BILLS, BOOZE & BETRAYAL | LARRY AU

CHAPTER 05

BILLS, BOOZE & BETRAYAL | CHAPTER 05

"Louis!" I hear mom shouting my name from the living room with significant urgency in her voice and I shout back to her as I walk out of the closet.

"I'll be out in a minute, ma."

"No, you need to get here now!" She says, her voice closer to the door.

"Mum, I don't have pants on, gimme a minute."

"Okay, but make it quick!!!" She says, obviously very excited about something and I wonder what it could be this time. Mark's not home, so that's out of the question. I guess she saw my name on the tabloids again. I don't know what I did, but those bastards always do find a way to twist things around and get their big bucks from sprouting one lie after another.

I huff in anger before putting on my wrist watch and walking out of my bedroom.

"What is it, mum? Which magazine is it this time?"

"It's not a tabloid, there's someone at the door for you." She says with a gleeful smile on her face and I frown. I'm not expecting Niall or Liam or Harry until an hour later, who could it be right now?

I walk across the living room and open the door, which is already unlocked. My mouth gapes open as I look at Lottie standing on the other side of the door.

"Did someone order a little sister?" She says, ecstatic, jumping from one foot to the other. I get over the initial shock of seeing her wrap her up in my arms.

"Come here, you! What the fuck are you doing here? When did you get here? Fuck, why didn't you tell me, I would've come to get you!!!"

"I wouldn't have gotten this reaction, would I?" She says, her voice altering because of her grin and I hold closer. She wraps her arms around my waist and snuggles into my neck as I kiss her forehead and pull back to look at her.

"Look at you, you've grown so much!"

"Please, I haven't."

"Yes, you have!" I argue as I pull her inside. "You've gotten so much fatter." I tease and she swats my arm, groaning.

"You're already an asshole."

"Am not!" I say, laughing.

"Are so!"

"Okay, okay, I'm kidding." I say with my hands wrapping around her shoulder again and I kiss her head before continuing. "You look great, babe. Been taking care of yourself?"

"You know it, Lou."

"So, what brings you here?" I question, knowing that she hates everything about Mark and his world and his lifestyle, like me. The only difference between us being that she actually had the strength to walk away from it after she graduated and after Mark went on this whole phase of not wanting Lottie to do what she's wanted to do since she was literally 7 years old and knew how to pronounce modelling.

"That's the exciting part, isn't it?" She says as I sit down on our overpriced couch with mum and look at her, excited. "I may or may not have been signed by a major magazine for the cover this year." She says nonchalantly, looking at her nails while saying so as if it were no big matter.

"WHAT?!" Mum screams before either of us have the opportunity to say anything else. "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"

All Lottie does is grin from ear-to-ear and nod as mum gives her a side hug and her grin widens even more if that were possible. I teasingly split them apart and hugged Lottie again.