RILEY'S P.O.V.


"Ri, c'mon wake up, babe. It's Christmas Eve!"

I was nearly positive that had been the fifth time Liam had tried waking me up, and I finally rolled over and came face to face with him. He was laying next to me with a towel draped loosely around his waist and his hair dripping onto the pillowcase.

"Liam, you're getting the sheets soaked."

He smirked at me seductively and hooked one arm under my waist, pulling himself on top of me.

"Yeah, would you prefer the honors?"

I laughed shyly and turned my head away from him, but he only took that as an opportunity to kiss my neck. I tisked at him and rested my hands on either side of his face, kissing his lips briefly.

"I'm glad we're done fighting, Liam."

He nods and dips down to kiss me again.

"I am, too. We don't see each other nearly enough to fight when we're together. Leave the fighting
for when I'm thousands of miles away, yeah?"

I giggled and slipped my hands under the damp towel, rubbing his hips lightly.

"Well, there is one thing that we can't exactly do when you're thousands of miles away and I think that it'll be a little more fun than fighting."

I wiggled my eyebrows playfully and he hummed in faux confusion.

"Whatever could you be talking about? Something naughty, I hope."

I slid the sheets down my body slowly, revealing my bare chest while staring deeply into his eyes and nodding innocently.

I squealed as he gripped my waist and flipped our bodies over so that I was laying on top of him. My legs naturally found their way to either side of his hips, leaving the thick, fluffy towel between his semi hard-on and my throbbing core. I leaned down and kissed Liam slowly, trying to control my breathing. We hadn't stopped touching each other ever since we made up. It didn't take long. I honestly forgave him the moment he came back to our suite from Harry and Piper's. We had a hard time taking Piper's family out to tour the city for the past couple days, but we snuck in small gropes under tables and quick kisses behind famous monuments. It wasn't enough. Every time we had gotten back to the hotel, it'd been like a non-stop porno.

"Hellooo! You two need to get outta bed; it's Christmas!"

Liam threw his head back into the pillow and rolled his eyes.

"Harry, get out of our living room so that I can make sweet love to my girlfriend!"

I playfully smacked his chest and pulled away from his body, which was honestly painful and nearly impossible to do.

"And it's Christmas Eve, Styles," I added for good measure and disappeared into the bathroom,
turning on the shower.

Harry began knocking on the bedroom door and Liam sighed loudly, having a hard time not laughing at his best friend's idiocy.

"Either way, you can't miss out on the festivities! Be in our suite in an hour, okay?"

"Alright, H! But, when we do come, I'm revoking your key to my suite."

Harry's feet made loud stomps as he left our suite, screaming down the hall, "I'll pretend I didn't hear that!"

When the door slammed shut, Liam was already standing behind me in front of the sink, gripping my hips and kissing my neck. I stared into his eyes through the mirror and smirked knowingly, pleading him silently.

"Alright, Ri, quickie in the shower; but, when I say quickie, I mean quick because you know Harry doesn't joke around about holidays."


___________


When we got to Harry and Piper's suite, everyone else was already there eating breakfast. Piper's parents and Cory were sitting on the far side of the large dining table. Andy was sat next between Marie and Karen, picking her food up and being scolded for not using a fork. Harry sat at the end of the table, with an empty seat to his left and two to his right. I didn't see Piper.

"Morning, everyone."

Liam and I shyly walked in, as if everyone knew why we were there late. Liam wrapped his arm around my waist and rubbed his thumb along my side.

Marie stood up and smiled brightly, moving the napkin on her lap to the table.

"Good morning, darlings. Have a seat and I'll grab you two plates."

Liam nodded and patted my ass before walking over and taking a seat next to Harry. I stopped Marie before she could disappear into the kitchen, asking her softly, "Where's Piper?"

Marie looked around and ushered me into the kitchen. I leaned against the counter and watched
as she gathered two more plates from the cupboard.

"She's not feeling well. I'm, uh- I'm kind of worried, actually."

Marie's eyebrows furrowed and she looked more uneasy than I had seen her in a long while. I'd never seen her stumble over her words like that either.

"What do you mean?"

"I just-" she set the plates down on the counter and faced me, speaking softly, "I think she might be pregnant. She won't listen to me though. She woke up nauseous and her and Harry are swearing up and down that she just ate something bad."

My mouth was gaping and I didn't know what to say.

"She won't even take a test. She's been volatile and hormonal, though, wouldn't you agree? Ever since she's been here. Riley, after we eat and everything, could you maybe talk to her?"
I nodded and thought more about everything she was saying.

"Wait, hasn't she been on birth control?"

Marie sighed and handed me Liam and I's plates, "Yeah, she told me that, too. Then, I checked her bag and she missed like four pills over the last couple weeks. Just convince her to take a test, please?"

I agreed and followed Marie back to the dining room without another word about Piper's "illness".
I took a seat next to Liam and put my best fake smile on while filling our plates with food. Andy sat across from me, pushing pieces of chocolate chip pancakes and fruit around her plate.

"Andy, what was on your Christmas list this year?"

Her face lit up as if I just told her we were going to Disney World and wiped her messy fingers on her pajama shirt, making her mother groan and try to clean it off with a napkin.

"I want a new Elsa doll, the soft kind, and I want a new puppy game for mummy's iPad, and I want a kitten, and I want Daddy and Pipey to come live with me."

Cory and Karen nearly choked on their food, while Harry started to smile awkwardly.

"Well, that's quite the diverse list, isn't it?"

I glanced around and everyone had uncomfortable expressions on their faces. We ate for a few minutes in relative silence, besides Andy talking to her food and laughing about nothing.
After I had finished about half of the eggs and toast on my plate, I stood up and set my napkin down.

"If you will all excuse me, I would like to check on Piper."

Harry nodded and stood up as well, chewing on a last bite even though his plate was still full.

"I'll come with you just for a moment. I'll be back in a mo."

"I wanna come too, daddy!"

Andy started to push her chair away from the table, but Karen grabbed her arm and gently pulled her back into her spot.

"In a bit, baby. I'll ask her if she's up to it, yeah?"

Andy nodded slowly, obviously disappointed by the denial, but still cooperatively.

Harry and I walked toward the room and listened as Marie picked up a distracting conversation with Cory about school or something. Before we could open the door, Harry placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Riley, I'm guessing Marie told you about her theory?"

I nodded and swallowed thickly. He didn't seem to want to entertain the idea, but if he was bringing it up, then it was obviously in the back of his mind too.

"Look, it's not possible, okay? She's on birth control and that's like full-proof, right? Does it like matter when she had her period? She can't be pregnant, yeah?"

"You sure seem to have a lot of questions for a man who's so sure of himself."

Before he could ramble some more, I opened the door and he followed me into the dimly-lit room. I lamp was on next to Piper's limp body. There was a garbage pale on the floor next to her. My first inclination was to assume that Piper was sleeping, but when Harry closed the door behind him, she sniffled and rolled over to face us.

"Riley? Is that you?"

I nodded weakly. Her voice was shot and barely audible. I walked over and sat at the end of the bed near her feet. Harry apparently felt that we needed alone time and left the room as soon as he arrived.

"Piper, are you alright?"

I rested my hands on her calves and stroked them softly. I got a good look at her face when she rolled onto her back and she had definitely been crying - for hours from the look of it.

"No, no I'm not alright."

"Have you been sick to your stomach?"

She nodded and reached for a tissue, wiping away a few tears.

"I've been throwing up since two in the morning, Ri. I feel awful."

I sympathized and thought of things to say to avoid the inevitable a little longer. While Piper leaned over to wretch into the pale by her bed, I stood up and walked to the bathroom to get a damp cool rag. As soon as I opened the bathroom door, Piper called after me, "Riley, wait!"

"Just a second, Piper. I'm getting a wet rag!"

I turned on the light and heard Piper's footsteps following behind me.

"Go lay down! I'll be right back."

I grabbed a rag and turned to face the sink. As soon as I turned the water on, something caught my eye on the counter and Piper appeared in the doorway.

"No, Ri-"

A pregnancy test.

"Oh my god."

"Riley, I didn't want you to find it because I haven't told anyone, not even Harry. That's the third
test I've taken. They've all said the same."

I didn't know what to say as I stared at the two thin lines on the test screen. My emotions ran wild; alternating between worried and excited.

"Piper, you're pregnant. Oh my god."

Piper took a step further and leaned against the sink, beginning to cry once again.

"Dammit, Riley. How do I tell him? What do I do? There's way too much going on for us to add a baby into the mix!"

I glanced at her and caught a glimpse of Harry standing in the doorway.

"Piper-"

"No, Riley. He's going to find out that you knew first and he'll hate me. I should have just told him as soon as I knew!"

Harry took a step back and cleared his throat as he walked away.

"Yeah, you should have."

Notes

DUN DUN DUNNNNNN

Let me know your reactions please!!!! :O
Only two more chapters in this book. The sequel is found here so make sure you subscribe to it!!! <3

How have you all been? xx