Water Under the Bridge ›› n.h. mature

Twenty-One

A/N:

Hi! Can you believe I'm alive? Here it is three years later — another chapter! If you haven't already seen me say elsewhere, I randomly decided to dive back into Wattpad for a bit. It's been so fun.

I literally had to slowly reread and edit each chapter of this book to try to figure out what was going on, where I left them, and where I was going. I still don't totally know where it's going and I still can't promise a complete book perfectly tied up with a pretty bow like Foreign Affair. But here's this chapter, I've got another started, and maybe I'll feel inspired to write a couple more.

It's so hard that the band is not together any more! I used to get so much inspiration from what was actually going on with them. It's harder than ever to write about them all hanging out because I haven't seen new content of them interacting with each other in years. :( So that's part of why I don't have confidence this one can ever be as complete as my first.

Okay I didn't plan to say so much! Basically I just wanted to say I recommend backtracking a few chapters before reading this! Not that it's super hard to catch on but I think you would enjoy it more if you did. Hell, reread the whole thing first if you want. It's not that long. :)

Let me know what you think.

Emma

...

Kate Marshall

Niall held me, his hands on my back, and kissed me. I feel incredibly content.

I can't believe where we are right now in this moment. From me hating him, to him being hot and cold with me, to us deciding to be friends with benefits, to me hating myself for ever doing that...

I need to make up my damn mind.

But right now I don't want to worry about that. I don't want to do the whole talk about "what we are" thing or stress about if he's actually ready for this. I just want to let myself be consumed by the feeling of his soft lips on mine.

We started towards the bed, unsure of who was leading whom.

But we didn't make it there before a voice moving down the hallway called, "Ten minutes, everyone. Have your bags ready and we're loading up!" It was one of our tour managers. It sounded like Will's voice.

"Damn it. Not again," I said.

"Wow, you must really want me," Niall said with a grin.

"I've made that embarrassingly clear," I said, laughing. But seriously though. It's a whole new kind of hurt to practically throw your almost naked self at someone and have them not go for it.

Although his reasoning was pretty sweet. He didn't want to make the same mistakes as before.

"Well you pack and I'll go back to my room just so that..." I trailed off but Niall nodded in agreement.

I don't know exactly why, but it feels like there's this unspoken agreement to not let on to anyone else that we're...what exactly?

Well I guess that's why no one needs to be clued in. Because we don't even know ourselves.

"See you on the bus," I said.