Part 13

Lucy's POV

The music faded away as we ran hand in hand laughing down the corridor. Every now and again he'd kiss me on the lips. The cheek. The neck. We were just having fun, being teens. Louis and I had agreed to get some more drinks from the bar downstairs as the party was, according to some of the lads, drying up. As we made our way towards the lift we had to try to stifle our giggles as it was goodness knows what time it was in the morning and the party was showing no signs of slowing down, even though I was shattered. I'd probably sneak away from the party later with Louis and I'm sure the girls would be thinking of leaving soon as well.

"Thank you," I murmured in his ear after a particularly lingering kiss. I don't mind admitting that I was more than a little tipsy at this point. I had been enjoying my party, everyone had easily made me forget James turning up and the boys had been beyond amazing, with arranging and everything. I can't even begin to imagine how to return the favour.

"S'okay, I would do anything for you, beautiful" he said pressing the button for the lift. He twirled me around and we began to dance without any music. We may have looked silly, slow dancing without any music, but it was nice, romantic even. Eventually we broke apart and he still had my hand in a strong clasp, and that's just where I liked it. He held me in a hug and I clung back, like a koala.

I decided that I loved being with him, I don't think anything would change that. I was happy, living in the moment even though it would end all too soon; I had to enjoy every single minute I had with him and not waste a second.

Ping!

The lift doors slide open, effortlessly, and I was met by the most heart-wrenching sight. I was sobered instantly when I saw Cerian slumped on the floor of the lift, crying her eyes out – like a broken doll and Harry trying to calm her down, whilst fighting back tears of his own. It felt like my heart was being torn out.

I rushed over, dropping to the floor to comfort Cerian, whilst Lou did the same to Harry. We let the doors close behind us, but no-one bothered to choose a floor. I wrapped my arm protectively round Cerian and smiled sympathetically at Harry.

"What happened?" Louis asked a rather shaken up Harry.

"Zayn and Beth." He managed to say.

"What about them?" I urged, patting Cerian on the shoulder and offering her a tissue from my clutch bag.

"They kissed." Her voice broke on the last word and I was left shocked.

"I'm sure it was a mistake," Louis said diplomatically, I'm sure he was trying to help but I couldn't help but snap.

"Don't be so bloody insensitive Louis!" I was annoyed, couldn't he see that they were both devastated.

"Didn't look like a mistake from where I was standing." Harry fumed, punching the wall of the lift.

"Dude, don't take it out on the lift." Louis tried to joke.

"You really aren't helping, you know?" I complained. "Just go back to the party Louis, I'll make sure they are okay." Looking back it was rather spiteful of me.

For a moment, it looked like he was about to say something, then clearly thought better of it and got out of the lift on the next floor. He looked slightly hurt, but I was more concerned with the other two for now.

I pulled them out of the lift, and we walked out and into the now desolate restaurant. I pulled a couple of chairs off the tables and we sat round, I stayed waiting for them to explain to me.

Cerian's POV

Lucy wanted us to tell her what happened, but since Harry had given into the tears, neither of us were really making that much sense. Everything we said sort of turned into a garbled mush of very little vowels. Not that either of us really made that much sense beforehand. This was just an added hurdle.

Ok, don't have any idea just why it relates to a hurdle.

After half an hour of crying my eyes out, with very few stops for air, it was time to pull myself together. Or rather, for Harry to give me a hug, and start swearing about the pair of them in my ear. Not gonna lie – it really helped.

The three of us were sitting in the hotel restaurant – the staff around were looking very bemused – with a stupidly high mound of tissues on the table. Well I say on the table... what I really mean is all of the surrounding area, but none actually on there. Don't even bother asking me about where they all came from – I'm practically a walking drug store.

Oh no, I'm not actually a druggie! I just... sound like it sometimes...

So it was time to stop crying. Time to stop crying, and... Ok, I have no idea what I'm meant to do now.

If this was a soap opera then I'd probably go and slap them both – either that or slap one, and then sleep with the other. No Lucy, not Beth. She's all yours. Even though I really do think you need me to spice things up a little.

On that subject, anyone seen Corrie recently? Want to let me know what's been happening? No? Ok then...

Not the right thing to be thinking about right now.

As Harry started to explain what had happened, I felt my phone go off in my purse. Pulling it out, I was met with the rather horrible sight of 57 missed calls from Zayn, and 49 from Beth. Harry had similar numbers. Angrily turning over the phone and pulling off the back, I yanked the battery out of both mine and his.

Well it's not exactly likely that either of us were going to call them back is it?

I heard a groan from my left.

"Oh God, where am I gonna stay? Don't really want to go back up there."

"Yeah, not sure I really want to go home..." I could totally see his dilemma. Didn't really want to let my parents see me like this. As much as I wanted Zayn and Beth to go and die in a hole at the

moment, I would kinda prefer it if I was the one to put them there, not my Dad.

Lucys 'calming' tones broke through my incredibly violent thought processes.

"Hey, my folks are away for the weekend, you can both stay at mine? I'll get a car?"

She was meant to be spending the night with Louis at the hotel. Ooooh, I smell trouble in paradise.

And coffee...

Polly's POV

I hate parties. No really, I can't stand them, so you can imagine how grateful I was when Niall seized my wrist the second I entered the room with Lucy, Cerian and Zayn. Personally, I was glad to miss pretty much the whole evening. In my experience, parties always result in someone getting hurt. Or drunk. Or both.

Anyway, Niall pulled me through a door and I found myself in a rather nice bedroom. I presumed it was his, there was a tiny leprechaun sitting on the pillow. I grinned at it, then realised that the smile it gave me in return was permanent.

Niall was watching me adjust to my new surroundings with what could be described as interest but was probably just amusement.

After a few moments he must have got bored, because he slipped his arms around my waist and kissed me. We fell backwards onto his bed and the leprechaun's hat dug into the back of my neck. I picked it up and placed it on the bedside table where it wouldn't get in the way.

After a while I felt his kisses get more desperate, and I froze in spite of myself. I could see where this was going. It wasn't that I didn't want to, I really did, but it was a bit of an awkward day if you know what I mean. I pushed him away slightly and sat up. He looked hurt.

"You okay?" he said, frowning at me.

I shook my head. "I feel a bit queasy," I told him.

He nodded. "Maybe another time then?"

I smiled. "Maybe."

He kissed me again, and I rested my head on his shoulder, my eyes closed. I was absolutely exhausted. God knows why really, I'd spent most of the day sitting down whilst Cerian fiddled with my eye makeup.

I must have drifted off, because next thing I knew I was being shaken awake by Niall and Liam was standing in the doorway talking very fast.

"...and then Harry and Cerian stormed past me and they looked like they were about to cry, and when I entered the room again I saw Zayn looking guilty and Beth standing next to him looking like she was about to throw up."

I blinked and stared from Niall to Liam. "What?" I said, standing up and straightening out the skirt of my dress, not that there was much of it to straighten out. "One second," I told them, sidestepping into the bathroom.

When I emerged, Liam had gone.

"Apparently," Niall said. "Zayn kissed Beth."

"What? And Beth let him?" Blimey. Not the combination I'd have put together. Zayn and Beth?

"Mm," Niall said.

"Is Cerian alright?" I asked. He shrugged.

"I guess Harry's pretty upset too," he said. "We ought to go and find them."

I nodded, and followed him back towards the now slightly deflated party. What a scandal. I was right though. Everyone gets drunk or hurt.

Louis' POV

Why was she being like that? I was only trying to lighten the mood a bit, Jeesh! But I can take a hint; I know when to leave it, well most of the time. I felt bad for Harry; I really did, so I sent him a quick text before going off to find Liam.

I knew Liam would have some good advice about what to do with Lucy; I didn't want to lose her over something like this. I waited for the next elevator and took it up to the top floor, when I stepped out I was greeted with a few drunken girls who tries to make a pass at me. I quickly brushed them off, as I didn't want to get into any more trouble with Lucy.

"Not today girls," I said purposefully striding past and into Liam's room. I was planning on waiting for him in there, but I already found him in there. With Jordan. Cheeky bugger.

"Sorry, mate. Can I have a word?" I asked as Jordan hurried out of the room straightening out her top.

"Sure, what's the problem?" He asked gesturing for me to sit down. I took a seat and began to explain what happened to him.

"It sounds as though she's not only tired but a bit drunk, and if you give her a bit of space I'm sure she'll come around."

"Thanks mate." I said.

Liam filled me in on what he had seen between Zayn and Beth and we decided we needed to have a chat with him. After all, we needed to see it from his point of view.

Lucy's POV

I felt so bad for them both. If I'm honest, my party has been a bit of a disaster which is a shame. I called for a taxi and by the time it arrived, Cerian looked pretty shattered and it was probably best that we got home anyway. I smiled at Harry and pulled them both into the taxi behind me.

Cerian was already half asleep when we reached my house, so Harry carried her upstairs and put her in my parents bed. She seemed a bit delirious so we left her to sleep.

"Hot chocolate?" I asked Harry as we walked downstairs. He didn't seem tired and neither was I, so I decided it was time to get to know Harry better.

We sat down on the sofas after I had made us a mug of hot chocolate each. We chatted for what seemed for a little while about family and stuff, and before I realised it, an hour had passed. I was sat next to him and it felt nice to have a guy friend, for a change. I hoped me and Harry would be friends though.

"I'm sure Beth didn't mean it. She cares about you a lot you know." I told him, patting his arm.

"I hope so, I really like her Luce. It just hurts." He looked hurt, so I gave him a reassuring smile. I motioned that perhaps we should go upstairs and told him that he could sleep in my bed and that I would get in with Cerian.

He thanked me and added "I'm sorry that you and Louis fell out over this."

"It's okay Harry, it was my fault. I shouldn't have snapped at him like that." I felt my face drop as I regretted my actions. Now it was his turn to share a reassuring smile with me. His curly mop of hair tumbled over his eyes as he bent down to give me a hug, which I reciprocated.

"He'll still be awake it you want to call him," he told me, pulling away.

"Thanks Harry."

I checked my phone and saw that I had no new messages or missed calls. My heart sank. Maybe he hadn't forgiven me? Oh well, I had to try anyway. I quickly flicked through my contacts log until I found the one I was looking for. Louis x.

It only rang twice before he answered.

"Lucy, I'm so glad you called." I could sense the smile in his voice.

"Louis, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it I'm just tired and I've regretted it ever since." I gushed, not really making sense.

"I'm sorry too; I see that I was an idiot now." Louis replied.

We chatted for a while, mainly about how much we missed each other and when we were next going to see each other. Which was the next day, coincidentally. I loved hearing his voice.

"I really don't want to fight over something this silly," I told him twiddling my hair around my finger; just talking to him on the phone turned me into a giddy little girl. I blushed at myself.

"I know, Luce, I can't believe this happened. I mean, why are we fighting when Harry and Cerian are in bits?" he added sleepily. He must be really tired, but his sleepy voice was really sexy.

"They're at mine now, well so am I, what are we going to do?" I asked him, in between brushing my teeth.

"Just bring Cerian to the hotel tomorrow please," he seemed guilty, I liked it. I was so glad we had made up again.

"Why?" I yawned.

"You'll see." Then he hung up. Damn him and his sexy behind.