By Another Name

Chapter 22

LOUIS

My mind is racing and I'm thinking too much and I can't get to bus 1 fast enough for my desire. I am finally done with this madness and I just want to be sat with her all night and forever. I want to kiss away the bad introduction to my life she's had, and the lack of the after show text from Al makes me think that maybe red hair and peace are my future.

I reach for the bus door and it's locked. I hear nothing from inside, and so I peek into the window. My breath catches a bit. They are tangled up and sleeping on the floor together. Nothing is amiss, no clothes are flung, trainers and boots are still secured. I feel for a moment like I am staring at a life though. A life that people are already living without me, in a time that is slower and with less starlight and lies. I have to look away to collect myself, and all I can think is "Stop thinking, Louis Tomlinson," and so I pound hard on the door and watch Denton shake off the sleep and lean her against the couch to come answer the door.

"She's better," he says.

"Get out," is all I can offer to him, though not harshly. He looks at me expectantly. "I've not heard anything, I don't know anything," I say.

"Right," and he's out the door. When I turn back around chocolate eyes are staring.

"Love," I say and drop down onto the coach floor next to her, but I find I am as lost about the situation as I was just the prior evening beside the fire. I am frozen with the idea that I could mess this situation up. I am sat cross legged in front of her, but it's not on her bed and I find I am definitely thinking too much. In my mind, I say the right words, and she is laughing again, and telling me stories about her life and she is reaching for me and softly asking to touch my lips.

She sits up too, legs crossed, but leaning back on her palms.

"You have a really unbelievable life, Louis Tomlinson," she says. I am not going to lie or beg anymore, and so I say

"Do you still want to leave it so soon?"

"I am lost. I," and she looks away, "I am pretty sure this life," she begins and switches gears, "I couldn't bear the thought of not seeing you again." I don't want to hear what she is thinking, and I don't want her to think, and so I get onto my knees and lean forward towards her pouted lips. The contact between us leaves my lips and my belly burning, and just that slight touch makes it hard for me to think.. I push forward and cover her with my body, without thought and without care. I want the air that she is breathing right out of her body... I want all of her. Her lovely muttering and moaning starts and the sad oriental rug on the bus floor is getting all smashed and crinkled up against the little couch and I can't reach her jeans and belt fast enough to make them go away. I struggle with my hand and arm between us when she takes hold of my cheeks "Louis, I ... I can't," she said looking into my eyes.

My hand moves, almost without me thinking, quickly from her belt to her mouth, which I instinctively cover. Her eyes widen, "Can I kiss you?" I ask her, but it sounds more like a demand.

"Please," was all she said and I took the word from her mouth and pressed her too me and tried to erase any distance and anything that could make this not work and I stood up then, taking her hand and bringing her to me and I reached out for the back of her head and her the fire that framed her face and all I wanted was every part of her to be with me. "Can I take off your clothes?" I asked her. She looked forlorn but embolden at the same time and she looked away for just one moment again, and it was then that I realized that whatever this was, I was going to have to give it up, and I was completely unwilling and unable to do that so I begged her. I did as I thought I was done with, and I begged her with my eyes.

After my lips were burnt and my head was spinning and my whole life was shattered stars, I was crawled up in between her legs on the bus floor. Her breasts and her messy sex were hotly pressing against my back and our hands still held what was the sticky, glistening sweet mess. I leaned my head back onto her shoulder, and what escaped my lips surprised and shocked me and caused her to cry all over again "Can I make you love me?"

"You already have,' she whispered into my ear, almost like a siren.  

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DENTON

I managed to get them into this hotel room last night, and now all I want is to get her out.

We were leaving fast. I wasn't sure how to get out. We couldn't take a car, so I just called Uber. I had about $100 in my wallet. Fuck this. We had to walk out the freaking front door of the hotel. It was going to be ugly, but my job is to handle things, and I would. I would handle them, handle her.

I knocked on the door of the room. No answer. So, I knocked again. Still nothing. "Are you there?" I said loudly and banged on the door this time. Had they gone? Had they run off? It had happened before on her ranch with the horse. But now? I tried the door, and it was locked.

I heard footsteps before I saw her...crumpled clothes, beautiful ruined eyes. She was coming from down the hall.

"Denton," she said breathlessly. She stopped walking when I started towards her.

"What happened? Are you okay? Bastard hurt you? " I grabbed her by the shoulders, and she wrapped her arms around me and tucked her face into my shoulder, and she was crying. "I shouldn't have brought you back here." And I knew it was true. I hated that he'd had her, that things had gotten so intense between them. I didn't want it to cost me everything.

"No, No..his girl...well, I hurt him, Denton. I was reckless. I am reckless," she spoke like she was realizing this for the first time. "I want to go. Please ? I ...I need to leave."

"Well, seeing as I just got sacked, yeah...let's go." A plan started forming in my head. It was simple, and yet complicated. We'd just walk out the front door. Get in the car. And go home. To hers. To her life, now. "I can handle this," I said to her.

"Denton, I'm ...I...Thank you, I ..this is a mess and," she began.

"Well, I've been paid to clean up messes for a long time, love. It's what I'm best at." I led her through the quiet hallway and towards the elevators.