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chapter 17: Part 1

"Oh hey guys. Is something wrong?" I say as I walk further into the room.

"Ana we need to talk." Louis says and stands up.

"Okay you want to come to my room?" I try to play it off as nonchalantly as possible, hoping that he's not talking about what I think he is.

"I think Harry should be here." He says back and I quickly dart my eyes to Harry.

"So rumor has it you two are a thing." My brother says, waving a finger between Harry and I.

"Us? Who said that? The Mirror?" Harry tosses his hands in the air and I sit down next to him.

"I can assure there is nothing going on between us." I say.

"Then why is Niall of all people going around say you two were caught in bed this morning after a wild night clubbing?" He sits back down next to his girlfriend.

"I'm sorry what?" I manage to speak as my throat goes dry.

"We slept in the same bed but I hardly classify that as getting 'caught.' It's not like we did anything." Harry says and sits up straight, a habit I've noticed he does when he feels tense.

"Well I don't think Niall and Charlotte or whatever her name is are going to lie to me!" Louis stands up again, forcefully pushing himself up from the couch.

"Lou this isn't the way to handle it." Eleanor breaks her silence and coos, rubbing Louis' hand.

"Eleanor she's my sister, and I will handle this any way I find suit."

"Handle what, there's nothing to handle!" Harry obnoxiously spits, which sets off Louis on a whole new level.

"You think I'm stupid? I know when you're lying, Harry!" Louis shouts back, and opens his mouth to say something else but is interrupted by the front door opening.

"Oh hey, you're all here!" Charlotte chants upon entering.

"Yeah what're you guys doing here?" Niall asks.

"Did you say something to Louis?" I ask and Charlotte looks to Niall.

"You said something?" She looks genuinely confused, so I'm assuming Niall went behind her back as well.

"He's my best friend, I didn't say anything bad." Niall defended but Charlotte still didn't look impressed.

"And she's my best friend, Ni!" Now she was shouting, but then again it always sounded like she was shouting.

"What did you say Niall!" I shout, without questioning really.

"I said that you guys slept together, that's all!" He shouts back and Eleanor shakes her head from down on the couch.

"Did you say we slept together or had sex!" Harry yells, directed at Niall.

"All I said was that you shared the guest bed! That's it!" Niall shouts and Charlotte squeals.

"Stop fighting, please!" She yells and I stand up.

"Did you know about this?"

"Did I know about what?"

"Charlotte, did you know that Niall was going to tell Louis?" I'm on the brink of tears now, but I blink them back as fast as I can.

"No! I didn't know about this! Do you really think I would sabotage you like that?"

"Who are you lying to Niall?" Louis yells and now Eleanor stands.

"Louis! Enough!" She yells and the room goes silent.

Louis turns his head and mumbles something to her and she moves away from him, towards the front door.

"Where are you going?" He looks at her.

"Home. If you're going to treat your sister and friends that way... fuck treat me that way than I don't want to be here right now!"

"Don't leave, El."

"Louis, I refuse to watch you like this."

"Please," He's whimpering now.

She purses her lips and crosses her arms, still standing by the door "Fine."

"I'm just going to ask you straight out. Ana, did you sleep with Harry?" Louis looks to me.

"No, we slept in the same bed. That's it." I say back, my hands shaking.

"Why were you wearing his shirt?" Louis grimaces at Harry.

"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" Harry protectively puts an arm in front of me.

"Niall said my sister was in your shirt."

"So Niall did accuse us?" I say and turn my head to him, at which point Charlotte slaps him across the face.

"Are you fucking kidding me!" She stomps away from him.

"I didn't think this would happen!" Niall says and looks away.

"Okay look," I start but more shouting interrupts me.

"Louis just let it go!" Eleanor says and Louis smacks his hand against the arm of the couch.

"I told him to stay away from her!" He yells back.

"Why would you tell Harry to stay away from me?" I say and take a step towards him.

"I told everyone, Niall, Liam, Harry, Zayn, that they better not try anything with you. Stop taking everything personally!" he says back.

"How the fuck am I not supposed to take that personally? You just decided who I can and can't be with for me." I say, stunned that my brother would do something like that.

"I should get to decide who I want to be with!" I say louder than anticipated. "Even if I wanted to be Harry, or anyone for that matter, it shouldn't concern you."

"They're my band mates!" He yells back.

"You brought them into my life!" I fire back.

"I didn't even know you existed! If you hadn't called me, this wouldn't have happened! God Ana, why am I getting blamed?"

We all go silent again.

Harry looks down at his shoes and Charlotte runs to my side. Niall and Eleanor are both back against the walls they're near.

"He didn't mean it." Charlotte says, although I think we all know he did mean it.

"And what?" I muster out. 


"Hm?" He shakes his hands out. 


"So if I hadn't had called you, then you would've just known Iexisted. That I was just somewhere in New York. And then when I came here for college, we could've bumped into each other. I could've tried to explain to you that I was your sister, but you would just call me crazy and have security take care of me." I take a breath. "So yes, it is my fault we're in this situation now. But if I hadn't called you, what would you be doing right now?"

"Ana I hadn't meant it like..." Louis' voice trails off. 


"I know what you meant it like." I say and hush again.

Right when Harry steps up beside Charlotte and I, there's a knock at the door.

"Was anyone else coming?" Eleanor asks, and I shake my head 'no'.

Charlotte walks to the door and opens it. I can't see who's in the doorway from where I'm standing, but I can tell by the agape expression Charlotte's mouth bares that it must not be someone so pleasant.

"Yeah, Ana." She squeaks and I walk to the doorway, noticing the glares Harry, Louis, and Niall are giving each other.

When I reach the door, my eyes go wide, and I try to keep my composure, but especially in the current setting, it's hard.

"Dad," I say as loudly as my voice allows.