A Love, a Lie and a False Identity (Louis Tomlinson)

Louis

Chapter 21

Louis

“No, come on, come on!” I said excitedly a few days after our dinner date, tugging her hand as I led her down the road, my heartbeat thumping slightly faster than normal. I couldn’t believe I was doing this, it was all moving so fast, but I knew deep down it felt right. Who knew when the next time I was going to see them came around, and I wanted her to meet them.

“Where are we going?” Ronnie said, a little breathless as she struggled to keep up with my long strides.

“You’ll see, it’s another surprise!” I felt like a little kid, waking up on the morning of Christmas. I hoped she was pleased, that I wasn’t some kind of freak who was jumping in too deep, but something told me deep down that she was so similar to me that she would see the meaning behind it.

“Does it involve anymore London tourist sites?” she asked, but I just shook my head and pulled her along. Finally we arrived, and I could feel my face almost splitting when I saw them all sitting there, glancing around clearly looking for me.

“No, it’s something much more important to me.” I pulled her to the side, preparing to warn her before my family saw us and bombarded us with hugs and affection, not to mention a million questions.

“Louis, you’re starting to worry me, what’s going on?” she asked, her huge eyes staring at me questioningly, unblinking as I took a deep breath.

“Around the corner, my Mum, stepdad and my sisters are sitting waiting for us,” I said slowly, watching and testing her reaction. I heard her breath hitch, and her hand tightened almost subconsciously in my own.

“Your…your family?” she said faintly, as though trying to convince herself of what she had heard, “you want me to meet your family?” I grinned and nodded, before stepping forward when she started to sway.

“Are you OK?”

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” she said, the colour still absent from her face. I started to worry that this was a bad idea.

“I thought so. It’s not like they are here to specifically see you, they were visiting and I thought it would be a good idea. I get to see them so little during the times I’m working, but I also wanted to spend the day with you. I’ll introduce you as a friend, if it makes you feel less pressured?” I rambled on, speaking fast as I watched her gain her composure and a small smile spread across her lips.

“What were you going to introduce me as before then?” she said, a flirty hint back in her voice. Taking a breath of relief, seeing that she wasn’t scared anymore, I smiled back.

“Lady Sandhurst-Winthrope, of course,” I said in a posh voice, and her smile faltered slightly before she rolled her eyes and looped her arm through mine, pushing me forward slightly.

“Come on then Tomlinson, I want to meet the woman who raised a boy with such impeccable manners,” she joked, and we rounded the corner and back into my mother’s eyesight. I scrunched my eyes closed for a moment as I heard her squeals combined with my sister’s before being bombarded by bodies trying to hug me.

“Louis!”

“Lou! I’ve missed you!”

“Let me through, he’s my son let me hug him!” I felt the protective arms of my mother wrap around me and I fell into her embrace gladly, feeling like I was back home, where I belonged.

“Hi Mum,” I said softly, kissing her cheek before turning to Dan and shaking his hand, “Hi Dan. Been taking care of my Mum whilst I’ve been away?”