Tell Me a Lie - L.S. English

~ Eleventh Chapter ~

"I'm guessing that was the groom?" I said and Louis nodded as we stopped to taste the food from the buffet after brief conversations with smiling guests that Louis didn't seem to know.
He nodded. "Daniel Deakin. Good lad."
"Can't stand the bride."

"Why?" I asked.
"She is the most privileged, arrogant and homophobic woman I have ever met." He answered and I immediately stopped scanning the table for an edible dish and fixed my gaze on Louis who picked up a plate from the stack.

"What?" He asked turning to me as I kept looking at him in silence.
"Your stepfather is marrying the most homophobic and privileged woman you've ever met?" I asked because I wanted him to explain the logic behind that.

"And don't forget arrogant." He answered indifferentky and put more food on his plate trying to ignore my gaze.
"Harry, he's happy. That's what matters. He's not my father, and he's marrying a woman he loves and who loves him." He explained and placed his plate on the serving table

"It's not like it matters either." Louis said quietly and I almost felt... bad for him?

Nope, I don't care about Louis Tomlinson's feelings like he doesn't care about mine.

"It doesn't?" I asked quietly and he shook his head. "No." He said simply.
"I don't have to live with her and it's not like she's going to raise Ernest and Doris to be homophobic... I think." He continued.

"Ernest and Doris?" I asked, guessing that they were Daniel's children.
"My siblings. Well.. half-siblings, Dan's and my mother's twins." He explained and I nodded.

I opened my mouth to speak but a girl who came up to Louis and hugged him interrupted me.
"Louis, I didn't know you were coming!! I'm so happy to see you!" The woman said as she finally released him.
Something in my stomach clenched.

I studied Louis' soft expression. I've never seen him so happy.
The girl was infuriatingly beautiful, her hair was dyed blonde and she was wearing a tight strapless lilac dress.

"I've missed you." He said and she gave him a captivating smile that only softened his eyes even more and made my stomach clench harder.

Behind her stood a tall guy in a tailored blue suit and smiled.  "Louis, this is Jake." The girl introduced him as she moved away a little.
"Nice to meet you," Louis said and shook his hand with a big brothers warning look on his face.
"You too." Jake said politely.

"And who is this?" The girl asked with a smile and arched one eyebrow at me.  Her blue eyes stared at me with interest.
Louis turned to me and a cloud of hesitation flittered on his face before he turned back to the girl and wrapped his arm around my waist.

"This is Harry," He said and the girl seemed to understand that he didn't mean a distant friend. Good.
I settled into his arms like I was marking  territory.

Jake's gaze was fixed on the expression of "affection" between me and Louis. Homophobe.
"Nice to meet you, Harry. I'm Lottie, I'm Louis' sister." Lottie introduced herself.  his sister  I quietly exhaled the air that was trapped in my lungs.

I gently tried to free myself from Louis' grip and smiled at them as he just tightened it around me.
Jake held out his hand to me and I shook it. "Nice to meet you." He said with a very forced smile.
"Nice to meet you, too." I smiled politely at Lottie and gave Jake a judgmental look.

"You look lovely, Lotts. This color really suits you." Louis said and she smiled.
"If it's okay for me to say, you really are beautiful and you look so much like Louis." I agreed for she really is stunning.
"Given what you're wearing, it's perfectly fine that you said that." Jake muttered with a chuckle and Louis gave him a murderous look that silenced him immediately.

"Thank you, you are very handsome yourself. Louis has good taste in men." She said, ignoring Jake and winking at me.
"Lottie, stop hitting on my man. Need I remind you that I'm standing right here?" He said kindly and released me, holding my hand instead of my waist. Lottie giggled.

"Do you know if Pheebs and Daisy are coming?" She asked Louis and he shook his head no.
"I didn't ask them." He answered and she nodded.
"Are grandma and grandpa coming?" He asked her and she nodded again. "Yeah. They're on babysitting duty, they'll look after Ernest and Doris and take them home early." She said and Louis nodded, surprised.
"That's... very nice of them." He said, lost in thought.

"Well.. we need to find Dan and congratulate him." She said and kissed Louis on the cheek.
"Okay, bye." He answered and she smiled, waving at us as they walked away and were swallowed by the crowd of people.

I let go of Louis' hand and he turned to me.
"Do you want to explain to me what that was?" I asked him and he seemed amused but confused.
"My sister..?" He chuckled.
"I know that's your sister, I meant your hand on my waist and in my hand." I said and crossed my arms over my chest.

He giggled and rolled his eyes. "Oh, no. You won't roll your eyes at me. That's rude and no way to treat your man, is it?" I said and he rolled his eyes again.  So I sighed angrily and walked away from him.
"Harry.." he called after me in desperation but I kept walking away. I didn't go to a certain place, I just walked away, I knew he would follow me.
He didn't want to be here alone and I don't know anyone here but him.

"Harry, come on. Stop." He said and put his hand on my shoulder.  I turned to him, shrugging out of his hand's reach.
"You're being dramatic, Harry." He said, and maybe he's right, but that's not the way to make me agree with him.
"Louis," I said angrily and he raised his hands in surrender.
"Sorry. I apologize. I didn't think it would bother you, because that's exactly what you'll have to do to me at your sister's wedding." He started well but now I just want to hit him.

"You're not going to my sister's wedding with me, Louis." I said firmly and he frowned. His look was almost...offended?
He quickly came to his senses, wiping the expression that confused me a few seconds ago off his face.

"We'll see about that," He said trying to sound smug but his voice broke and my stomach clenched again.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to be so harsh. I just… didn't think you'd want me to lie to your family about something like this." I said and his eyebrows arched in question.
"I'm also sorry, I didn't think you'd feel uncomfortable lying to my family about our relationship because that's exactly what you were going to do at your sister's wedding. I should have asked. Sorry." He apologized and it made me feel a little better.

"I have to apologize too. I overreacted. This whole event is very charged, and to be honest I'm just a little shocked. Sorry." I apologized.

"Listen," Louis sighed. "Except for my sisters, my grandparents and Daniel, most of the guests are strangers to me. The bride's guests are mostly homophobic. I didn't want to go alone and you owed me a favor, so I took advantage of it. I should have prepared you more. I'm sorry." He continued to apologize and I felt even better.
"Okay, so if someone asks were... you know?" I asked and he nodded.

"Okay.. I forgive you," I said seriously and he seemed to be relieved. "After all, how can I not forgive my man?" I teased him and put my hand in his. He squeezed it a little but continued to hold it even after I thought he would let go.
"You can't, Babe." He answered quietly and stroked my hand with his thumb teasingly.

A pleasant shiver ran down my spine. I nudged his shoulder with mine and we giggled.
It was nice not to fight with Louis.
Something in me hoped that the situation between us would not return to a fight again, but there was still a part inside me that was afraid of Louis and how he could hurt me.

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(1417 words)

It's time!!!❤️