The Story of Us // L.S

Seventeen.

Songs for this chapter are:

*They Don't Know About Us // One Direction

*Summer Love // One Direction

*

Isobel sniffled and pushed herself away from me, wiping at her eyes delicately. I sat back on my heels and stared at her hesitantly. My knees were screaming at me to stand up. We'd been on the floor for quite some time as she came to terms with all the new information that was being unloaded.

She sniffed again before taking a deep breath through her mouth and started to talk. "Why did he leave me then?" Her voice was croaky and she sounded drained and tired. "The only person that can tell you that is sat in our kitchen." She turned her head away from me and nestled her chin into her knees before nodding to herself. "Suppose I have to talk to him." She sounded unsure but started to slowly stand up. I tried to follow her lead but my knees clicked loud enough for us both to hear. She chuckled as she offered a hand to help me up and I sighed, feeling the effects of my age. For some reason my thoughts raced back to Louis sat in our kitchen and I grimaced at the fact he could not possibly love someone as old and rickety as me.

Belle heaved me up and I towered over her once again. This fact made me chuckle to myself but seeing her sad expression made me stop myself. "Are you mad at me?" She sighed and half turned away from me as she licked along her bottom lip in thought. "I don't know how I feel right now. I don't think I am. There's so much information to take in right now and I get that you did the best you could for me. You loved me when you didn't have to and no-one else did and I love you too. You are my Dad and I will personally fight anyone who says you're not." My face split open into a smile and I felt my heart flutter at her calling me her dad. Without thinking I lunged at her and wrapped my arms tightly around her, peppering her neck in kisses.

"That means a lot to me and I love you so much Belle, just like you were my own daughter. And I promise never to lie or keep secrets from you again." She moaned into my ear so I took a step back but remained gripping onto her shoulders.

"Are you ready to go out there?" Her eyes rested on the closed door separating us with Louis. I could sense the fear and anger running through her and wanted to wrap her up in a warm blanket and shield her from the world. "We don't have to if you don't want to, this is all on you. Today has been a lot to take in and it's already..." I craned my neck round to look at the clock on my nightstand. "1:46, maybe the best thing to do is to go to bed."

She shook her head slowly back and forth, never breaking her gaze with the door. "Uh-uh. Now." Her voice was timid yet strong and I loved that I had raised such a fiercely strong woman, even if she possessed so many of Louis' qualities.

I stood back and watched as she reached for the door handle and followed her down the corridor. Everywhere was dark and the only light came from the kitchen, which was blocked out when she stopped in the doorway. I came up behind her and rested my hands on her shoulders before seeing what she saw.

An empty kitchen.