Stay

8

EVIE 

I stand outside his apartment door, hesitating before I knock. Five, ten, fifteen minutes must have gone by, and I’m still standing here like a moron. My hands are holding tightly to a small canister of hot chocolate - peppermint flavored (my mother’s own creation) and a bag of red vines. The best...and only... items needed for a movie night. This and a large order of pizza and chinese food, but I wasn’t going to scare Niall with my eating habits. 

Nervous... I was nervous. Why I felt this way was beyond me. We were friends. Niall was kind, light hearted and sweet. I knew that he wasn’t an axe murderer. At least, I hoped he wasn’t an axe murderer. I should probably call Presley and have her call me in an hour to make sure I’m still alive and not murdered. 

Was that a bit much? Maybe... Either way, I wasn’t sure why I felt this way. It was food and a movie. Not the cliche dinner and a movie date deal. Only two friends grabbing some dinner and watching a film... simple. 

God, I was reading way too much into this. 

“Okay Evie... grow a pair of balls and knock on the door,” I pep myself, shaking my shoulders. “It’s just Niall.” 

After a few more seconds of ridiculous self-pep talking, I knock on his door. Seconds later it opens, an amused Niall standing on the other end. “Took you long enough,” he chuckles. 

Heat rushes to my cheeks, his amused grin not wiping off. “What?” 

“Been watching you stand out there for twenty minutes. You alright there?”

“What are you? A peeping Tom?” 

He laughs, “No. I’m not a peeping Tom. Now get in here you silly girl.” 

I walk inside his apartment, ignoring his amused chuckling. The rich aroma of tomato sauce and cheese fill my nostrils. Following him towards his living room, two big boxes of pizza sit in the middle of the coffee table. He looks at me, waiting for my approval. I only nod, smiling wide in excitement. No... not an axe murderer,  I decide right then. Smart was more like it. 

“Didn’t know what you liked so I got two with everything on it,” he says while taking a seat on the couch.

“You know the way to my heart,” I say as I take a seat beside him. “Can’t go wrong with pizza in general. More toppings the better is what I always say.” 

“Great!”

We settle down, the rich smell of cheese engulfing me. My stomach grumbles in excitement. Without waiting for the go ahead, I grab a napkin and a slice of pizza. The moment my tongue and crust meet; I am in paradise. “Mmm,” I hum in appreciation. 

“Good, yeah?” Niall laughs, taking a bite from his own slice. 

“Very,” I give him a curt nod taking another bite. “So, what movie were you thinking?” 

Niall reaches over me and grabs the remote control. I am taken back by his rich cologne. It has a deep musk scent to it with undertones of mint and basil. It’s masculine yet mysterious with a hint of stale cigarette smoke. Granted, I never pictured Niall as a smoker, the idea didn’t seem too far fetch. He was a musician after all. 

“Sorry,” he laughs, pulling himself back up. “Didn’t mean to squish ya.” 

“You didn’t,” I smile softly, looking down at my pizza. His scent still engrained into my senses. 

Niall settles back, his feet resting on top of the coffee table. He turns on the television and activates the Netflix account. Scrolling through the different genres, we each take turns commenting on the different titles that pop up. I’ve always been one to be more drawn to the 80’s cult classics and Audrey Hepburn films. I had been quick to judge Niall, guessing he’d be interested in the inappropriate comedies like Step-Brothers and Anchorman. However, I was pleasantly surprised when he had decided upon Almost Famous. A Kate Hudson, early 2000’s classic that also happened to be one of my top movies.