New York, New Tomlinson

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"It was me."

I stood there frozen. Did I hear her right? I stared at Lottie as I replayed what she just said over and over again in my mind.

It was me. It was me. It was me.

Three simple words but they didn't seem to be true. I had a hard time believing them. Did Lottie really tell the press about me? No, there was no way a sweet girl like Lottie would do that. Then again, everyone had an ugly side.

I couldn't move. I had no emotion. I wasn't angry or upset. I was just numb; I felt nothing.

Lottie stared at me waiting for a response. Louis was standing next to her with anxious eyes. I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could even make a sound, Lottie started pleading.

"Please don't be mad, Ellie. I didn't know what I was doing. I was angry at the time. I didn't mean it. I never meant for you to leave. I never meant to hurt you. If I could go back in time and fix everything, I would. Please don't be angry, Ellie," she cried.

I stood there stunned. It was true. Lottie spilled everything to the press about me being Louis' long lost sister. How did she even find out? No one knew until the next day when the story was released on television.

I took a step closer to her and Louis. "Please, Ellie. I didn't know what to do," she cried again. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she stared at me. Why was she crying? I didn't even say anything. I didn't show any emotion.

I took another hesitant step forward. "Lot-"

"Oh my gosh, Ellie. I'm so sorry. You have every right to be mad at me. I deserve it," she cried, cutting me off.

One more step and I was standing right in front of her. The tears in her eyes just kept coming. She looked scared, I could tell. It might be because I still haven't shown any emotion. "Ellie, I-" she started.

This time I cut her off. Before she could say anything, I pulled her into my arms. I could tell I took her by surprise, but she eventually hugged me back. We stood like that for a few minutes. She buried her tear streaked face in my shirt, and I rested my cheek on her head.

I wasn't angry with her. I wasn't even the tiniest bit upset. To be honest, I was happy. She told me the truth, and that's all I could ask for at this point. She didn't act like everything was fine when she saw me. Lottie told me as soon as she could. With a little push from Louis, of course. I let her explain, and she obviously regrets what she did. The news was going to get out sooner or later. Lottie just sped up the process.

I eventually pulled back from her and smiled. She looked at me with confused wide eyes. "Y-you hugged me?" she stated, more like asked. I let a small giggle escape my lips as I nodded. "So you're not mad?"

I shook my head. "You told me the truth. I'm not mad."

A smile started to slowly spread across her face. She wrapped her arms around me again and gave me a slight squeeze. "I love you, Ellie," she whispered.

I smiled. I pulled her back from me and gazed into her eyes. "I love you too, Lottie."

Her smile got even bigger, if that was possible. She left me and Louis standing there as she went to sit on the couch. Louis smiled at me and slung his arms over my shoulders like he always does. I glanced up at him and returned the smile.

I let my eyes wander the room for a few seconds. I looked at every single person in the room. Everyone was staring back at me. I let out a deep shaky breath before I spoke.

"I've missed you guys so much. I-I was a complete wreck for months because of what happened. I didn't want to leave, but it felt like the only thing I could do at the time," I sniffled. The sting of tears was behind my eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment. "I love all of you, more than you will ever know."