Twisted Friendship

Chapter 37

"LOOK OUT FOR THE MAILBOX!" Harry screamed, throwing his arms across his face as Liam jerked at the steering wheel and narrowly avoided a collision.

Niall squeezed his eyes shut, looking queasy. "You guys are horrible drivers."

I barely noticed though, just glared at Louis. "What do you mean, you're taking me home?" I demanded angrily.

"It means exactly that." Louis explained, pinching the bridge of his nose "We are taking you home. And then we have to leave town. Katie-" he sighed, "I just want you to be safe."

My hand closed around the front of his t-shirt as my temper flared, jerking him closer to me. "Listen here, Louis Tomlinson." I whispered harshly, "You can't just drop me off and leave like nothing happened, I've been through so much with you. You've changed me and that means you can't just change me and leave."

Louis blinked, his grey eyes clouding over with frustration. "You don't understand-"

"I understand that I am not letting you disappear." I interrupted.

"PEDESTRIAN!" Harry shouted, grabbing the dashboard. "LOOK OUT! PEDESTRIAN CROSSING THE STREET!"

"I CAN SEE THE MAN, I DO HAVE EYES!" Liam retaliated in exasperation.

Louis looked towards the front of the car angrily, my hand still closed around his shirt. "Can you stop shouting for gods sake?" he huffed.

"Make Zayn drive." Harry replied, pouting slightly from being told off by Louis.

Zayn sat sprawled out in the back seat, muscular arms crossed over his chest and dark eyes brooding. He radiated with frustration as his gaze flickered over to us.

"No." he replied simply.

I yanked at Louis's shirt again, bringing him closer until my nose touched his. "Why would you do this?" I asked, trying and failing to get the desperation out of my voice.

Louis suddenly looked angry, a shadow of darkness falling across his eyes. "Why?" he asked, his voice sharp "Why? Listen here, Katie, I don't want to let you go. I want to keep you by my side so I can make you laugh and play with your hair and touch your skin, because it's really soft, and I want to wake up next to you seeing you all sleepy and tired, which, by the way, is really adorable."

He took a deep breath, "I have accidently fallen in love with you, which I tried not to do because I am dangerous. I live a dangerous life and it's not safe being around me, but then you had to come to school and I had to see you. And I was stupid by thinking that keeping you close would keep you safe."

His open palm flew out and slammed against the back of the seat, shoulder muscles tightening as he let out his anger onto the car.

"Um, be careful on the car." Niall whispered in a barely audible voice, looking nervously at Louis who had storm clouds brewing over his head.

Harry twisted around in his seat, his eyes flickering between the two of us. "Well," he stopped, searching for words, "Well. That was- um, beautiful."

And it was beautiful, and sweet, and the fact he was so torn up about leaving me behind, how much it hurt and how much he loved me become suddenly too overwhelming as my heart tightened and cheeks grew hot.

"Are you okay?" Zayn asked, immediatly shooting up and leaning towards me worriedly.

I brushed at my eyes with the back of my hand, trying to stop the tears that were welling up and spilling down my cheeks.

"No," I replied, "I am not okay."

Liam's gaze met mine in the rear view, "Whoa!" he exclaimed, eyebrows arching in surprise, "Katie, love, please don't cry."

Louis pulled his head out from his hand and looked towards me. "What?"

"God damn it!" Zayn huffed, "You made her cry, Louis."

I didn't want to cry, but I was and just couldn't seem to stop the endless torrent from coming down my cheeks. Everything had become too much and seemed to all hit me at once. Because suddenly Louis was up from a coma and told me he loved me and we jammed a body in a closet and Niall's flat lit on fire and now I'm in a car going back home while Liam drives horribly.

Louis's brow creased in concern as he cupped my cheek tenderly, wiping away my tears with his thumb. "Why are you crying?" he asked softly, pushing hair back from my face.

"Because of you, that's why." Zayn retorted in disgust. Louis ignored him and looked at me questioningly.

"I am emotionally unstable." I announced flatly, "And I think I'm going crazy."

"Aren't we all?" Niall replied lightly, his thin fingers peeling off leather from the seats.

"Amen." Harry exclaimed.

Louis frowned, leaning forward and kissing my wet cheeks lightly. "Don't cry." he whispered. Lifting up the hem of his shirt, he dabbed at my face.

"I don't like crying." I said angrily, "It makes me feel weak."

He stopped suddenly, eyes widening. "You are the strongest person I know." he whispered, his voice soft and warm as his hand closed around mine. I leaned into his body as his arm draped across my shoulder.

"I don't feel strong." I mumbled, voice muffled as my mouth was pressed against his shoulder. I breathed in the scent of his cologne. "I feel like you always need to take care of me."

"Ah," Louis chuckled, "No, I take care of you because I want to. But, I always do need to get you out of trouble."

I sighed softly as his finger traced gentle circles on my back. "Trouble seems to follow me."

And I wrapped my arms around his waist, pressing my cheek against his chest and listening to that solid heart beat, that drumming of a boy who a year ago said he wanted me to sit with him, and how it ended up with him dying twice and getting into fights and now here we are, sitting together again.

And you know what, it would be fine by me if I just sat with him for a while. Because I liked Louis Tomlinson, and I would be fine just sitting with him for a long time.

"Oh dear." Liam exclaimed, squinting down at the car controllers. He rapped lightly against the top of the dashboard with his fist.

"Did that fix it or something?" Harry asked with a laugh. Liam immediatly hit him in the back of the head.

"Not now." Liam said in exasperation, "Well. I hate to be the bearer of bad news."

Zayn sat up again, leaning over the seat. "What now?"

"Well," Liam frowned, brown eyes scrunched up, "Well, it appears as though we are out of gas."

Harry smacked his hand against his forehead, "Just great! Who's pushing the car?"

"Not me." Niall said, touching his hand to his nose. "Nose goes!"

All five boys immediatly shot their hands up to their face.

"Guys, we aren't five." I exclaimed, peering out the window. Louis joined in next to me, pressing his forehead against the glass as his eyes raked the street.

"Bad neighborhood." he murmured, his hand closing protectively around my wrist. The sound of police sirens rang faintly from behind us, causing Liam to fall forward and bang his head against the steering wheel in frustration.

"Great." he mused sarcastically, "Just great."