Chemistry (L.T.)

Chapter 46

Louis POV

I knew that it would come up again. You don't just reveal something like having a bedroom at the Styles house to a person like Alexia and not expect to get some sort of questioning. Three months ago, the thought of sharing my story with someone, someone that didn't already know, would have angered me. I'd always said the past is in the past, and it should stay that way, locked up in the darkness. But something about Alexia had always made sharing the deepest parts of me okay. Something about her made me feel safe and not judged. Something about her made me be me. 

"Where do I start?" I say running a hand through my hair. It was one of those questions that wasn't so much of a question as a thought. The kind of question you say out loud even though there really isn't an answer.

"Well, if you haven't figured it out by now I'm British," I say with a laugh. 

"Wow, I had no idea," Alexia says sarcastically. Her smile lights up her face and gives me the strength to continue. 

"It was a good life. Me, me mum, me dad and me sister Lottie. The Styles family had been friends of our parents for as long as I could remember. They were doctors over in England for a while, and from as early as grade school Harry and I were best buds. We did everything together, even played footie if you can imagine Harry doing that." I laugh at my memory of my curly-haired friend kicking the football across the green fields of my backyard. 

"The Styles moved away when I was ten. Anne got a great new job at a hospital in America, and they were ready to be closer to family." I glance at Alexia to see her face. Its focused on me and I can see her eyes processing it all, trying to put all the pieces together. 

"One day, when I was twelve, my parents went out for a big work party. Me dad was a big time executive at some office, and every year they had this big Christmas celebration. They told Lottie and I not to wait up, that they would be back late, and so we went to bed watching the snow fall that night." I sigh for a moment and feel the familiar ache in my chest when I thought of this moment. 

Alexia reaches over and sets her hand on top of mine, giving me a look of reassurance to go on. Her touch sends tingles up my arm, but with lingering warmth. 

"I always remember thinking how beautiful that snow was that night. How peaceful and gorgeous it was. But I guess it's the most beautiful things that can destroy us." I bite my lip and look down for a moment. Not sure if I was ready to share the next part of my story with another person. 

"I was woken up by a knock at the door and the flashing of lights. They had come to tell us that our parents-my mum and my dad, had been in a terrible accident. A crash as a result of the snowstorm, and that they didn't make it. They were dead."

Alexia looks at me, and her eyes show the words that she can't say. "Louis, I..." she gives me a squeeze of the hand. "I'm sorry I had no idea."

"Thank you," I say, taking a deep breath to try and breathe the pain away. I hadn't thought about that moment for so long. The moment that had defined who I had become. I look to Alexia, her face filled with concern and caring, and I knew it was going to be okay. I decide I can continue this, I can finish what I started.

"And so the Styles came, and the offered to take Lottie and I to live with them, being our godparents and all. We didn't have much family otherwise. And I had always wanted to live in America ya know, and so I was all for it. Lottie, though, she didn't want to leave home. So Lottie went with some distant aunt and has been there ever since."

"Do you talk to her still? Your sister?" Alexia asks.

"Not as often as I'd like to." I say softly, but knowing it had been far worse than that. As we had gotten older, consumed with our own lives, Lottie and I had grown more and more distant. And although the Styles had offered on multiple occasions to fly me out to visit her, I was ashamed to admit that I didn't think I was strong enough to return to the place that had so many bad memories for me.

"So that's why you live with the Styles? They are sort of your guardians." Alexia says softly, as if clarifying that she had heard the story correctly. 

I nod my head. "And that's why I have to take chemistry, its a condition of the Styles paying for my college education."

I see the light go off in Alexia's head. "And that's why you failed the first time, because you wanted to show them that you were indpendent, that you didn't need them." 

"Something like that." I say. "Don't get me wrong, they've always been good to me, better than good. But I didn't want everything handed to me, and I didn't want to be the rich kid anymore, so I got to college and changed my own story."

"It makes sense now. You make sense now," she says looking me deep in the eyes.

"I've never told anyone let before." I say quietly, feeling the gap between where I am sitting and where Alexia is sitting grow smaller. 

"Not even Harry?" She whispers.

"Not even Harry," I reply. My eyes are fixed on her green ones now, both of us gazing into the soul of the other. I feel a connection to Alexia that I hadn't felt before, one that came from being the most vulnerable I have ever been with someone before. 

"You are beautiful," the words slip out of my mouth and I reach my hand to Alexia's cheek cupping her chin with my hand. I instinctively lean closer and feel her do the same, the warmth of her breath on my face.

I glance down at her lips, pink and full and then back at her eyes. Then, without even thinking I lean in, my lips making contact with hers. A kiss full of emotion and attraction. Its soft and smooth, but passionate at the same time. Electricity flows from my lips to my body and I feel the sparks radiate through every part of my soul. As we pull away, Alexia looks away, but I can't help but notice the smile on her face. 

"We still have a lot to do," she says with a sigh. She grabs her notebook from the table and returns to the couch. I do the same. We get back to work, focusing at the job at hand, forgetting about the moment we had shared just minutes ago. As the night drags on Alexia begins to yawn, and before I know it I feel her head on my shoulder, looking down to see that she has passed out against my arm.

I grab the notebook from her arm and set it on the ground and set me own work now, letting Alexia's head rest on my chest as slumbered softly. 

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Finally an Alexia and Louis moment, its definitely been a long time coming but I hope it met your expectations!

I can't believe that Chemistry has now reached over 5K reads. I am so grateful for each of you that takes the time to read my story, vote on chapters , share with others and let me know what you think. There are only going to be 2-3 more chapters which is crazy, but I really hope you have enjoyed reading!