Truly Madly Deeply

Chapter 16: Life in the Fast Lane and louis ego Trip

Tour life had officially become a whirlwind for Savannah. Days blurred together in a chaotic mix of concerts, sleep deprivation, and a constant stream of fast food and snacks. All she had to do was blink, and it felt like another show, another city, and another pile of dirty laundry from five hormonal teenage boys. And, of course, her best friend Louis. Ever the sassy, arrogant superstar in the making, Louis had no problem letting everyone know he was the reason the sun rose in the morning—at least, in his own mind.

It was 11:30 PM, and they had just wrapped up another sold-out show. The arena was buzzing with leftover energy, the crowd still shouting outside the stadium as if they were all on a high that didn't know how to crash. Inside the tour bus, things were a little quieter, but only because it was the calm before the storm. Niall was devouring a family-sized bag of crisps like it was his lifeline. Zayn was sitting on the edge of the couch, strumming at his guitar, his head down but lost in the music. Harry was tossing shirts around trying to find a clean one, as if he didn't already have twenty lying around on the floor. And Louis—well, Louis was being Louis.

"Did you see me out there?" Louis shouted, flopping dramatically onto the couch like he was the king of the world. "I am a god among men. I am the future of music. Mark my words—this band would be nothing without me!"

Savannah, who had been mindlessly scrolling through her phone, glanced up with an unimpressed look. "Oh, really? I must have missed your greatness during your epic mic cord trip. Is that when you became a god?"

Louis didn't even flinch at the sarcasm. "That was a calculated move, darling. A move for the ages. Only true icons can pull off such elegance in their mess-ups. You wouldn't understand."

"Right. Sure, Louis," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "You've been telling yourself that for years, haven't you?"

Niall snorted loudly from across the room. "More like decades. You've been living in your own little world for as long as I can remember."

Louis turned, flicking him off with a smirk. "And yet, you still can't live without me, can you, Nialler? Admit it—I'm the reason you get up every morning. You need me."

"I think you mean, we all need your ego to inflate by a few more sizes," Niall shot back, a cheeky grin spreading across his face.

Savannah shook her head. "God, you two are like an old married couple. Someone get a camera. This is gold."

Louis, ever the drama queen, clutched his chest in mock offense. "I am a superstar, alright? There is no one like me. I'm pretty sure I was born with a microphone in my hand and a spotlight in my future. Everything I touch turns to gold."

Savannah rolled her eyes again but couldn't suppress the grin that tugged at her lips. "Yeah, keep telling yourself that, mate. Maybe one day you'll actually start believing it."

"Oh, I already do," Louis replied smugly, crossing his arms and leaning back like he owned the bus. "And when you're standing next to me, you'll remember this moment. You'll say, 'Wow, I knew Louis before he became the Louis Tomlinson.'"

Savannah scoffed. "You're not that special."

"Oh, but I am. You know it, I know it, the fans know it. Hell, even Liam knows it."

Savannah froze mid-scroll on her phone. "What?" she muttered, her voice too loud to be casual.

Louis didn't miss a beat. "You know exactly what I mean. I see the way you look at him. Every time he takes his shirt off, your eyes get all dreamy."

Savannah's face turned bright red as she fumbled with her phone. "Shut up, Louis," she muttered under her breath, trying to act casual, but her heart was pounding. She couldn't deny that Liam had been... well, hard to ignore, especially after seeing him bare-chested a few times. He was, damn he was, hard to resist.

"Oh, come on," Louis taunted. "I've seen you sneaking glances at him. I'm not blind, sweetheart. You think you're being subtle, but I know exactly what's going on. You've got the hots for Liam. It's written all over your face."

"Louis, seriously, knock it off," she snapped, feeling her cheeks burn with embarrassment. "You're just being ridiculous."

Louis grinned and leaned in closer, his face taking on that playful, arrogant look that always made Savannah want to slap him upside the head. "I'm just saying, the chemistry's there. Don't deny it. I see it."

Savannah groaned, slouching down in her seat. "This is why I can never escape you. You're like a bloody pest. A diva-sized pest."

"Hey," Louis said, raising an eyebrow, "at least I'm not a boring pest. I make things interesting."

"Oh, you definitely do," she replied dryly.

Liam, who had been watching the whole exchange with quiet amusement, finally spoke up, his voice smooth and calm. "You two are like siblings, I swear. The way you bicker... it's like watching a live soap opera."

"Exactly!" Louis said, holding his arms out dramatically. "She loves me. She just won't admit it yet."

Savannah shook her head, muttering under her breath. "You wish."

Louis laughed loudly. "Oh, I don't need you to admit it. It's obvious. I'm the center of the universe, babe. And you—well, you just orbit around me. It's fine. I'll let you be my satellite."

"Yeah, whatever you say, superstar," Savannah replied, turning her attention back to her phone, though a smile still tugged at her lips.

Liam, still sitting across from them, noticed the subtle glances Savannah kept stealing when she thought no one was looking. It was clear there was something there—something Savannah wasn't ready to confront yet. But he'd seen it, and honestly, he didn't mind the attention. He knew the power of his own charm.

"Alright, alright, enough with the teasing," Niall said, finally putting down the crisps and sitting up straight. "We're on tour, people! Can we at least pretend to be serious for five minutes?"

Louis snorted. "Yeah, Niall, and then the world will end. We don't do serious here. We do fun, chaos, and Louis Tomlinson's genius. Get with the program."

"Fun, chaos, and your genius," Savannah deadpanned. "As if we could forget."

The bus erupted into laughter, and just like that, things returned to their usual state of utter madness.

Later, as the bus rolled toward their next destination, Savannah couldn't help but think about how different her life had become. A few months ago, she was just a girl living in Doncaster, laughing at Louis' ridiculousness and dreaming about the life he'd eventually have. Now, here she was—on tour with him, surrounded by a group of boys who could make her laugh and roll her eyes in equal measure. It was overwhelming, chaotic, and full of all the drama and excitement she never thought she'd be a part of.

But one thing was for sure—she'd never be bored. Not with Louis Tomlinson and his egotistical charm around. And maybe, just maybe, with Liam Payne's attention lingering a little longer than usual.