Happy Hope (Book Two)

Chapter 14:

I was at Louis’s front door in the dimly lit hallway. I wasn’t planning to go but the other day Louis had left his sunglasses at the shop and on my way home I decided I’d drop them off for him. I knocked on the door and to my surprise a girl answered. My mouth parted as I saw the girl, she had brown hair and eyes with a cute button nose. What shocked me the most was the fact that she had a suitcase behind her. Was she moving in? From what I could see her clothes were strewn about the apartment like splashes of colour.

            “Louis!” she called out, bored and looking at her nails. “Your fake girlfriend is here.”

Those words echoed, fake girlfriend fake girlfriend fake girlfriend. I stood not saying anything my mouth was still dropped open. I couldn’t comprehend what was happening. Had Louis used me? I wondered.

He appeared at the front door looking panic stricken and that’s all I needed to see.

            “Hope,” he tried to approach me but I just shook my head.

            “Don’t,” I whispered, “You dare.” The girl rolled her eyes.

            “Hope please I can explain,” he tried to grab my hand but I stepped back before he could touch me. I dreaded contact with him.

            “I’m listening.”

            “Eleanor couldn’t handle the hate so we fake split up and saw each other in secret. We agreed that I would date other girls, flings, so the fans wouldn’t suspect anything.” He said it like he was ashamed. He didn’t look me in the eye and he just stared at the floor. Anger flared up inside of me like a fire.

            “So I was just a toy?” I retorted angrily, tears threatened to spill and my hands were tightening into a fist, getting sweaty. I felt so foolish like I’d just found out I’ve been saying a word the wrong way but more than that, this hurt. I felt betrayed and betrayal was the worst kind of deception. It stings you right in the heart because the person you trusted, the person you loved is no longer who you thought they were. You feel embarrassed and embarrassment always spread through your body like wildfire, making every inch of you feel hot, red and sweaty, uncomfortable.

            “No!” he said desperately, running a hand though his hair. Stressed.

            “So you haven’t been screwing her whilst having a relationship with me?”

            “Please listen-“

            “No you listen to me! I loved you! I trusted you! I opened up to you and you were having shits and giggles with her! I don’t want to ever see you again. I don’t want you near me or my kids. Stay away from us!” I shouted and with that I turned around bolting into the elevator, holding the tears in until the doors shut. Once they closed I screamed an awful sound like a dying seal, hitting my back against the wall, I clutched my chest and I sunk to the floor.

He’d used me. I was his publicity stunt. I never meant anything to him. Tears stained my face. I hated him for leading me on. What gave him the right to play with feelings like that? It wasn’t only me he affected but my kids. They loved Louis a lot and now I see that they probably loved him a little too much. He had given me hope of a long-term relationship, a father figure for the kids but he’d washed that all down the drain because I was just some big game to him. He never cared about me. The glasses that he’d left at my house were still clutched in my hand. I threw them against a wall, screaming in anguish, they bounced to the floor.

My heart ached for him to come chasing after me but my head was telling my heart he needed to stay away because he was a jerk. I slowly clawed my way into a standing position as the elevator doors dinged open. I flew out of the lobby and into my car once I was in I tried to drive but my hands were shaking, my whole body was racking with sobs. Eventually I got the keys in and drove seeing through blurred tears I drove to a place I only went a few times a year.