Through the Fire (a Les Twins fanfic)

Chapter 24: One For the Team

Two days later, Laurent stared out the window at the familiar scenery of Atlanta as the limo wound its way out of Hartsfield-Jackson Airport's exit ramps onto the interstate.

Beside him Larry and Shauna were busy taunting each other because apparently that was their oddball way of saying "I missed you".  She had met them at the airport, but Gabby didn't come with her.

"Come here."  Larry demanded teasingly.

"Uh, I believe you need to add a word onto that sentence, mister,"  Shauna quipped back from the seat across from him.  "I'm not your servant.  What are you supposed to say?"

Larry rolled his eyes.  "Okay, fine.  Come here.  NOW."

She laughed and scrambled across onto his lap where they commenced to kissing and snuggling.  Laurent turned his headphones up louder and hoped the driver would hurry.  He was dying to see Gabby and dreading it at the same time.

When they pulled up to Gabby's house, Shauna hopped out and headed to the front door.

"Oh, so you're not even gonna help me with my luggage?"   Larry called after her.

"Nope."  She spoke over her shoulder.   "You're a grown ass man.  You can carry your own luggage."

He rolled his lips in and nodded slowly.  "You're gonna pay for that smart mouth.  You know that, right?"

Shauna blushed and ran inside.

Larry was about to get out of the limo, too, when he felt something stopping him.  It was Laurent.  He hadn't physically touched Larry or said a word, but their twin connection drew him back inside the car.

"Lau.  Whatever you're about to do.  Don't."

"I'm just gonna tell Gabby the truth of what happened.  I didn't do anything wrong."

"Nooooo, Lau.  Just don't say anything." Larry grabbed Laurent's arm.  "She's not gonna understand."

"I don't care.  I don't like lying."

Larry jerked his head dramatically. "What?  Oh my god, Lau, but you make up stuff all the time."

"Not about anything important, Larry."   Laurent sighed loudly at his twin's allegations about him sometimes stretching the truth when it suited him.  "And not to her.  I never lie to her."

"Don't bring it up."  Larry got in the final word and exited the limo satisfied he'd shut down his brother's bad idea.

Inside the house Shauna and Gabby were both in the living room.  When Laurent walked in Gabby came over and hugged him.  They kissed once awkwardly before she broke out of his grasp and hurried away to the kitchen.

"I know you and Larry are probably thirsty after that flight.  They never give you enough to drink in those tiny little airplane cups, do they?  I hate those things."   She kept babbling non-stop while she took down some glasses from the cabinet.  "What do you guys want...water, juice, or Sprite?"

Larry side-eyed Laurent.  "Um, I'll take a Sprite, please."

Gabby looked up from putting ice in the glasses.  "What do you want, Lau?"

"I want you to stop acting like you don't know."

Shauna's and Larry's eyes both got big.   Of course Shauna had seen all the gossip online about Laurent and some girl dancer, but she didn't believe Gabby had seen it because she had been acting all normal.  Now she wasn't so sure.

Laurent and Gabby stared at each other across the room until Gabby finally spoke.

"Maybe we should go talk about this in private."

"No,"  Laurent insisted stubbornly.  "I'm gonna say it right here so everybody can know the truth."

Gabby set the glass down hard on the counter, her pent up anger finally spilling over.  "And what is the truth, Lau?  Huh?"

That's when Larry stepped forward and took over the conversation.  "The truth is—it was me."

Laurent and Gabby both turned to look at him with confused looks on their faces.

Larry cleared his throat and continued,  "The girl you saw in the video was coming from my room, not Lau's.  He only came out because he heard us yelling."

There was a long moment of silence.  Then Shauna looked at Larry, shaking her head slowly from side to side, and rushed out of the room.

"Shauna, wait!"  Larry moved to go after her, but Gabby came out of the kitchen and held up her hand.

"No!  I'll go talk to her."  She looked back and forth between Larry and Laurent, ending with a hurt stare resting on Larry.  "I think you've done enough."

Shauna ran out the side door and started toward the front of the house where her car was parked then changed her mind and went around to the backyard instead.   She was seeing red.  She paced back and forth in the grass trying to calm down.  Larry had some nerve.  That bastard!

Gabby came out the side door calling Shauna's name.  When her sister didn't answer, she went around to the front of the house to see if her car was still there.

Meanwhile, Shauna decided to go back inside and give Larry a piece of her mind.  She went back in through the side door and walked towards the living room.  But when she heard Larry and Laurent talking she stopped short and hid around the corner eavesdropping.

Laurent grabbed Larry by the shoulders.  "Why did you say that, Larry?"

"I said it because you love Gabby and she was gonna dump you."

Laurent dropped his head.  Maybe Larry was right about that.  "But now you hurt Shauna."

Larry nodded. "I know.  But it's okay.  I'll fix it with her."

Shauna folded her arms and leaned against the wall.  She couldn't believe her ears.