I Promise // l.p.

Chapter 13

"If you know what's best, you'll keep quiet."

I barely hear him as he drags me from the small restaurant. I'm still trying to process this in my head. I haven't seen him in three years, but here he is. Riley, in Australia.

He pulls me into an alleyway between McDonald's and KFC. Riley pins me against the wall and restrains both my wrists with one hand, holding my thigh with the other. He's close, too close and still reeks of cigarettes and other smells that I don't want to know where they originated.

"I like these shorts on you." Riley whispers and bites my ear. I instantly regret not changing after the plane ride.

Suddenly, I'm not pinned in an alley between two crumby fast food restaurants in Australia, I'm back in Wolverhampton against the brick wall of my old high school.

And Liam will be here any moment to save me.

"You know damn well that Liam will beat your ass for this." I spit.

"Where is he now? Oh yeah, getting his makeup done like a little girl." Riley smirks. How did he even know that?

He's freaking me out. Riley looks even more shady than I thought was humanly possible since high school. Thinking about all the things he did to me then leaves me wondering what's going to happen now.

I hear people walking near the alley and do the dumbest and smartest thing to do in this situation.

I scream.

"Help," I yell from the top of my lungs, "somebody come hel-"

"Shut the hell up." Riley's nasty hand clamps over my mouth. I try biting his palm as hard as I can but he just rolls his eyes.

"Hey!" A guy appears walking up to us. He looks younger than me, he's a little buff, has brown hair with a blonde streak through the front, and a lip piercing. "Let her go."

Riley laughs like its all some huge joke. But it is, to him. Some kid coming onto a twenty year-old and his girl hostage.

"Do yourself a favor and go buy yourself a happy meal before things get out of hand."

"I'd leave before the cops get here if I were you." The boy ignores him.

"You don't know who you're messing with." Riley takes a step away from me and towards the kid. This boy must be stupid because he takes a step towards Riley, challenging him.

Riley leaps onto him and the two fight back and forth, blood already in sight. The boy is thrown against the ground and then Riley stops. He jumps up at the sound of police sirens and sprints down the alleyway until he's no longer visible.

So much for getting arrested.

"Are you okay?" I stick out my hand towards the kid on the ground. He takes my hand and then nods.

"I can take you to a hospital?" I offer.

"I'm fine, really."

"You don't know how thankful I am that you got here. I don't know how far downhill that would have gone if you weren't, so thanks." I explain.

"You're welcome. I'm Luke." He properly introduces himself.

"Katie. I like your accent." I add in. That phone call with my dad replays through my mind. "Thanks again."

He nods and then we both walk from the alleyway, managing to avoid the cops. The boys' show starts in an hour and a half, so I make my way back to the tour bus to take a shower and change clothes. I pull on skinny jeans, a floral tank top, and end up leaving my hair down, pushing it back with a headband. After all that, I still can't get the feeling of Riley's hands off of me.

By the time I get to the stadium, all five of the boys are backstage goofing around. Once Liam spots me, he smiles and walks over to where I'm standing.

"How was your fast-food?" He laughs and runs his hand down my arm. The moment he says that I feel how empty my stomach is. I actually didn't even get the chance to eat at all.

"It was okay." I lie. I don't want to tell him about Riley just yet.

"I missed you."

"I missed you too." I smile, then he leans down to kiss me.

"Just get a room, why don't ya?" Louis purposely bumps into us, breaking the kiss. Liam sighs.

"Knock 'em dead." I playfully pull his black beanie over his eyes, then plant a kiss on his cheek.

I take my seat next to Lou Teasdale and hope that the sound of Liam's voice will drown out the events that happened earlier.

--------

I wake up at an oddly early time. I barely even slept at all last night. We had to sleep in the bus last night because the hotel doesn't have enough open rooms, until today. I slide from the bunk and walk into the kitchen area. I find Louis sitting on one of the couches, staring blankly at nothing.

"Hi Louis." I break whatever trance he was in.

"Hey." He stares up at me with no emotion, whatsoever.

"What are you doing up so early?"

"Didn't sleep." He looks away and brings one of his knees to his chest.

"Me either," Louis is not acting like himself and it's bothering me. "Are you feeling okay?"

"No." Louis mumbles.

"Are you sick?"

"In a way." He shrugs, then glances towards his phone.

"What do you mean?" I take a seat next to him on the couch.

Louis stares at me for the longest time before answering. "Eleanor and I are finished."

Finished? Finished as in no longer boyfriend and girlfriend?

"We broke up." He answers my thoughts.

"Why?" I can't help but be nosey.

"She told me that she thinks I have a stronger relationship with someone else. Another girl."

"Who?"

"Just leave it alone, Katie." He dodges the question.

"I'm sorry." I subtly say.

"It's fine." He huffs. Louis runs his hands over his face before leaving the tour bus. I don't know why but I get up and follow him.

"Louis," I try to catch up with him, "Louis!"

He stops and I'm not sure what to say. "I hope I didn't make things worse. I was trying to help.. in a way." I'm at a loss of words. I suck at relationship advice and I regret coming after him, thinking that I could help.

"You didn't, it's fine really." Louis' eyes are red and it looks like they'll spill of tears at any moment.

"Everything will turn out, I promise." I pull Louis into a hug and rub my arms up and down his back in attempts to comfort him.

"I doubt it." I hear him mumble.