Truly Madly Deeply

Chapter 17: caught in the act (again)

Tour life was starting to feel like one big, never-ending rollercoaster for Savannah. The crowds, the concerts, the endless bus rides—she barely knew what day it was anymore. She was living in a whirlwind of fame, food, and five ridiculously hot (and loud) teenage boys. But even in the chaos, there was one constant: Louis Tomlinson's never-ending need for attention.

And, of course, there was Liam.

Savannah was starting to think she might be a little bit in trouble. She had caught herself staring at him a few more times than she would have liked to admit. It wasn't even his fault. The guy was just—well, he was Liam. And when he stripped off his shirt after a show or tossed it around carelessly, Savannah could feel her heart rate pick up like it was some sort of Olympic sport.

But Louis, being Louis, didn't miss a thing.

It was late one night, after another show in a new city. The tour bus was bouncing along the highway, and the guys were scattered around, doing their usual mix of eating, joking, and complaining about the heat. Savannah had her earbuds in, her phone in hand, and she was just trying to get a little peace. Of course, it didn't last long.

"Hey, Sav!" Louis's voice cut through the quiet, dripping with mischief. "You need to stop pretending like you're not obsessed with Liam."

Savannah froze, her face heating up. "I—what?!" she snapped, pulling one earbud out, trying to play it cool. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, come on," Louis continued, leaning in with that obnoxious smirk of his, "I've seen the way you look at him when he's shirtless. Don't try to hide it. You can't fool me."

She groaned. "Louis, stop being a drama queen. I'm not some lovesick teenager drooling over Liam Payne. I'm just... noticing things."

Louis threw his hands up in the air. "Noticing? Sweetheart, you're practically making heart-eye emojis at him every time he gets changed. And don't think I didn't notice how your eyes follow him like a damn hawk when he's walking around in his sweatpants after a show."

Savannah shot him a glare, feeling the heat rise in her face. She hated that he was right. She had caught herself sneaking glances at Liam. But it wasn't like she could control it. Liam was—well, Liam. He had this effortless charm that made it impossible for anyone to ignore him, and damn if his smile didn't do something funny to her stomach. But she wasn't about to admit that to Louis. He'd never let her live it down.

"Louis, seriously, can you not?" she muttered, trying to focus back on her phone, her heart still pounding from the way he'd called her out.

Louis was relentless, though. "No, no, no. We're not done here. You're looking at him like he's the last piece of pizza at a party. It's cute, really. But you're embarrassing yourself, sweetheart. You've gotta admit it—you want him."

Savannah rolled her eyes. "God, you're such a pain in the ass." She leaned back against the bus window, crossing her arms. "And, no, I don't. I'm just... I'm not blind."

Louis snorted. "I know you're not blind. You're just pretending to be oblivious. Everyone can see it. You look at him like you want to bite him. And if you don't think I see it, then you really are living in a dream world."

Savannah cursed under her breath, wishing she could just escape this conversation. But, of course, Louis wasn't letting it go. "Listen," he said, crossing his arms and leaning back like he was some kind of relationship expert, "I get it. He's Liam Payne. He's handsome. He's got the whole 'nice guy' thing going on. But seriously, girl, just admit it. It'll make your life easier."

"Oh my god, I'm gonna throw up," Savannah muttered, but Louis just laughed, clearly enjoying the torment he was putting her through.

Before she could snap back at him, the bus jolted to a stop. It was their latest pit stop—another arena, another night, another set of crazed fans. The lads started to stir, moving around to get ready for the next show. And of course, as always, Liam walked past her on his way to the bathroom—shirt off, his muscles glistening in the dim light of the bus.

Savannah could feel her gaze follow him involuntarily, her heart hammering in her chest.

"See?" Louis's voice rang out, smug as ever. "I told you."

Savannah could have sworn she was about to combust from embarrassment, but there was nothing she could do. Louis was watching her like a hawk, and he wasn't going to let this go anytime soon. He'd made it his mission to torture her with the fact that she couldn't keep her eyes off Liam.

"God, Louis, you're the worst," she said through gritted teeth, trying to focus on something—anything—other than the fact that Liam was currently changing into a new shirt in front of her, his back to her. She tried to act casual. Really, she did.

"Not the worst," Louis replied, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Just the best. And by the way, you might wanna stop pretending to be all tough and unbothered. We both know you want a piece of that Payne action."

Savannah just groaned, sinking down into her seat, wishing she could disappear into the cushion. The last thing she wanted was to be caught in the middle of Louis' matchmaking antics.

Liam, still not aware of the fact that he was the subject of Savannah's inner turmoil, emerged from the bathroom, shirt now back on, his messy curls falling perfectly around his face. He flashed her a smile that made her insides do something funny, but she was done with this. She wasn't going to play along with Louis anymore.

"I'm fine, Louis," she said, sounding far too cool for what was going on in her head. "But if you're so convinced, why don't you go tell Liam how I feel?"

Louis raised an eyebrow, clearly entertained. "Oh, I will. And trust me, he already knows. I'm not the one who's bad at hiding things, sweetheart."

Savannah groaned internally. She could only imagine what sort of chaos Louis would stir up if he went and said something to Liam.

For now, though, she was stuck in this twisted little game of teasing and tormenting. Her best friend was making her life miserable, and Liam—well, Liam was Liam. And she had no idea what was going on in her own head, but it was starting to feel like she was losing control.

And, of course, Louis would never let her forget it.