She waited, staring at Kimmie with wide eyes. Waiting for her to laugh, squeeze her shoulders and for her to say, "I'm kidding!" but she didn't. The poor drunk girl only looked more horrified as the words were said aloud.

Jaime tried to imagine Parker and Kimmie together. The eccentric, blue-haired girl and the ever-so-charming Parker, lip locked. It was hard to imagine and even took a great deal to conjure up the image of those two.

Wasn't Kimmie annoyed by him when they first arrived? Hadn't she called him an over dramatic fool, he was stupid and that he was annoying?

"Wait, I thought you didn't like him," she said, rubbing her temples as a headache formed.

"I don't - I mean I do... I mean... I don't know, honestly," Kimmie looked just as confused as Jaime as she leaned against one of the porcelain sinks. "He was charming and nice to me. We danced for a while and he bought me a few drinks afterward. Then, he kissed me right before he went on stage. I just..."

Jaime stayed silent, waiting for Kimmie to say something else. She had a troubled expression on her face and looked as if she were deep in thought. It was a few minutes before she said something.

"I don't know, Jaime. Parker is annoying. But he's also a gentleman when no one else is around and a total goofball. There's an entire side to him nobody else sees. He confuses me. Have... have you ever felt this way about anyone?"

Kimmie looked up at Jaime, that troubled expression still on her face.

"I..." Jaime had planned to say no, but the word yes was right on her tongue. She had to bite down hard in order to keep herself from speaking.

The attraction she held for Louis, that much was apparent to her. But was it more than that? Had she truly started to develop feelings for him? The answer to her question was the stutter of her heartbeat.

"Yes."

"What do I do, then?" she asked, desperate.

"You wait till you're sober," Jaime said, suppressing the urge to giggle. She adored Kimmie, even when she was drunk. The girl could always be overthinking things and doing it while she was drunk was probably not a good idea. "Wait until tomorrow and then decided if you have feelings for Parker."

The relief was visible on Kimmie's face. Her shoulders sagged as she blew out a sigh. She then proceeded to throw her arms around Jaime, embracing her tightly.

"Thank you! You're a lifesaver, Jaime!" Kimmie exclaimed.

Pushing Kimmie away a few inches, Jaime chuckled. "It's no big deal, I'm happy to help. Now, why don't you get a glass of water from the bar and I go back to Louis? Sound good?"

The blue-haired woman nodded her head, grinning from ear to ear, and the two of them walked out of the girl's bathroom. Kimmie stumbled her way to the bar while Jaime squeezed around people to find Louis right where she left him. His attention was now on Ariana.

Uncertainty crossed her mind, her steps faltering. He looked annoyed, scowling as his hands animated as he spoke to Ariana. The redhead looked just as irritated. Her arms were crossed against her chest and she had a defiant expression to her face, her chin lifted up slightly and her eyes narrowed.

Whatever the conversation was about, Jaime knew not to interfere.

And so, she waited patiently while listening to the music that was playing from the speakers, always glancing out of the corner of her eye every few minutes. The conversation between Louis and Ariana lasted a long time, enough that Jaime was wondering if she should simply walk up to them or wait until they were done.

Just like a few minutes ago, Jaime glanced in Louis' direction, expecting him to be arguing with Ariana still. Only they weren't arguing. Ariana was on the tip of her toes - or, well, heels - with her lips pressed against his while his hands were on her shoulders.

Jaime turned away sharply and weaved her way out of the dancing crowd, eyes burning with unshed tears. She pushed her way forward until she was no longer bumping into strangers. Then, she was safe to find an abandoned spot in the club.

Jaime took a moment to cover her face, breathing deeply. Just a moment - that's all she needed to take a breath and compose herself. She shook her shoulders, as if that could get rid of the pesky emotions. And then, she was okay. Imaginary brick walls were built around that vulnerable heart of hers, enough that she'd be okay for the rest of the night.

She turned around to head to the bar to get water only to see Liam. His hands were shoved into the front pockets of his jeans and a tight smile on his face. Jaime's heart fell. He saw everything from Louis' kiss with Ariana to her running like a coward. Her cheeks turned a bright pink.

"You all right?" he asked, a corner of his mouth turning up slightly. "Saw you run and wanted to make sure you weren't too upset."

The words that came out of her mouth next were slightly bitter and sarcastic. "Well, it's obvious, isn't it? It doesn't take a genius to understand."

Crap, she thought, regretting the words the second they escaped her mouth.

"I'm sorry, it's just..."

"I understand," Liam said. His smile was kind, knowing. He didn't seem that upset by the bitterness in her voice. "Why don't we go to the bar? You must be thirsty. I'll buy you a bottled water."

Although she wanted to object to him buying her something, she knew the underlying meaning in those words. He meant he wanted to talk to her - most likely about Louis. After all, Liam was his best friend.

The two of them twisted themselves into the crowd, weaving around people to get to the bar. They managed to weave themselves several feet away from Louis and Ariana. Jaime managed to keep her eyes from glancing in their direction.

Liam ordered a beer and a water.

"Thanks for this," she said when the beer and water were slid towards them. He shrugged his shoulders, a corner of his mouth lifting into a half-smile again. "And I guess you didn't just want to buy a bottle of water, did you?"

This time, he smiled guiltily, like he'd been a child caught sneaking into the cookie jar. "You do realize Louis isn't like anyone else, right?"

She nodded her head. "Of course I do. It isn't hard to see that."

"I don't mean because of the music and fame. He is one of the most genuine people I've come to meet. Even through our rise to fame, he still stayed true to himself. Not once, not one second, did he let the fame get to him. He's still that same kid he was all those years ago, but with a little extra added in."

Jaime knew all this, though it was nice to hear it coming from someone else. Someone much closer to him.

"He's had plenty of girlfriends, but do you realize why they never lasted long?" Liam asked, nursing the beer in his head.

Nervous butterflies began to fill her belly, her heart thudding loud in her ears. Should she be hearing this? Was this something his best should be telling her? Regardless, she shook her head.

"Because he didn't trust any one of them," he lowered his voice so that no else besides the two of them could hear their conversation. "He'd tried to trust his girlfriends, but he couldn't. And that alone spoke volumes to him, so in the end he'd always dump them. The exception to that though is Ariana. She's... she's a different story."

Jaime's cheeks darkened considerably.

"I still don't understand," she said, taking a swig of the water.

Liam chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm saying he cares about you. Don't let Ariana make you think otherwise. She's always had a hard time letting Lou go."

Again, her cheeks darkened. Did that mean Ariana had initiated the kiss between her and Louis?

The corners of Liam's mouth turned up into a smile. He'd gotten his point across without really saying the exact words. He wasn't interested in Ariana, nor had he wanted to kiss her.

-

Jaime wove through the crowd again, searching for Louis. She'd already seen Ariana, who was dancing with someone else, and quickly moved on, hoping that Ariana hadn't seen her. After five minutes, she found him by the stage, talking to Parker.

Suppressing a sigh, she forced her way to his side. He was always talking to other people when Jaime finally managed to see him again. First with Ariana and then with Parker.

"...I would appreciate it so much, man. Please," Parker said when Jaime was close enough to hear. He'd even gone as far as attempting the 'puppy dog look'. At Jaime's angle, it was a very good attempt.

"But you promised me I wouldn't have to," Louis objected.

"I know, I know. But the band isn't showing up! I need you to play for a little while, just to please the crowd. Tommo, I'll owe you one. Name anything and it's yours."

"How about a swift kick in the-"

"Except that."

There was a long pause.

"Fine," he huffed, crossing his arms.

Parker punched the air with a closed fist before giving Louis a quick hug. "Thank you so much. You're a lifesaver. Ten minutes!"

Jaime stepped forward when Parker had disappeared. He looked visibly upset, running his fingers through his disheveled brown hair while pacing back and forth.

"Are you all right? What was that about?" Jaime asked.

He lifted his head at the sound of her voice, a slow smile spreading across his lips. He stopped pacing.

"Oh, nothing. Parker wants me to perform a few songs, that's all," he said, brushing it off with a shrug of his shoulders.

But Jaime didn't give in so easily. "You sure? It didn't sound like you were happy about it."

He sighed. "I don't like performing at my friends' parties. It's not something I've always enjoyed, so I make that very clear when I'm invited to a party. But Parker..."

Is his best friend, Jaime finished silently. It made her think of Macy and the length she would go to make her best friend happy. The guilt started to seep in when she remembered her lack of contact and how worried they all must have been. After all, she barely said a word to anyone before leaving.

She gave him a slight smile. "I understand. He's your best friend."

Then, he changed the subject. "So where have you been? I mean, after Kimmie talked to you. I saw her five minutes later at the bar, drinking water, but not you."

Jaime blushed and ducked her head for a moment, her hair shielding her face and acting as a curtain. "Oh, uh, you were with Ariana. It looked like a serious conversation, so I gave you space. And then Liam struck up a conversation with me."

This piqued his interest.

"Really? What about?"

She shook her head though. "Nothing important. He just bought me a water."

Jaime wasn't quite sure if that conversation was supposed to stay between her and Liam or if it was okay to share with Louis. It seemed like it was a conversation she wasn't supposed to repeat. So, she kept her lips zipped tight.

Louis dug in his pocket, fishing out his phone. He glanced at it for only a second before shoving it back inside. "So, what do you say after I'm done singing, we get out of here? Go get some food and head home?"

At that precise moment, her stomach rumbled loudly. A blush darkened her cheeks as she nodded her head. "That sounds great."

He smiled, the spark reaching his blue eyes.

And then, someone was calling his name to the stage. Without saying another word, Louis climbed onto the stage and got behind a microphone.

Jaime stood back with the rest of the crowd, watching curiously as a few other people climbed onto stage. A couple of them she recognized as Harry and Liam, but there was a blond she'd never met before. All of them stood in front of microphones. When a few minutes passed, they managed to grab more people's attention. Jaime could feel the rowdiness of the crowd, people shoving, shouting, and their restlessness.

Just as people around her were shoving others around even harder, music began to play out of the speakers followed by a voice shortly after. It was loud, clear and the perfect mix of high and low while just a little bit raspy.

For a moment, Jaime was absolutely stunned. She knew that Louis was talented and good at what he does - he had to be for him to have so many fans - but hearing him sing confirmed everything. He was amazing.

The three others had just as much talent as Louis and when they sang together, they sounded amazing. It wasn't hard to see why Macy was such a fan of them.

The first song was upbeat and had gotten the crowd pumping. The second had a more pop-feel to it. And the third was less upbeat than the first two. This continued, the beat of the songs becoming less and less upbeat. It wasn't long before Jaime understood what they were doing. They were calming the crowd down. And successfully.

She looked around and noticed everyone was considerably less rambunctious. Most of them were enjoying the music and dancing along or at the bar, drinking. Smiling to herself, she turned back to watch One Direction sing.

Throughout the time on the stage, Louis would glance her way and the corners of his lips would lift into a small half-smile before he turned back to the crowd. Then, sometimes, he'd shake his already-disheveled hair. Jaime could see that he really did enjoy singing, despite the fact he was singing as a favor for a friend.

After a while, the performance came to an end and music blared out of the speakers. Louis disappeared off the stage and appeared beside Jaime a couple minutes later.

"So, what did you think?" he was grinning from ear to ear, his shirt a bit wrinkled and sweating.

"You're very good. I can see why you have so many fans," Jaime murmured, a half-smile forming.

It was easy to see why Macy adored One Direction so much, why she rambled on and on about him while Jaime half-listened, why she had every single album and had his posters on her walls - now in a box underneath her bed. Because when they performed, they were charming, handsome and could easily steal a woman's heart.

"Thank you," he said, hooking his arm around Jaime's shoulder. "Now why don't we get out of here? I talked to Parker and he'll take care of Kimmie and her car. Did you leave a jacket in her car?"

Jaime shook her head. "I didn't even bring mine with. It's still at her apartment with the rest of my clothes."

"All right, hold on," he said and disappeared into the crowd. He appeared with a dark jacket hanging over his arm. "Here, wear this."

Jaime held the jacket with both hands. It was cold leather. It was the jacket to Louis' outfit.

"Won't you get cold? Are you sure?"

"I have a sweatshirt in my car for emergencies. I'll be fine."

Slipping her arms through the jacket, she let Louis lead her towards the club exit. Jaime felt a rush of relief when she realized soon she'd be nowhere near the revolting stench of booze and sweat. And, of course, food would be in her stomach.

-

A moan was suppressed as Jaime took a bite of the cheeseburger. A burger joint had caught their eye on their way home, and both of them were too hungry to argue. Greasy burgers and french fries had been the first thing out of Jaime's mouth when it came to order.

Two more bites and Jaime set the burger down to munch on her fries.

"This food is so good," Louis muttered. "We should have ate something before we left."

Jaime nodded in agreement, but couldn't regret coming here. The food was delicious, hot and the waitresses were kind.

For the first ten to fifteen minutes, the duo were so focused on eating and filling their bellies, they weren't that bothered by the lack of conversation between them. It was only until they felt they were satisfied with food that they began to talk.

"So, how was tonight for you?" he asked after he took a sip of his soda.

Despite Ariana's hostility, it was a fun night. Not only did she get to dance with Louis, but she met his friends, had the chance to see an up close performance and talked with Liam.

"It was amazing," Jaime murmured. "Your friends do seem nice, though, Liam particularly."

A curious eyebrow raised on his face. "Oh, really? Why do you say that?"

Jaime smiled a genuine smile as she remembered that conversation between she and Liam . "Oh, Liam just seems..." it took her a minute to gather the right words. "He seems like an honest, genuine and kind man. It's nice to see a guy like him."

He gave her a little half-smile as he said, "That so? Then what kind guy am I?"

She chuckled. "How about I'll tell you later?"

"No, no way," Louis said as he shook his head.

"I pinky swear."

And to prove it, she held out her pinky finger to him as an amused smile played on her lips. He raised an eyebrow, a silent challenge, for a moment before giving in and wrapping his pinky around hers.

"Now you can't go back on it," he laughed as he leaned back against the seat, their pinkies untangling from each others.

"I wasn't planning on it," she said, smiling at him.

The conversation fell, but it wasn't awkward. Jaime took this moment to glance at Louis. True to his word, he had a gray pullover sweater in his car and was wearing it over his dark blue shirt. Instead of looking like he came out of a club, he looked like he was out with a friend for a late-night dinner.

But, Jaime, was wearing heels and the little black dress hidden underneath the leather jacket. Zipped up, it seemed to make her smaller inside the jacket than she already was. It was two sizes too big and the sleeves covered her entire hand, fingertips included.

All the while, she popped warm, seasoned fries into her mouth until she was beginning to feel full. Then, she took a large sip of her soda before initiating conversation, asking something that genuinely intrigued her.

"So, what's the deal with Parker and Kimmie?" she meant to ask this question casually, hoping it came off that way. "I mean, it's something Kimmie said to me in the bathroom, and I was just wondering if they were always..."

"Flirting with each other, doing these little dances and stepping away?" he finished, an amused smirk playing on his lips.

He knew exactly what those two were up to and didn't seem all that surprised Jaime asked about them. He laughed a bit loudly before leaning forward, speaking quietly.

"Those two have been like that since they first met. Arguing, bickering, and almost never getting along, but flirting and doing these little dances before they back off and repeat the process all over again," he said, shaking his head. He made a face. "It's been like this for years and now I'm tempted to shove those two into a closet until they understand they have feelings for each other. I swear, those two can be so dense."

"Haven't you ever tried to interfere, maybe get them together a little sooner?" Jaime asked.

Louis laughed once, unamused. "Yes, but it doesn't do me or them much good. It sets them five spaces back than what they were at previously. I just learned to leave them alone and let them understand their feelings."

Jaime did have to return this dress and the heels back to Kimmie, after of course it was sent to the dry cleaners. Maybe she could influence Kimmie towards Parker a little bit. Just a smidge, it wouldn't hurt anyone. Would it?

He saw right through her though.

"Don't even think about it," he pointed a finger at her, his eyes narrowing. "I've tried many, many times. It doesn't ever work with those two. They're stubborn as hell."

Jaime couldn't help but roll her eyes. "It's different than me talking to her. I'm a girl, I can persuade her a lot more easily than you can."

Sarcasm rolled off his tongue. "Yeah, okay, if you're the expert then."

Conversation rolled on easily from that point on. It was easy to talk and laugh with Louis, to joke and to be serious with him. It was nice to be able to sit in a diner with no one else around late at night. It was private and felt normal amongst everything else that was happening.

It made her realize she never had this with Brian. He was never easy to talk to. Conversations never flowed this easy between them and he never made her smile or laugh as much as Louis did. It struck her as odd.

She didn't have much time to think about that, though. Her eyes landed on the analog clock on the wall. It was almost one in the morning and Charlie must have been worried. She'd never been far from Charlie for such a long period.

"Charlie!" she squeaked, standing to her feet. Guilt eroded at her heart. How could she have forgotten about him so easily? "We have to go."

Louis immediately asked a waiter for two to-go boxes and the check. Five minutes later, they were rushing out to his car with styrofoam boxes underneath their arms.

Her thoughts were filled with ones of Charlie, worrying if he was all right at home, if something bad happened to him... she couldn't calm her thoughts. Her knees were bouncing the styrofoam box on her lap noisily, but she kept her lips clamped shut in case she began to rush Louis.

The moment he parked his car against the curb and removed the keys out of the ignition, Jaime was out of the car and rushing into the apartment. She was glad, suddenly, she had a copy of the apartment keys.

Sprinting down the hallways and into the elevator, she hurried to Lou's apartment, eager to see Charlie. Jaime needed to make sure he was all right.

Once in the apartment, she didn't even slow down. She ran straight to the guest bedroom and flew the door open. Her pounding heart calmed down considerably at the sight of Charlie sleeping peacefully on the bed. One arm was hanging off the edge of the bed while his face smushed into the pillow.

Jaime let out a soft chuckle.

Thank God he's okay, she thought.

The sound of a door closing caught her attention. Louishad just walked in, shutting the door behind him.

"Hey," she whispered softly, walking towards him. "Sorry about that, I just..."

"Don't worry about it," he smiled at her. He walked past her and straight into his bedroom, leaving Jaime standing in the hallway frozen.

The smile didn't reach his eyes.

This is the last chapter I'll post on here. If you want another fanfic to read, go read 48 Hours. It's short and I update it more frequently then this story. Also I made this chapter a little longer than normal, since it's the last one.