When in London (One Direction Fan Fiction)

32

"Katie?" Reece asked, shock written all over his face.

You've got to be kidding me, I thought with dread.

"Oh, you two know each other?" Alice asked, surprised. She still had her hand resting lightly on his arm, ready to introduce me to him. Little did she know that Reece and I went way, way back.

Before Reece could speak, I said, "Yeah, we actually met a few days ago on campus. What a coincidence."

I don't know why I did it, really. Why I'd just blatantly lied to the four other people in the room, but before I'd even registered in my mind what I wanted to say, I'd already said it. I just knew that I'd moved to London with the intent of starting a new life. I didn't want my past following me, and the only way that would be possible was for me to lie. To say that Reece was not a part of my past. 

Still looking at me, Reece's expression changed from shock to confusion in a matter of seconds. I knew him well enough to know that by the way he was looking at me, he was wondering what the hell I was doing lying to all these people. I widened my eyes at him, warning him to not say anything more.

"Right, yeah, what a coincidence," Reece repeated unconvincingly, the confusion now evident in his voice as well as his expression. I pressed my lips together, watching him anxiously.

Please don't say anything stupid,I pleaded, hoping he'd just go with it.

"Small world, right?" he finally shrugged, relaxing into his usual confidence once again, and I let out the breath I didn't know I'd been holding. Suddenly the air felt lighter, and a weight on my shoulders was lifted. No one seemed to take notice of the shift in energy that I felt in the room.

"What a treat!" Alice exclaimed, clapping her hands together in delight. "So then, you've officially met everyone worth knowing around here, Katie. Welcome to the family."

With the end of her speech, Alice pulled me into a hug as Rey called out from the couch, "We need a toast! We must toast to the newest family addition!"

"I agree! Dante, grab us some bread, would you?" Tristan called from beside her, earning him a slap on the arm.

"I'll go get us some drinks," I chuckled, wanting an excuse to leave the room so I could gather myself again.

Realizing that Reece was now my neighbour had felt like a punch in the gut. No matter how hard I tried to get away from my previous relationship, it kept finding its way back into my life. Hell, it even followed me half way across the world.

I made my way to the kitchen, grabbing a couple bottles of beer from the fridge and setting them down on the counter.

How could this be happening? I kept thinking, my hands shaking slightly. I rested them against the cold countertop, taking a deep breath.

Out of all the places, Reece had to be living in the flat right across from mine? Was my luck really that nonexistent?

"What the hell was that?!" Reece whispered accusingly from behind me. I whirled around to find him standing a few feet away, his arms crossed against his broad chest.

He looked mad.

"Just drop it, Reece," I dismissed, not wanting to get into it when the rest of our friends were right around the corner. I didn't want to risk them overhearing anything.

"What, so we're just going to act like we don't have any history together, then?" he questioned angrily. I stared back at him, my gaze steady as I tried to keep my face void of emotion. He raised an eyebrow when I didn't reply, and I knew he was not about to take silence as an answer.