"A Mile In Your Shoes..."

"Pull..."

The limo ride was short, but I was still anxious as we weaved through traffic.

I sat beside Lilian as she distracted me through the ride with stories about Lawrence and Louis' childhood.

I was surprised to learn that the twins were once inseparable. Lawrence once held the role of protector for his younger twin.

The rift it would seem started when their father began grooming them for various pursuits in politics. It would seem Louis outright rejected the idea of becoming a public servant, and Lawrence was forced to accept the role if only to keep their father happy.

When Louis came out to the family, and told them he was gay, their father who once was quiet about his disappointment was alarmed that it would damage both his and Lawrence's chances of being taken seriously in the world of politics... and so he distanced himself from his younger son.

Lawrence didn't really have an issue with Louis being gay, what he resented was the rift it caused in the family. He was more angry at the fact that Louis would choose to come out at a time when their father was campaigning for the position of Senator, which Lawrence was doing now. To cut the long story short, their father lost the race by a big margin because of pompous and narrow-minded people in their community.

Since then, Lawrence was saddled with the responsibility to uphold their father's legacy of kindness and generosity towards their constituents... though they were unable to extend the same to Louis.

"In my defence, I did try to reach out to him... once. This was the time when he dropped out of college, and was questioning his line of interest. He told me to run home to daddy, and leave him be. He said he could manage, and that he didn't need me to look out for him anymore."

"And you gave up! Just like that. You abandoned him first, the least you could've done was let him know you still loved him." Lilian replied.

"What was I to do? He avoided all my calls. It all went straight to voicemail. He thought I didn't care about him anymore... that I was ashamed of him."

"Something you didn't correct, so for the longest time he believed we all were disgusted in what he turned out to be." Lilian argued with Lawrence.

"He found his way though. On his own. He made a name in the modelling industry. He was highly sought after. No one cared about his orientation or family name. They just saw him as Louis... the charming, easy to get along with, funny, and loving Louis." I smiled at the memory of Louis bantering with Rex on the plane.

"Your eyes, they twinkle when you talk about him." Lawrence said.

"They do?" I asked, surprised.

"You really must've loved him." He sounded sad.

"It was difficult, almost impossible, not to fall for his charm." I giggled, and Lawrence looked out the window irritably.

"Lawrence, are you okay?" Lilian asked, a sudden lilt in her voice.

"I'm fine. We're here." He suddenly opened the door before the car could come to a complete stop.

"My, someone's in a hurry." Lilian exclaimed as the car came to a complete halt, while Lawrence was already walking towards the entrance of the mausoleum.

The place was huge. Pillars of pure granite, walls of pristine marble, and shiny crystal chandeliers hung brightly. Lilian's heels echoed loudly as we made our way to the two intricately designed urns on separate pedestals... one was Louis', the other his dad's.

Lawrence was busy placing the flowers before the two pedestals, while Lilian started lighting some candles.

I slowly approached the ceramic urn that read Louis Philipe Collier Blackrock, my hand reaching out to touch the cold smooth surface.

"Louis." I whispered before the tears came. I silently prayed for his forgiveness. I knew he was lonely, looking for Rex. I apologized for keeping them apart, and promised him that I would find a way to bring them back together before I leave his family for good.

"He's alone." I choked on my words.

"Dad's keeping him company." Lawrence suddenly appeared beside me, holding out his handkerchief to me.

"It's different. His beloved isn't beside him." I softly replied.

"He'll manage. He always has. Till then, he and dad have an eternity to fix things between them." He chuckled.

"I... owe him a lot."

"I'm sure he wasn't expecting a reward. Louis was always like that... selfless. Whatever he did for someone, it was done with no ulterior motive."

"You must really be proud of him."

"I never stopped wanting the best for him. He deserved nothing less. Seeing you, getting to know you and your caring, sweet ways... I can say he was lucky to have found it."

I felt my face flushed, and I avoided his gaze. I knew I shouldn't, but I was begining to have feelings for him. Try as I might his smile, his voice, his charm, all combined to render me powerless against his... pull.