started to get weird with the marshmallows. He chucked them down Liam’s pants. They all started to cackle, making them off key. I laughed.

I leaned back on the ground and stared at Niall. I saw his eyes wander to Harry, his mouth making silent words. With a knot in between my brows I tried to catch his sentence. Harry mouthed something back and then they both smiled.

“What’s going on?” I asked them.

Harry pointed at Niall to explain. “Well, I have a surprise for you.”

I sat up. “A surprise?”

“Yeah you know, to strike or occur with a sudden feeling of wonder or astonishment.” Zayn said sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes.

Niall stood up. He reached a hand out to me. “Come on, you’re surprise is somewhere else.”

I stared up at him unsurely. “I don’t always like surprises, Niall…”

“Do you trust me?”

I stared into his two blue diamonds and nodded. As I rested my fingers in his hold he hoisted me up off of the ground and led me to the door. The rest of the guys followed behind us.

“Should I put something else on first?” I looked down to my casual outfit and asked. I wasn’t sure if a baggy Lane County Fair shirt and old Ugg boots were appropriate attire for the occasion.

“You look perfect,” Niall told me. He guided me into the elevator and pressed the lobby button.

“This is weird,” I mumbled.

“You’re weird,” Louis shot back.

I giggled.

“Sorry this part isn’t all, Harlequin romance book mysterious or anything.” Niall apologized. “We were going to do it earlier… but there was a bit of an issue. So that’s why I’m not prepared.”

“That’s okay,” I said. I tried to imagine what the heck was going on.

The double automatic doors slid open. Niall took my hand in his and led me to a big couch. “Can you sit here for like, five seconds?” I nodded. “Perfect.” He bent down and kissed me. “Thanks love, you’re the best.”

As they all took off I sat down. I laughed and shook my head. Those boys were crazy. And a little disorganized. I stared down at my lap and bit away at my lip that was just starting to heal. I started to realize how my bad habits were starting to dwindle. The talking to myself, the lip biting, all that crying, and the rambling…

Someone tapped me on the shoulder. I looked up to see a pretty young hotel employee smiling at me. “I’ve been told to escort you to the banquet room.”

I smiled, “Thank you.”

She led the way down a narrow hallway. The lady opened the door and ushered me in. I came into the pitch black room.

“I think this is the wrong-”

The lady left without a word, closing the door behind her.

I reached out to pull the handle.

It was locked.

“Shit,” I mumbled. I looked over both of my shoulders. There was absolutely no sign of human life in that creepy room. I could barely even see my hand in front of my face. Just as I was about to slam my hand against the door something flashed behind me.

I turned around.

A tiny stage was being illuminated in the center of the room.

One by one twinkling red Christmas lights started to flick on. They hung from the banisters and barely missed the top of my head.

I wandered over to a single stool that stood a few feet from the empty stage. The moment I sat down the lights went dark again. I held my breath and waited to see all of One Direction standing in front of me holding microphones.

I threw my hands over my mouth and laughed.

A band started to play. After a wink and a smile they started to sing a song I’d never heard. Liam started first, holding the mic to his mouth.

“Baby, I, I wanna know

 What you think when you're alone.

 Is it me? Yeah.

 Are you thinking of me? Yeah, oh.

 We've been friends now for a while.

 Wanna know that when you smile.

 Is it me? Yeah.

 Are you thinking of me? Yeah. Oh, oh.”

Harry came in next:

“Girl, what would you do?

 Would you wanna stay

 If I were to say...”

They all sang the chorus. The words rang around in my head as I tried to memorize every one of them.

 I wanna be last, yeah,

 Baby, let me be your,

 Let me be your last first kiss,

 I wanna be first, yeah,

 Wanna be the first to take it all the way like this,

 And if you

 Only knew.

 I wanna be last, yeah,

 Baby, let me be your last,

 Your last first kiss.

Niall’s solo rang out true and sweet.

“Baby, tell me would it change?

 I'm afraid you'll run away.

 If I tell you what I've wanted to tell you.

 Yeah...”

The rest of the song was a blur of sweet words and my own tears as I sat there and listened. I knew the history behind everything that was being said. And I knew it was for me.

My heart was done for.

I sat on that uncomfortable little stool with my hands covering my mouth. I tried to wipe the tears as they fell from my eyes.

Niall’s gaze never strayed from me throughout the entire thing. I laughed and shook my head, unable to form any solid thoughts except for the fact that I was truly, madly, deeply in love with that Irish boy.

He wrote me a song.

HE WROTE ME A FREAKING SONG!

As the music died out the boys all shared corny cheers and fist bumps. Niall jumped from the stage and ran to me. I dropped my hands and swung them around his neck as he picked me up into his arms. He held onto my back. I made some sort of noise in between a laugh and a cry as I buried my face into his chest.

“So you like it then?”

I nodded my head up and down. “Niall I love it. I love the song and I really love you.”

His hand went up to the back of my head. Niall held onto me tightly as we stood there under the twinkling lights. I didn’t know why, but I just kept crying. As the musicians and the boys left us alone the happy tears kept flowing. Niall just smiled and kissed the top of my head.

A slow song started to play out above us. It was The A Team by Ed Sheeran. Niall carried me up to the short little stage and plopped my boots onto the ground. Before I had the chance to wipe my tears he had done it for me, his fingers resting on my cheek. I closed my eyes and leaned into his touch.

Niall took my left hand in his. His hand wound around my waist and landed on the small of my back. I draped my arm over his shoulder. I smiled at him.

Without another word we started to sway to the beat. I rested my head against him, letting myself forget everything but that moment right then and there. He folded our entwined hands and tucked them between our pressed bodies.

“I love you Niall,” I said quietly. In fact, not only did I love him: I loved every little thing about him.

I had the sudden urge to tell him everything.

So I did.

“I love the song. I love the band. I love your accent, your smile, the way you always call my mom mam. I really love your laugh Niall. No one can laugh like you,” I let myself giggle before starting up again.

“I love the sweet things you do for me. I love how you call your family every day,” I said and watched his silent face. “I really love how I can always tell you anything and know you won’t ever judge me for it. I love how you can pick me up when I’m down. I love how you hold a pencil, I can never hold mine right.”

Niall smiled.

“I love how we can sit together and talk about absolutely nothing but yet at the same time discuss everything. I love the way you love your fans. I love how you bounce your legs in interviews. I love your music… I love it so much.” I felt him looking down at me but I kept my eyes closed. “I love you Niall. I really do.”

Niall kissed me then. And it gave me the best feeling in my entire life.

I felt loved.

Niall suddenly pulled away. “Now it’s my turn.”

“You don’t have to say anything-”

“I do. And I will, Charlotte because I have a hell of a lot to love about you,” Niall gazed down at me intently.

His lips were delicate and soft as he told me, “I love your eyes. They’re like two giant chocolate stars. I love your manners, and how you’re always so damn nice to everyone. I love your secret obsession with Disney stuff. I love your giggles. I love your hands,” Niall looked down at our fingers. “They fit in mine like their made just for me.”

I smiled.

“I love your smile. That smile… you have no idea how good that smile makes me feel, babe. When I’m having a bad day and all I think about is how much longer until I get to see that smile.”

 I blushed and looked to the ground.

“I love how you bite your lip. I love how you always have to watch every episode of The X Factor the night it airs. I love how you’d rather be sitting in the stands watching football than out there playing it yourself. The fact that you like to eat your sandwiches with crisps in them? I love that.” Niall leaned down to whisper in my ear, “Because I love you. And every little thing about you.”

I looked up into those blue eyes of his. “Niall,” I said. “Don’t ever leave me.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

Before his lips crashed against mine he whispered, “Because you’re my last first kiss.”