The Painter | L.T [A.U]

Twenty-Nine

~Louis~

"Damn, why do you have so many plain colored shirts?" Liam asked as I unpacked a few of my stuff.

"I like them. Have you got a problem with that?" I asked.

"No. There's no need to get all sassy," he chuckled. I playfully rolled my eyes and put my pajamas on.

"I'm gonna sleep," Mel quietly mumbled and I kissed her goodnight.

We exited the room and chilled at the kitchen. Noah flipped through the channels while Liam looked at his phone.

"When did ya get ink on you?" he asked me as I opened up a pack of cigarettes.

"A while ago," I said taking a puff. I offered him and Noah one and they gladly took it.

"That reminds me, I have a friend that runs a tattoo shop. He'll give you a discount. Wanna go?" he asked us.

"Don't worry, we will be safe from Harry. The shop is down the road," he added.

"I guess," I said. He nodded getting up.

•

I looked at the bright lights of the tattoo shop. I dropped my cigarette and stamped on it before following Noah and Liam inside.

"Hello, Steven," Liam nodded to a young man covered in tattoos.

"Hello, Liam. Got some friends with ya?" the man smiled. Just by looking at him he seemed quite intimidating but then all of a sudden he seemed really kind.

"Yeah. Steven, this is Noah and Louis. Louis and Noah, this is Steven," Liam said.

"Nice to meet ya," he nodded. "Who came to get art on themselves?"

"I did," I said.

I followed him to the back of the shop. He asked me what I wanted, and I told him I wanted a heart with the letter M inside it. He nodded and quickly drew it.

As he worked on it, he asked,"Is this a special someone?"

"Yeah, my girlfriend," I smiled.

"Love is such a wonderful thing. Things always come at you but you stay together if you're meant to be. Well, at least you'll end up together. First loves will never be replaced," he smiled back.

Mel is my first love. I know I will never forget her because she will never leave me. I now know, I'm sure, nothing will tear us apart. I'll fight for her if I have to.

"Are you British too?" he asked and I slowly nodded. I hate being asked that. Like yeah I'm British, so what? Am I not-

"It's like more and more british people are here. Not that I mind," he chuckled.

"Really?"

"I'm exaggerating," he grinned,"Its just been Liam, you, and some other guy. He came by to get a tattoo. He left about five minutes before you got here. He came and he knew exactly what he wanted, it looked like he had been crying," he said.

"I think I've seen him before. Oh yeah, he's been here a few times. He doesn't come very often. Says he lives in a different state. Ive never gotten to know his name, though," he added finishing the image on the opposite side of my elk tattoo.

"What does he look like?" Liam asked. I had forgotten he was here. Noah wasn't paying attention. He was off to the side flipping through a book full of designs for tattoos.

"He had longish hair, a bandana type of thing. I think he used a scarf as a bandana... I'm not sure. He had green eyes, he seemed to have a natural glowing tan, oh and he was wearing a patterned shirt unbuttoned. Im not sure what else to say," he said wrapping my tattoo with a bandage.

"Holy shit. We gotta go," Liam said.

"What's going on? I don't think he'd hurt anyone, he seemed hurt and done with everyone and everything."

I grabbed some money from my pocket and handed it to Steven. I wasn't going to end up bumping into Harry.

"Thank you," I said. I haven't even looked at the tattoo on myself but I know it's great.

Before we knew it, we were driving carefully trying to make sure we don't see Harrys white car.

We made it home and even though I knew Harry did not know where Mel was, I checked up on her.

She was in bed, facing the lamp. She looked so peaceful and as I was about lay beside her, but I heard Noah call for me. Sighing, I looked at her one more time before walking out.

"Yes?" I replied.

"Do you think Harry will do something to hurt us?" Noah asked.

"I don't know. Harry never really is like that, but I know he wants Mel back."

I remembered Steven had said Harry looked like he had been crying. Does he really love Mel? If yes, I felt bad. Mel loves me so she will be with me. I hope, at least.

Liam's phone started to ring and he answered it. He put it on speaker.

"Hello, Harry," Liam said laying on the couch, letting his head hang low, nearly touching the wooden floor.

"Liam... I need someone to talk to." That was Harry, but there was something in his voice. He seemed upset. "Please," he added, sniffing. Liam looked at us before asking what's wrong.

"I don't know what to do. I wanna do something but I don't know if its right."

"Harry...."

"Liam? I-" before Harry could finish, the connection was gone. We didn't say anything. I wasn't sure what to think.

"I think we should go," I said.

"Where are you gonna go?"

"Where we can't be found," I said walking into the room, putting stuff into my bags.

Liam marched into the bedroom and pulled me out. "Get yourself together," he snapped. "I know you are afraid of him taking her away but you need to calm down. He won't find us. If you want we can leave tomorrow."

"I'm sorry," I muttered.

"Go to bed, you need sleep," he said and I nodded, walking slowly back to the room.

~Liam~

The next morning, Mel and Louis would not leave the house while Noah and I did. We went grocery shopping.

"I'm gonna need some cigarettes," Noah said as we walked out of the supermarket. I put the grocery bags in the trunk of my car and we just leaned on it, smoking.

"This is so overwhelming," Noah remarked.

"I think you guys should just move somewhere. This is a big country, there's no way he can find ya very easily," I said.

"When Mel was asleep last night, Louis told me he wanted to go back to Doncaster. He was originally going to move back, but then this happened," he sighed.

"We can still do that. That'll be good for me, too. Frankly, I miss the UK. I have a couple of friends there."

•

"Mum, it's complicated..... I want to...I will see what I can do..... goodbye, have a nice day, I love you," Louis said into his phone before turning back to face me.

"My dad is sick," he mumbled.

"Oh god, is he bad?" I asked and he slowly nodded. He informed us his dad had a fever, was nauseas, vomiting. His dad also claimed to be in terrible pain and he doesn't want to take a bath or shower. His mum wants to take him to the hospital.

"Louis," Melissa said before hugging him.

"I want to go home," he said and Mel's expression was unreadable. She looked down at the ground and Louis asked what was wrong.

"I don't think I want to go," she quietly said and Louis' face fell. He put his hand where the bandage was. He hasn't taken it off.

He had told me he was going to show her.

He just got up and walked over to his room, slamming the door closed.