Mark and Joe have settled nicely into my apartment. They're staying in my flat while Wilbur and Ash stay in George's.

"Sorry you have to sleep on the couch," I say to Mark as we get ready to leave for George's. We were going to meet up with the other three tonight before their big meeting tomorrow.

The boys are only staying for three days. The time makes chills run up my spine. It doesn't seem like a lot of time, but it's the same amount that I spent in Brighton.

Mark shrugs. "I lost rock, paper scissors fair and square."

"Sorry 'bout that." Joe walks over and sets his hand on Mark's shoulder. "Next time you shouldn't suck so much."

Mark rolls his eyes. "Are you ready, Joe? We've been waiting for you."

"Yeah, I was just sitting on my bed." He really pushes in the fact that he won. "Unlike you who sleeps on a pullout couch."

I shake my head with a little smile before the three of us walk out the door to George's flat.

I just walk in once we get there, knowing George would've left it unlocked for us.

"Did you order Chinese?" Joe lifts his head to smell the air.

Ash nods with a noodle hanging out of his mouth.

Wilbur laughs. "George was hungry and impatient."

My stomach flips completely inside out at the sound of his voice. It's almost trying to rip itself in half. One wants to be just friends; the other wishes for more. And in all honesty, the other is a much bigger wish.

I walk over to George and hand him the wine I promised to bring. "Wine and Chinese food. Nice."

He just shrugs with a smile. "A craving is a craving."

"You preggo?" Ash asks from the living room.

George just shakes his head, reaching up to grab some glasses. I reach up and grab two for him. Usually we're the same height, but right now I'm taller than him.

"You're cheating." George motions to the fact that I'm wearing shoes and he's not.

I just shrug. "Don't be sad, Georgie."

He ignores me and turns to the other guys. "Who wants wine?"

Three hands shoot up, then all eyes fall to Joe.

"What?" He shrugs. "It's an important meeting tomorrow. If we're hungover and fuck it up, then all blame goes to alcohol."

Collectively, three hands fall down.

"Maybe we'll skip," Ash says after, "but tomorrow we're getting wasted no matter what."

The others cheer at his statement. George and I place the glasses back down. Guess the cheap wine I went all the way to the store to buy is going to be put on hold for tonight.

"Are you sleeping on the couch too?" Mark asks as he sits next to Wilbur on the couch. I now recognize the patch on the side of the backpack. It's a little pigeon he got from a fan.

Wilbur just nods. "Sadly. It's a pullout though, so it's not too bad."

"Did you have to play rock, paper scissors for it?"

Wilbur makes a face and Ash laughs.

"No when Ash found out it was either the bed or the couch, he sprinted towards George's guest room." Wilbur shakes his head in defeat.

Ash just shrugs. "What can I say? I didn't want to sleep where other people's butts sit."

Mark nudges Wilbur playfully.. "I can go sit and rub my ass on his bed for you. I understand your couch-sleeping pains."

George huffs. "First of all, no ass wiggling on my guest bed, and second of all, those are good pullout couches. The best of the best."

I nod. It was a good couch to sleep on, maybe even more comfortable than the bed itself. I don't bring that point up though.

Mark wiggles in his seat on the couch. "Actually, this is very similar to yours, Maia."

I smile. "That's because it's the same couch," I explain, "I got mine and then George fell in love with it."

George's mouth pops open. "I did not."

"You slept on it for three days until I forced you out of my flat," I remind him.

He scoffs. "I was tired."

"Sure, George. Sure you were."

The other guys laugh at our joke-fight, but Wilbur's is the one that sticks out to me. It sends butterflies throughout my stomach. I try to quiet them down, remind them we can only be friends, but they seem to have a mind of their own.

One that says I am totally screwed. The way my stomach was split at the beginning of the night disappears. Now the side that wants to be more than friends has completely taken over.