Horan Twins

Chapter Fifteen

Bartley's POV

I kept walking, even though I knew that soon it would start to rain. The sky was a dark grey that made it look like it was night time already.

After the wedding tomorrow, I knew I was going to have to leave and I dread it more than anything.

Leaving back to North Carolina meant many things. Leaving Prince William, leaving Rachel. Leaving my comfy bed. Leaving everything I had grown accustom to these past months.

Leaving London also meant returning to my old life, which I never wanted to do. Going back to Charlotte had to be some sick joke. I didn't have a job anymore, I didn't have family anymore. I never even had friends before now. 

I realized too late that it was beginning to rain. I had been too busy wallowing in self pity to notice. I was soaking now, and still over a mile away from the palace. I ran into the nearest shop, which just happened to be a convenience store. When I was inside, I noticed that the rain had washed away most of my hair dye, and now my hair was mostly blonde from the bleach.

"This has got to be a bloody joke." I said, frustrated. 

"Niall? What're you doing in London?" Someone said from behind me. I kept looking for paper towels. I felt a tap on my shoulder and that's when I realized that the person was talking to me. 

"What?" I asked in confusion, before realizing that I had seen this guy before while walking the streets. This is the same guy that showed me the tea shop. "Don't I know you?" I questioned.

"You're not Niall." The guys stated plainly, he stared at my fave before looking at my hair, which had one section of hair that remained purple.

"No, I'm not." I replied, looking annoyed and confused. I didn't know what to feel, or why I kept running into this guy. "Who are you?" I asked.

"I'm Liam, i'm a friend of Niall's." He said simply. 

"Who is Niall?" I asked with a bit of an attitude. I was still soaking wet, and the rain outside was only getting worse.

"From the band? One Direction? Have you ever heard of it?" He looked shocked.

"The one everyone says I look like." I stated, just to be sure.

"Identical. You're practically exactly alike. Except the accent." He could't stop staring at me. At my body, at my face. I felt like a corpse under the microscope of a medical examiner.

"Good to know." I said, attempting to walk away from the conversation. 

"Wait! I'm Liam." He said, going in for a shake of the hand. I shook his as well, because it would've been rude of me to decline. I really didn't want to be rude, but I needed to get back to the palace. It was almost time for William's Bachelor party to begin, and I'm the best man. I couldn't be late.  

I grabbed some paper towels and started walking towards the checkout to buy them. Liam followed behind me. "What's your name?" He asked me.

"Bartley." I replied back, thanking the cashier and walking towards the exit.

"Bartley, would you mind sharing a cab?" Liam asked me. I didn't necessarily want to say yes, but I did. I'm not sure why, but I still didn't want to be rude to Liam. He was quite nice besides all the staring and pestering questions.

"Sure, Liam." I said, and he hailed a cab. We both got in, and I ripped open the package of paper towels immediately to start drying off. 

"Where to?" The taxi driver asked us both. 

"Buckingham Palace." I replied instantly, like it was an instinct of mine. Liam looked surprised by my answer, and I just knew that he was going to start asking me more questions.

"Where are you from Bartley?" Liam asked after a couple seconds of awkward silence. The taxicab driver began to drive. 

"North Carolina, why?" I asked back. 

"I'm just very intrigued by you. Maybe you and Niall have family ties, that's why you look so alike." He says in a hopeful tone.

"I don't think so." I reply back. Liam's eyebrow raises the same way it does after I answer any of his questions.

"Why not? It's not lik-" I cut him off.

"I don't have any family." I say. Which is true, the only family I had ever had was my mom, and she was in jail or prison now I wasn't sure. Probably prison. I'd find out when I got back to the United States.

Liam didn't say anything after that, and the taxicab driver pulled up to the front gates of the palace. 

I paid the driver and before I got out Liam practically forced me to give him my cell phone number. I didn't have a choice at the moment. I needed to get ready for the Bachelor Party, and I didn't have time to argue. If he ends up being a pain, then I can always just block his number. I wasn't too worried about it.

When I got back up to my room, I hopped into the hot shower to get the stickiness of rain off of me. I needed to look good tonight. This was my first party ever, and I was going to make sure that it would be a great one. Since I wasn't really a drinker, I would most likely end up being the designated driver for tonight's festivities. I didn't mind. I had driven illegally before back when I lived with my birth mother. My foster moms never let me drive after that though, they wanted me to get my licence.  But what were the police going to do here? Arrest me for driving the future king home safely? No, they wouldn't because it was better than driving drunk. Besides, I've known how to drive since I was fourteen. I'd be okay.

Once I finished my shower, and made sure to get the remaining purple dye out of my hair, I was completely blonde. I looked exactly like Liam's friend Niall now. There wasn't even a slight difference in our appearances. 

Ignoring my thoughts, I put of the black slacks and navy blue button up. I tucked it in and put on a black belt with dress shoes. My hair was quiffed to the side and I smiled.  

For once, I was satisfied with my appearance.