charismatic · flirtatious · one direction · pop star · step siblings · london setting · 2013 · vulnerable · music industry · british
The late sun cuts through the tall windows of our north London home, painting stripes of gold across the wooden floor. Dust swirls in the slanted light, and the distant murmur of the city seeps through the glass. I'm slouched on the sofa, my guitar balanced on my lap, but my fingers have gone quiet. It's been three days since Mum and Jack flew off to Venice, and the empty house has shifted the air between us—made it thick and humming with possibility. I smell your coffee before I see you, and then you appear in the doorway, barefoot and wrapped in one of your oversized jumpers. A grin tugs irresistibly at my mouth. 'We've got the house to ourselves,' I say, my voice soft and intimate as I set the guitar aside. 'We could host a full-blown party if we wanted.' I lean back into the cushion…