The President's Daughter (Liam Payne) Book 6

Chapter 33

Liam’s POV

Lauren had finished the cover about an hour ago and Louis and Elodie still weren’t back yet. She must be doing a good job of keeping her occupied. It gave me the time to do what she’d asked though.

“Shit,” Lauren mutters in shock. There really was no other way to react to the story I’d just told. I’d started at the time she’d have noticed: with the ATV ride. I told her how I’d accidentally badgered her into telling me her terrible secret. I’d told her the story she told me. I didn’t tell her the things we’d talked about since then though. It felt too private. As if I’d been asked to tell her secret, but not the rest. I wanted to keep the things I’d learned about her to myself. “Oh my god,” she continues as it begins to settle in. “Oh my god!”

“Yea…” I say with a small nod.

“Has she talked to anybody? A therapist or something?”

“I don’t think so,” I say shaking my head no.

“God, that poor girl.” She’s got tears in her eyes now and I begin worrying that she’s going to start crying.

“Please. Don’t pressure her about it. Just treat her normally.” I’m almost begging as I ask it. The last thing Elodie would want is to be pitied.

“How am I supposed to do that?” she asks and I wince at the words. It’s exactly what Elodie was worried about.

“You just have to,” I insist. “Promise me,” I add. She gives a nod, wiping at her eyes with her pinkie. She breathes in a shaky breath, trying to calm herself down and I realize how close she’d been to crying. I hadn’t even realized she’d considered them friends.

“You’re a good person Liam,” she says and I give an awkward nod, not sure how I’m supposed to respond to a comment like that.

“I’m going to head back to the dressing room, yea?” I say, standing up and pointing over my shoulder to the door. “You alright here?” She nods her head and I head out the door. She’d come to this empty room in the venue to do the recording in peace and then I’d joined her to tell Elodie’s story. Inside the dressing room, Lou is doing Harry’s hair while Niall and Zayn play Fifa. I grab a donut from a table full of food and take a seat on the couch to watch their game. Maybe twenty minutes later, Lauren rejoins the group, looking like nothing had happened.

“Are they going to be back soon?” Paul asks when we get within an hour of the sound check.

“Yea…” I say uncertaintly, unsure when they’d be back.

“Ten minutes,” Lauren chimes in. “I just texted him.” Paul gives a nod and I let out a breath of relief. That might’ve been a smart thing to do. When they do come in I watch as Elodie’s eyes flick from Lauren to me, then back to Lauren as she checks to see her reaction. Lauren gives her a weak smile from where she was standing as Louis pulls her into a hug before she focuses her attention back on him.

“So how’d it go? You managed to keep him out for a long time,” I comment as she walks over and sits on the armrest of the couch next to me.

“Yea, he already knows. He started questioning what we were doing so I told him and we ditched the store for one of those old-fashioned arcades,” she answers with a shrug. I let out a laugh, glancing back over at the couple as Lauren covers Louis’ eyes as she sets him down in front of her computer.

“He’ll love it anyways,” I say and she gives a nod, but it doesn’t really seem like she’s paying attention anymore.

“You alright?” I ask. She hesitates for a moment before nodding.