Innocence//l.s

Chapter Twenty Three

You leave that to me

All day that's all I heard.

I went to work, heard it from the calls of the customers.

I came home, heard it projected from my tv screen.

I looked into the eyes of my lover, remembered how I felt when he said it.

"What about the stripper"

Okay, first of all, I am a dancer. A performer.

And I still haven't got any dick from Louis.

It's been three days since he said that, and hearing those words come out of his mouth made me a little reluctant to sleep with him. I mean I still want to, but I don't at the same time.

I should just ask him about it right? That would be a good idea. It's probably nothing.

But on the other hand, his father is my old boss, and my old boss is psychotic, and it might be an elaborate plot to kill me.

Maybe, maybe not.

"Hey babe," Louis wrapped his arms around me from behind, nuzzling his face into my neck. "I went to your show today. You're an amazing dancer,"

"Thank you," I replied as he started swaying us to the light music that was playing from the stereo in the kitchen. It was a slow instrumental with piano and violin.

"Oh uhm, what have you and those guys been talking about lately?" I asked after a moment of silence. They met again last night in the kitchen and Louis goes out more than he used to.

Louis stopped swaying us and turned me around so he could look at me, "What do you mean?"

"Well those guys and you who always sit in the kitchen and talk, I think I have a right to know since they are working for my insane boss, who happens to be your dad, who happened to try to kill me." I blinked at him, waiting for his reply.

He just stood there, blinking back.

"We, uhm, we talk about sports,"

"Don't bullshit me Louis!"

"How do you know I'm bullshitting you? You never hear our conversation," he kept his voice down, even though I had started to raise mine.

"I did hear it." I sat down, not wanting to stand the swimming in my head any more, "When you put my to bed that one night I was drunk, I heard part of your conversation,"

"What did you hear?" He looked guilty.

"They asked about a- a stripper, and you said "I'll take care of that,"

"Oh we weren't talking about you," he sat down next to me and pulled me into his lap, "Steven has a new whore he likes to keep around and she's going to be in the way of what we have planned."

"What do you have planned?" The way he said that scared me.

"That," he bopped me on the nose, "I cannot tell you," he stood up and walked into the kitchen, "What do you want for dinner?"

"I- uh, I've already ate, I'm good," I got up and walked towards the door, "I think I'm just going to go home, I don't feel that great,"

"You're not going to stay over?"he poked his head out the kitchen door way to look at me, "Are you going to be alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I placed a hand on the door knob, "I'll, uhm, text you or something,"

As I backed out of his apartment and shut the door behind me, I tried to keep the tears out of my eyes. He was lying to me.

This is ridiculous. Why am I upset? 

Oh yeah, because my boyfriend might kill me. Nbd.

I opened the door to my apartment, letting tears fall down my face.

There was a rustling in the kitchen, so I composed myself to the point where I wasn't sobbing borderline hysterically, walking to the entryway.

Cara and Kendall stood at the stove, a skillet of breakfast cooking. Bacon, eggs, the lot.

"Harry..." Kendall trailed off when she noticed me, breaking away from Cara and making way towards me.

"What are you guys doing here?" I ended up asking as the pair wrapped their arms around me and led me to the living room.

"We stayed the night here, now I'm glad we did," Kendall sat me down on the couch, her and Cara flanking me in.

"You might wanna wash your sheets tonight," Cara added, being hushed by Kendall.

"What's wrong?"

"Louis," was all I could manage to get out. I didn't really know what was going on, that's what bothered me. I don't know what's wrong.

"Harry, explain the situation to us,"

"Louis was in the kitchen with those two guys who always take me to work last night, talking,"

"Harry it's probably nothin-"

"Louis sent me to his room and told me to go to sleep, and the guys asked about a stripper, probably me, and a-and Louis said 'you leave that to me'"

"What?"

"He might kill me," I threw myself across their laps dramatically, glad to have some contact with someone besides Louis. I haven't been home in a week.

"How long have you guys been here?"

"We just stayed the night," Kendall answered.

"How'd you get in?"

"Door was unlocked," she explained.

Fuck.

I always lock my door when I'm not home.

"I can guarantee you that I didn't leave it unlocked," I walked to the door to check it for break-in damage.

"It looks fine, who else has a key?" Cara stood at my side.

Louis. Louis has a key.

I stayed silent as I walked through the house.

Why would he come in without telling me? When I'm not here?

And why would he leave the door unlocked?

I made my way through the rooms in the house, searching for misplaced items, any clue to what he might have been looking for.

"Harry? What the hell?" Kendall and Cara caught up with me as I made it to the final room, my bedroom.

"What are you doing?"

"I know what he took," I stood in the doorway.

It wasn't in the kitchen where I hide it, and it isn't in my room where I keep it on the weekends.

My work bag with my outfits.

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Sorry i took so long but I've been working crazy hours lately ugh