Lottie's Brother

Chapter 11

LOUIS POV

Mum's car pulled up into the driveway at five minutes past five. Lottie quickly turned off the tv and sat up a little straighter on the couch. I lazily turned my phone off and put it in my pocket once the front door started opening.

"Hey kids." Mum said as she came inside, Richard behind her.

"Hey." Lottie replied.

I said nothing.

Mum put her work stuff down in the corner and Richard hung his coat and Mum's next to the door with the rest of the coats.

"Do you guys want something to drink?" Lottie asked, getting up.

"Beer." I replied.

"A beer too please love." Richard asked.

Lottie nodded and went into the kitchen. Mum squeezed my shoulder comfortingly as she passed the back of the couch, following Lottie into the kitchen, leaving me alone with Richard.

"Want to watch the football?" I asked.

"Only if you support Man City." Richard replied, sitting down on the couch next to me.

"Course I do." I said, switching the tv back on and finding the Man City v Chelsea game on the sports channel. At least he supported the same team as me.

Lottie came back into the living room with two open bottles of beer and gave one to me and one to Richard, then she disappeared again, closing the kitchen door behind her.

I'm starting to think that this was all a set up by Mum and Lottie to get me and Richard to get to know each other.

"So Louis, what are you into?" Richard asked.

"Um, I used to play football but I stopped once I started working, I work at the Three Cups café down the road.  I have no idea what I want to do with my life career-wise and uh -" screw it "I kinda have a secret boyfriend."

Fuck, fuck, fuck, why the fuck did I say that?

"Really?" Richard replied. 

It was just a curious question, instead of a judgmental question, which I was glad about, so I decided to explain.

"Yeah well I thought I was straight until about a month and a half ago. And now I guess I have a boyfriend and absolutely no one knows. Well, except you."  I explained.

"Well good for you." Richard replied.

My attention turned back to the football game we were watching as Man City approached the goal. Someone took a shot and it smashed into the crossbar and bounced back onto the field, another guy heading it into the back of the net.

Me and Richard cheered and it was like hanging out with my friends, we watched the game and drunk beers and with the little bowl of snacks that Lottie had put out everything was great. Maybe it wasn't so bad that Mum was dating again.

Once the football game had finished and Mum and Lottie had finished making dinner me and Richard laid the table and we all sat down to eat. Lottie talked the whole meal and it gave me good opportunities to secretly text Harry until the table.

"Louis what are you doing?" Mum asked, looking over at me from across the table.

"Oh uh, nothing." I said, dropping my phone into my lap and picking up my fork again.

"He's probably texting a girl." Lottie said.

"Shut up Lots." I said.

Richard caught my eye and I rolled my eyes in Lottie's direction, then tried to conceal my laughter by grabbing a napkin and trying to get some imaginary food off my face. Richard coughed loudly and changed the subject.

Once we'd finished dinner it was almost eight o'clock and I just wanted to go up to my room and watch Netflix. 

I helped Mum clear away the dishes and stack the plates into the dishwasher.

"Thank you for being accepting of all this Louis." Mum said.

I stood up straight from bending over the dishwasher and dried my hands with the tea towel instead of answering.

"Don't worry about it Mum." I said after a few moments.

"I love you." Mum replied.

"I love you too." I said and she pulled me in for a hug.

Soon after Richard went home and I had a quick smoke out front, before heading back to my bedroom and scurrying under the duvet, putting on a random movie on my laptop and hugging the pillow that Harry used last, smelling the traces of his hair on the fabric.