The Blindfold » l.t au

sixteen

"She'll never forgive me, Deloris." I tried not to scowl when he called me by my given name, and instead focused on the fact that we were talking about something so intimate. His family. I bet he didn't do that often.

"When she was seven, everything turned upside down." He sighed, and looked like he aged ten years. "I had gotten an offer in one of the big Architecture firms and was overly excited. We weren't scraping by, but we had bloody rough days. I wanted to keep my family satisfied in all aspects. I wanted my kids to have everything."

I wanted to tell him that money wasn't everything when you're separated from the ones you loved, but kept my mouth shut.

"I've tried inviting her to dinner, and told Louis to convince her, but she's as stubborn as her mother."

"Why don't you just see her? Give Louis a visit and have dinner with your family. She's not gonna kick you out since it's not her place."

"But she's not gonna stay with us, either." He looked a little uncomfortable, maybe because everything had gone too intimate and frankly I was feeling the discomfort myself.

"You'll never fix anything if keep backing away," I slung my bag over my shoulder. "Thanks for lunch." Which we hadn't eaten. The waiter handed me a takeaway bag and I smiled once at Mr Tomlinson before leaving.

I knew so little about him, but I hoped he'd fix things with his family, simply, because I liked Charlotte and hated seeing her so mad at her father. She'd never know what tomorrow hides.

I returned to my office and ate my lunch in haste, smiling at yet another selfie from Louis and his sister.

***

I returned home right when the sun disappeared from the sky and thought about it twice before heading for Louis's apartment. I knocked, deciding in my head that if they didn't answer right away I'll just go back to my apartment and take a nice, long bath.

The door opened, but I wasn't greeted by Louis or Charlotte. It was the redhead I saw once with Louis at the club-the night I had a fling with Travis-and she stared at me before smiling like a catty bitch.

I wasn't really mad at Louis, but it seems that he had no problem changing his taste so fast.

"Can I help you?" she asked, as if the fucking apartment was hers.

"I want to see Charlotte-and it's not your apartment, so please," I shooed her with my hand and stepped inside, ignoring the whispered 'bitch' she muttered.

Look who's talking.

I heard Charlotte's laughter before I reached her room and even though the door was open, I knocked. Louis startled and looked at me with wide eyes, but I ignored him.

"Hey!" I leaned against the doorframe and waved at Charlotte, who grinned and beckoned me over.

"I need to talk to you," I said and she blinked, surprised. "Can you come to my apartment? It's kind of important." She nodded and I smiled, standing up and leaving the room.

A hand closed around my wrist and I reined in my temper.

"What do you want, Louis?" I groaned and turned around to face him, hating that he looked so good I couldn't help but breathe unsteadily.

"It's not what you think," he blurted. "We met Cecily at the mall and she ditched her friend. I owed her because-"

"I don't care." I said softly, pulling my hand out of his hold. "I'm here to see Charlotte and that's it. Your personal life doesn't matter to me."

I left, ignoring the catty redhead lounging on the couch and Louis's frowning face.

Three minutes later, I opened the door and smiled welcomingly at Charlotte, who looked both happy and anxious.

"Is it about Louis?" she asked and I smiled, shaking my head.

"It's about you, actually." I took a deep breath. "I know we aren't exactly best friends enough for me to talk about this but...please listen to me and then say what you want."

She nodded, looking confused.

"I had lunch with your father today," I watch as her face contorts in anger and pain, pleading her with my eyes to listen. "He invited me to lunch, because he was confused as to why Louis skipped work. I told him he was out with you and he...told me few things."

I have to give her credit for being quiet, but I can feel the tension rolling in her body.

"I really know it's not my right to interfere, but Charlotte your father loves you. Really. I know he messed up, wasting your entire childhood for his job but he did it for you. He thought he was doing the right thing. He wanted you both and Louis to have whatever you wanted, but he made the mistake of thinking money is all what matters."

"Why are you feeling sorry for him? Why can't you-or Louis-feel sorry for me?" her voice shakes and she glares at me. "I never needed the money. We had rough days, sure, but I wanted my family by my side. I didn't want fancy clothes or toys or whatever he thought I wanted. I wanted him to be around."

"I'm sorry," I reached for her hand. "I'm not saying I feel completely sorry for him, it was his decision after all. But what I'm saying is: you never know what tomorrow hides, Charlotte. You might wake up one day and realize he's gone. You'd be thinking back to the time you could've changed things and made it better. Don't let your anger deceive you, or you're going to regret it so much when it's too late."

"Well he certainly hasn't made an effort to change things, has he?" her voice is bitter. "I'm not the one stopping things from being good-he's the one that being completely ignorant."

I sighed, realizing that she was indeed stubborn, but could who blame her?

"And what about you, Lola?" her voice is challenging. "While you're here advising me to give the old man a chance, why aren't you letting my brother explain things?"

Oh shit.

"It's different," I scowl when she scoffs. "I'd have let him explain if I gave a shit about who's with him. I don't. It's that simple."

"You're a horrible liar," she rolls her eyes. "I saw the way you looked at him like you wanted to chew his head off."

Yikes. I winced and she smirked, mirroring her brother's arrogant looks when he was right about something I was wrong about.

Too much for being a good little sister.

..

That's what you get for not letting Louis explain *scowls*

Is it weird that I'm the one writing this but I feel pissed at one of my characters?

Love you babes xo