When You said 'Rock Me', Is This What You Meant? | l.t (Book l) [unedited]

Chapter Sixteen

Zoe's POV:

"So why did you wait so long to decorate your house?" Louis asked, fanning out the tree.

"It's December second, when did you decorate your house?" I asked.

"Our house isn't decorated at all." Louis sounded distant as he said it. I decided not to press it, and my Mom came through the door.

"Oh crap! We were supposed to decorate weeks ago! Honesty!" She called as she quickly kicked her shoes off. Honesty came running down the stairs, and clapping when she saw the unlit fake Christmas tree.

"Let me plug it up and then we can decorate it." Louis smiled, his stubble getting thicker every time I see him.

"Are you going for a beard?" I blurted out. Louis' cheek reddened.

"No, I just haven't found the time to shave it." He mumbled. I felt stupid for asking him about his facial hair, and the Honesty reached in the box, pulling out an ornament.

After all the glass and plastic had been hung on the fake tree, including the angel on top, we all stepped back, and admired it. Louis smiled, and looked down at Honesty like I had seen so many men do to their children. It made my heart warm and swell, and I couldn't tear my eyes from him. My Mother must've noticed it too, because she slyly snapped a photo of us.

"How is it dark already?" Louis suddenly gasped. I looked out the window, and true to his words, it was dusk.

"Woah, today has just flown by." I stated. Louis nodded in agreement.

"Louis, can I speak with you?" My Mom asked. Louis nodded, and they walked upstairs.

I was left alone with my daughter and my curiosity. Honesty hummed something to herself as she ate from a bag of crisps and picked in the Christmas tree. My Mom came walking down the stairs with Louis trailing behind her.

"Zo, can I talk to you?" Louis asked. I stifled a laugh, and nodded. We walked up the stairs like him and my Mom did just a few minutes earlier. We walked into bedroom, and I flipped the light on, closing the door at the same time.

"Whatcha need?" I asked, plopping onto my bed and crossing my ankles. Louis sat on the edge.

"Can you go through everything that's happened? From you finding out to that day at McDonalds?" He asked, never making eye contact.

"Yes." I answered simply. It was obvious he wanted to be in her life. Why hold back any details now?

"You know what happened when I found out, and I was two weeks late. I saw you that night, but I still kept it from you, I couldn't find the words to say, we were so young. Anyway, for the next two weeks it was killing me, and when you were walking away that day, I wanted to tell you so you could stay, selfish, I know. When I home, I told my Mom, and she comforted me. Then the following week I was recovering, going to the doctor, and telling people. It was hard, being sixteen and pregnant." I paused, reliving the tough period of my life.

"My second trimester was complicated. I kept having cramps and I would get light headed often. I was put on bed rest for a week then. When I felt the very first kick, I debated asking your Mother for your number. That same day, I told your Mom, and then the next day we moved to London. It was easier in London, and I had already transferred to online schools. The third trimester was the worst, I was crying for you a lot. I was in and out of the hospital, and Honesty was three months premature, and just barely made it. That's why she was so itty bitty in those photos until she was five months old." I let Louis soak in the information.

"I'm sorry I put you through that." It was hardly a whisper. I went on, telling the tale.

"Her first year was normal, learning to walk, talk a bit, all that good stuff. I was stressed beyond belief, but things ended up okay. Her second year hit me pretty hard, when I was having to get a job since she was older. When I kept coming in late, I got fired, a lot. I thought she had a speech impairment, but in her third year, she started to interact with me much better, and I was so relieved. Since my Mom had started to work from home, I was able to keep jobs better. In her fourth year, she started talking with other kids, and she would ask me constantly what a Daddy was and why she didn't have one. It broke my heart, knowing it was my fault." I ended with a whisper

"Thank you, Zoe." Louis said, gratitude full in his voice.

"For?" I asked.

"Telling me this, letting me in her life, having my first kid." He smiled.

"No problem." I giggled. Louis snickered.

"Zoe, can I ask you something?" He asked. I nodded, and made eye contact.

"Can we go on a date tomorrow night?" He asked, semi-sheepishly. I smirked a bit.

"I guess, Lou." I playfully punched his arm. He beamed up at me happily. He kissed my cheek a bit, and we both stood up.

"I think Harry has a date tomorrow too." Louis mused. Odd, Courtney has a date too...

"Um, Court does too." I said suspiciously. Louis' head snapped up, and he smirked.

"Call them?" He suggested.

We dialed our friends at the same time, and they picked up on the same ring.

"Hello?" She answered the phone.

"Hey, who do you have a date with?" I asked. Louis followed through with the questions too.

"Um, I'm actually with him now." She said sheepishly.

I put the phone on speaker, and Louis did too.

"Hey, Zoe." Harry said at the same time Court said "Hi, Louis."

"Wow." Louis and I said simultaneously. We said our goodbyes and they hung up. I should've seen that one coming.

"Alright, let's go back downstairs, we've been up here for close to an hour." Louis grinned. I nodded, and followed him downstairs.

My mom smiled at us as we walked into the kitchen, where she was frying sausage and scrambling eggs.

I overtook the eggs while she mixed up some pancakes. Louis tore into a crumpet packet and grabbed the butter from the fridge.

"I love how he thinks he lives here." I jokingly said, pointing my plastic spatula at him. He stuck his tongue out as he popped it in the microwave.

"I want one!" Honesty whined, coming from the living room with a Barbie in her small hand. Louis honored her request, and made her a crumpet.

"So, Louis. Are you gonna stand there or you gonna make yourself useful and help me with these pancakes?" My mom said teasingly. He chuckled, and walked over to help her. He stood beside me, flipping the pancakes. My Mom sneaked out of the room to 'help Honesty'.

"Dinner's ready!" He called, and for a moment, I let my mind wander to a place where Louis and I could've been together. Cooking dinner together as we raised our daughter together.

Would've been perfect.