Uncovered

Chapter 15

I paced around the room, phoning Izzy again and again but she still wasn't picking up her phone. It was nearly 9pm and i hadn't heard anything from her yet.

"C'mon c'mon, pick up" I murmured to myself, but she didn't and it went straight to voice mail again. 

I didn't know what to do as I didn't know where Harry lived and i'd already asked pretty much everyone who was at the party if they'd seen her recently. I know she's a big girl now and she can take care of herself, but I really didn't trust Harry. He seemed like such a creep last night, Izzy must have been hammered.

I lay down on the floor with my hands rested above my head trying to relax and calm down. She's fine, I told myself, but i couldn't make myself believe it. There was knock on the door and I propped myself up on one elbow.

"It's open" I shouted. The handle turned and the door opened slightly. "Izzy?" I said hopefully, getting back up to my feet.

"Is she still not back?" answered Louis' voice as he stepped into the room.

"Oh, it's just you" I sighed disappointingly.

"Gee, thanks" he replied, the corner of his mouth turning up into a smirk.

I vaguely smiled back, the atmosphere feeling normal for once between us. I returned to my bed and swung my legs up, my head resting on the pillows. He stepped further into the room and started moving towards Izzy's bed.

"You don't have to sit over there, you can come next to me if you want"

"Oh um, sure" he replied awkwardly. I moved over to the edge of the bed so that he could fit on next to me.

"So" I said.

"So" he repeated.

"Hi"

"Hello"

"Do you still wanna talk?" I asked, looking up at him.

"Yeh, I do"

"Well make it quick because i'm about to fall off the bed"

"Oh, hang on" He lifted his arm and wrapped it behind me, supporting my weight and stopping me from falling. I was glad he couldn't properly see my face as i'm sure i was gradually turning red. "Is that better?" he asked.

"Yeh, thanks" I replied, trying not to sound breathless. "So"

He chuckled at me, I swear I wasn't purposely being awkward. 

"What do you wanna talk about?" I asked, slowly relaxing into my position pressed into his chest.

"You, your life, hopes and dreams. I dunno really, just everything"

"Oh, um, well I moved from Cardiff to Bexhill when I was 12 so I was kind of a loner at high school until Izzy finally took pity on the sad new girl and let me follow her around. She probably didn't realise that seven years on she'd be my roomy at university, but hey, she's stuck with me now"

"So you're 19? And you're Welsh?" he asked.

"Excellent maths skills, and yeh, I am. Why?"

"Just another fun fact about you I guess, carry on"

And that's exactly what I did. I even made him laugh a few times, and I probably only embarrassed myself twice or so. I completely lost track of time until I yawned and Louis checked his watch. 

"Wow, it's half eleven" he exclaimed.

"Seriously? I should probably get some sleep" I asked, as time had literally flown by.

"Yeh, I should go" 

"No, stay. Then you can wake me up when Izzy gets back so I can kick her ass and explain to her the uses of a phone"

"And if she doesn't?"

"She will, trust me"

"I do"

"So you'll stay?"

"Of course" he said gently.

This is so weird, I thought. He hasn't gotten angry once, he's just listened to me talk for several hours and now he's willing to stay longer. I feel comfortable in his presence, whereas before I felt uneasy and mostly annoyed by his snappy comments and demanding habits. But the person lying next to me now was completely different.

I shifted myself under the covers a bit more so that I could rest my head on Louis' chest. He snaked his arm further around me to hold my waist and I turned onto my side to lessen the gap between us subtly.

"You're still wearing your jeans" he whispered as my eyelids began to droop.

"What are you suggesting?" I whispered back sarcastically.

"Hey, I was just pointing it out" he replied defensively. "Stay like that if you want". I almost flinched at the coldness in his voice, but I told myself that he was only joking and chose to ignore it.

"I will stay like this"

"And the lights still on"

"Then turn it off"

He chuckled  and reached away from me to switch the light off. He then leaned back in and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of my head. I was trying to pretend to already be asleep and not say anything, but I think he knew I was still awake.

*****

I woke up in the same position I had fallen asleep in, and I now really regret sleeping in jeans. Louis was still next to me, which was a god thing I guess, but it also meant that Izzy hadn't come back yet. I tried to wriggle out from underneath the covers to retrieve my phone, but as it was early my balance was off and before I knew it, I had rolled out of bed and landed on the floor with a thud.

"Are you ok?" Louis whispered.

"Sorry, did I wake you?"

"No, I wasn't asleep"

"Oh, did you get any sleep?" I asked curiously.

"Not really, I don't sleep much at all actually" he told me as I pulled myself off of the floor.

"Oh" was all I could think to say. His phone went off in his hand which looked like he'd been holding it all night. He quickly scanned through his new message then looked back up to me.

"I'll leave you to get ready now" he said, reverting back to his monotone voice I hadn't heard for a while.

"You don't have to go, I won't be long. Or I could shower in a bit?" I suggested.

"No, don't worry. I'll see ya later maybe" he said. He stood up from the bed and walked out of the room without looking back. And suddenly, he had changed again.

Whatever that text had said made him scared, or annoyed, I wasn't sure. But he was taking it out on me and acting as if last night had never happened. And what does 'see ya later maybe' even mean? You either make the effort to see me or you don't.

Although, boy troubles are probably not the top of my concerns list right now. Izzy was still missing and it was probably time that I go out and find her.