Double Act - Chapter 48
~~ Lara's P.O.V ~~
"Lara!" Liv said, catching my arm as I fled the hall. "Stop, wait!" I saw that Louis wasn't with her and my heart dropped in to my stomach.
"You didn't stop him, did you?" I asked, already knowing the answer and not really wanting her to reply. I sighed, and sat down on the chair beside me. After a few moments Liv sat in the chair opposite me.
"Lara, I-"
I shook my head and closed my eyes. "S'alright, Liv, really. It isn't your fau-"
"Lara," she said, rolling her eyes impatiently. "I didn't stop him from leaving. But I managed to get these off him," she giggled, fishing something out of her pocket.
My eyes widened at the sound of jangling and I grinned at the sight of Louis' car keys. He wasn't in his car. That meant I could catch up with him pretty quickly in his car. I could stop him and explain everything.
I took the keys from a pride-filled Liv and stood from my chair. I hugged her as tightly as I could and pulled back.
"Do I ever tell you how much I love you?"
Her eyes lit up, and she winked. "Not nearly enough,"
~~ Louis' P.O.V ~~
And that's how I ended up trudging along, my fancy dinner jacket slung over my shoulder as I gloomily heading along a dark road dotted with deep pot-holes, being carefully avoided by the posh cars that sped past.
I heard a car's engine from behind me, and I stepped over to the side of the road to give it more room as it passed. I had already had the worst night ever, I did not want to make it worse by getting runover. The car's horn sounded, and I scowled as my temper flared.
"I'm as far over as I can get, buddy!" I muttered, turning around and spreading my hands at the driver, who I couldn't make out in the shine of the headlights. I turned around once more, and continued to walk.
The horn sounded again. Twice this time. I grumbled under my breath, and looked over my shoulder at the car.
"I can't walk any further over!" I yelled, hoping that they would somehow hear me. But, of course, they didn't.
Beep beep!
I snapped, and whizzed around to face the car. "Alright, alright!" I shouted, stomping off of the road and in to the muddy bank beside it. "I'll walk in the mud!" I fumed at the driver, who had slowed to a stop. The door opened, and a figure stepped out the far side of the car. A figure I couldn't make our due to the still blindingly bright head lamps.
"Are you happy n-?" I blinked, the brightness subsiding and revealing a painfully familiar girl with mascara stained cheeks and teary eyes.
"Oh, it's you,"
She sniffed, and gave her best attempt at a smile. "Yeah, it's me," she sighed. "Want a lift, Lou?"
I blinked, gazing at the dark, gloomy road ahead of me, and nodded. She nodded in acknowledgment, and ducked back in to the drivers seat. I stepped over to the car, opened the door, and slipped in to the passenger seat.
I could feel her eyes on me, trying to catch my gaze, but I focused on outside of the car window. After a few second of stony silence, she let out a sigh, and started up the engine. She threw one last glance my way before twisting the wheel and veering back on to the road.
~~ Lara's P.O.V ~~
The car was silent, and I wanted nothing more than for Louis to say something; a sarcastic quip, a funny comment. But no. Every time I looked at him, he was gazing solemnly out of the window, doing everything possible to avoid looking in my direction, and it killed me. After at least 5 minutes of silence, I couldn't bear it any more. I'd had enough.
I let out a sigh, and slowed the car as we came to a lay-by. I twisted the wheel and pulled off of the road, cutting the engine and turning to look at Louis. I sucked in a breath, and opened my mouth. "I'm so-"
"No," he interrupted, turning to face me and smiling softly, and for the first time in days, the smile didn't reach his eyes. "No apologising. If you do, I think I might just lose it," I frowned softly, and once again opened my mouth to speak, but I was once again cut off. "No, Lara," he shook his head. "It's my turn to speak.
"I know you're sorry, I know, and I'm not even mad about Dylan anymore. Dylan is just a silly little boy that doesn't know the meaning of the word 'no', and I get that now," he said. I was surprised and ecstatic, but he wasn't nearly finished.
"But that's not the point anymore Lara. You didn't trust me. You didn't trust me enough to tell me..." he trailed off as he blinked in disbelief, my heart stopping in my chest. "Well, anything. I don't know anything about you, Lara, and you don't seem to want anyone to know. I try so hard to make you happy, to open up just a little bit, to let me in. But I don't think I can carry on like this anymore,"
My mouth fell, and I found it suddenly very difficult to speak. "Louis, you can't be doing this," I just about managed, my eyes wide and probably subconsciously resembling those of a sad puppy dog.
He paused, still staring firmly in to the distance. He seemed to make an unsure decision in his head and turned to look at me.
"I wish I wasn't, Lara I really do. You..." he seemed lost for words. "I just..."
I took my opportunity. Words started pouring out of my mouth like a waterfall of desperation and I couldn't seem to make myself shut up. But I couldn't lose Louis. I just couldn't. "You want me to open up to you, huh?" I asked, turning my body towards him and removing my hands from the steering wheel.
He sighed, his eyes sad. "No, Lara. If you don't want to, I'm not forcing you to, really,"
I shook my head. "Yes. If it means not losing you, then I have to,"
"No, please. Just take me-"
I wouldn't let him walk out of the best thing that's ever happened to me. Not now. Not ever. And especially over this.
"My name is Lara Olivia Campbell. I have a twin sister called Olivia, but don't call her that or she'll kill you," I began with the simple stuff, but the mention of my sister's pet hate brought a smile to Louis' face. "I don't know my parents. They put us up for adoption when we were 6 months old and I have no knowledge of them whatsoever," Louis' smile dropped as he listened and I could see him working things out in my mind.
I continued. "My brother James has looked after us since... well, for as long as I can remember. He says he doesn't want to talk about what he can remember of our parents. He says we have each other and that's what's important,"
The thought of my next words made my lip wobble. "But James.. he has cancer. I try to pretend that I'm being brave but to tell you the truth I'm scared, Louis. I'm scared that he'll ...leave us," I said, willing myself not to blubber like a baby. "Liv and I can't survive without him, and I'm terrified of what might happen.
"My favourite colour is green. I love Meerkats. I find the advert with the singing orange hilarious," I counted them off my fingers as Louis smiled at the information. "Oh! And I almost forgot," I said, finishing with the thing I thought he needed to know most. "I am hopelessly and completely in love with some weird kid who got his car keys stolen by my sister,"
Louis' grin faded, and he rolled his eyes.
"I knew it!"
~~ Louis' P.O.V ~~
We must have sat there for at least five minutes before either of us said anything. The truth was, I wasn't expecting her to open up to me completely on the spot. I was unbelievably proud of her, and it felt amazing to have her open up. Before, it was as though I was dating an empty shell, but now I knew her. I really knew her. And I liked her more than ever.
"Listen, Lara," I started, but she didn't let me finish.
"Louis, I can't lose you," she shook her head, dead serious. "You're the first person I have told that to, and if that isn't enough, I'm not letting you out of this car until it is enough,"
I chuckled. "No, it really is. Thankyou, I know it must have been hard for you, but I really appreciate it," I nodded gratefully. "It's just... I'm exhausted. Can I crash on your sofa? The hotel up the road looks... well, crap,"
Lara's grin spread across her face and lit up every feature. She nodded eagerly and looked down. Then she looked back at me with a smile so beautiful it knocked all the breath from my lungs and the thoughts from my mind. She looked back down at the gear stick, obviously not sure what to do, so I reached across and took her hand.
"I really mean it, Lara, thankyou,"
She looked at her hands and squeezed mine gently, shaking her head softly. "I should have done it a long time ago," Then she turned in her seat, our fingers still linked.
As Lara turned the key and started the car again, the cheesiest, cringiest line popped in to my head from some TV show I'd seen a while back. I waited for a few minutes as we drove before putting it into action.
I sighed forlonly, and moaned sadly as my head hit the cold glass pane of the window. Lara glanced worriedly in my direction, biting her lip nervously.
"Everything okay there, Lou?" she asked, her gaze flickering between me and the road ahead.
I sighed again, and shrugged. "I got a problem,"
"What? Something I missed?"
"No, no, of course not. It's just that..." I let the corners of my mouth tug upwards. "When you stop this car, I'm gonna hug you, and I'm gonna kiss you," I looked over at the now smiling girl who had stolen my heart so many months ago.
"And I'm never going to let you go,"
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Author's Note: Hey everyone! I'm sorry I didn't update. BUT you will be getting an upload on Christmas Eve as well, so don't kill me. There are only going to be 2 MORE CHAPTERS. Okay? There's this one, another one, and then the last one. I love this story and I'm sad to see it end, but it's been fun.
I hope you liked this chapter. Don't forget to vote and comment and blahdyblah... Love you all lots and I hope your last days of school are fun! :) xx