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

Louis

Chapter 31

Louis

“Louis! What the hell are you doing out here? You’re getting soaked. Come back inside for God’s sake!” I heard Kevin’s voice shouting over the dour pour and the roaring in my ears, but I couldn’t move. She had just left, walked away from me out of the alley and probably out of my life. I supposed I should have been happy, that she had finally gone, or at least angry, but all I felt was numb. 

My body shook as Kevin grabbed a hold of me, shaking me out of my stupor and leading me back into the building, out of the cold and into the rush of warm air that enveloped me like a blanket. 

“Jesus Lou. What happened?” Harry was there in an instant, the rest of the lads standing behind him with matching worried looks plastered across their faces. Niall looked like he was about to cry, clinging to Audrey’s hand as though it was a life raft. 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I said, shoving past all my friends and heading towards the front door, for once not caring about all the people screaming my name and snapping my photograph as I rushed towards the car waiting for me. I didn’t realise Harry had been following me until he shoved me across the seat and followed me into the car, barking an address that was not mine at the driver and telling him to hurry. 

“What the hell are you doing?” I asked angrily. 

“You are not spending tonight alone Louis. That I know for damn sure.” 

“Oh, you think you’re the expert on all this?” I shouted, ignoring the awkward look the driver threw in his rear view mirror. 

“Not the expert, no. But I do know what it feels like to have your heart broken.” I looked Harry straight in the eye and snorted with derisive laughter. 

“Please,” I scoffed. 

“Oh you think I don’t? Do you not remember how fucked up I was after I thought Rosie and I were over?” I could hear the anger in his voice but I just couldn’t bring myself to care. 

“Like that’s the same. She didn’t lie to you. She wasn’t pretending to be someone else this whole time! She didn’t screw you over!” I screamed, my voice breaking on the last word. 

“No, but I loved her. Just as you love this girl.” 

“Charlie.” I said before I could stop myself. 

“What?” 

“That’s her name, Charlie. Did you know she was Irish? Even her voice wasn’t real,” I scoffed, leaning my cheek against my palm and watching the buildings of London whiz passed. 

“That doesn’t matter, Louis. You love her, don’t you?” Harry asked, pulling at my suit sleeve so I turned to face his searching eyes. 

“That doesn’t matter either, Harry. It’s done. She’s gone. For good.” 

It turned out the address Harry had given the driver was to a hotel, and thankfully when we arrived there wasn’t a camera or a fan in sight. Harry dealt with the check in as I stood the side, still dripping in my damp clothes waiting for him. I glanced up just to see the rest of my band mates, thankfully minus their girlfriends, walk through the door and straight up to us. 

“This was a good idea, Harry,” Zayn said approvingly, and I turned to my best friend. 

“You text them?” 

“Of course I did. You need your friends around you now. Plus, they would’ve killed me if I didn’t tell them where I had taken you.” He held up the room key. “Come on, before the media somehow work out where we are.”