Olivia // l.t.

Chapter 22

Olivia

"I'm really am sorry." Louis apologized for the thousandth time today, and I was starting to think he was driving himself insane over vomiting on my floor, and that was yesterdays news. 

"It must have been some kind of Karma for me spilling coffee on your crotch." I elbowed him playfully.

"Okay, I don't feel so bad anymore." He smiled.

We were sitting in his parent's living room waiting for dinner, his sister's were scattered around the house, while Earnest, his brother was sitting on the floor in front of us.

"Do you remember anything?" I asked, and he shrugged. "Barely, just puking on your floor and Niall dragging me out kicking and screaming."

"Nothing before that?" I questioned and I saw something flash through his eyes. Fear maybe?

"Why, did I say something?" He seemed slightly bothered, and I raised an eyebrow. "No, do you have something to tell me?" I pushed, and he shook his head.

He had always been completely honest with me, so I took his word for it.

"Well I'm going to go ask your mom if she needs any help." I stood, making my way to the kitchen.

Jay was busying herself between the kitchen Island, and the stove. Lottie, Louis' oldest, younger, sibling was setting plates.

"Need a hand?" I asked Jay making myself useful, and hopefully making a good impression.

She smiled brightly, I took note that Louis had her eyes. "Oh no, you make yourself at home, I'll take care of all of this." She gestured to dinner, and I nodded.

I walked over to Lottie, asking her the same question. "Here, you can set that side." She handed me a few plates, and I copied her actions.

"He never shuts his mouth about you, I hope you know." I looked up meeting her smug face.

I rolled my eyes, and she laughed. "I like you, it's refreshing to see someone giving my brother attitude for all the pestering he does."

I grinned, "I can't let him get too big headed about things, someone has to keep him in line." She laughed again.

By the time everyone had taken their seat at the table, the majority of my nerves had melted away.

Jay and Lottie liked me, and Louis' step dad seemed nice enough. Fizzy was quiet, but she smiled at me when I asked for the salt so I guess that counts for something.

The oldest set of twins, Daisy and Phoebe, were very inquisitive. They wanted to know everything from what my favorite color was, to what size shoe I wore.

"So Olivia, what part of the magazine do you work for?" Dan, Louis' step dad asked. I bit my lip, but relaxed when I felt Louis hand on my knee.

"I write columns, it varies on the subject, recently I've been doing our bosses job since he's been out." I felt like I was being interviewed.

Dan seemed impressed, and Louis gave my leg a gentle squeeze under the table.

"I like your dress." Fizzy finally spoke to me after being fairly mute for the most of dinner. I glanced down at my simple grey sweater dress. I smiled and thanked her.

I watched the way Louis interacted with his family, it was honestly mesmerizing. He was so animated, and they all seemed to hang on his every word.

He was so loved, and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he loved them. It made me feel fuzzy inside. Call me cliche, but I can't think of a better adjective.

The rest of the night went by smoothly, after dinner I let Lottie do my makeup, and fizzy did my hair.

The youngest twins, Doris and Earnest, fought over which one I would get to read a bedtime story to, overall I felt comfortable, and I didn't have an anxiety attack.

"I told you they would love you." Louis bragged as he walked me back to my apartment.

Being around his family made me happy and sad all at once.

Louis' mom and step dad were so in love, and it was so endearing. I couldn't ever remember a time that my parents looked at one another the way they did.

"You're thinking too much, talk." Louis pressed, as I unlocked my apartment door. He dove headfirst onto the couch, and I chuckled at his childlike behavior.

"I'm fine, really." I lied. He huffed. "No you're not, when you're fine you're bothering me, when you're not you're thinking, usually about something totally unnecessary."

I hated how well he knew me.

"My mother used to tell me all the time 'find someone who you  can do life with.'" I remembered her telling me this after dad had finally signed their divorce papers.

"Find somebody, that makes doing life together fun." I mumbled. 

"She was always talking about 'doing life' together." I sighed taking a seat next to him. "Do you know what that means?" I asked.

He tilted his head to the side curiously urging me to go on.

"It means forever." I looked at the wall blankly remembering the day dad finally left. My mom pretended she was fine, but I knew she wasn't.  

"And you know what?" I asked but didn't wait for his response.  "I don't see anyone doing forever with me."

Not sure where my sudden overwhelming sadness came from, but he's the one who told me to talk. I just didn't expect everything to spill out faster than I could filter it.

I was highly annoyed with myself and needed to stop talking immediately.

Louis gave me a sympathetic smile, gently placing his hand on top of mine. "Well i'll make you a deal." He stated and I met his eyes, he seemed serious for once.

"I'll do forever with you, and when that ends, we can start all over, and do it again." I looked at him incredulous.

"Forever doesn't end Louis." He smiled "I know Olivia that's the point." I blinked a few times making sure I was awake.

"Why do you always know what to say? I asked and he chuckled.

"I dunno, maybe I'm just that amazing, or I just have a gift," he shifted slightly, his fingers drumming against his thigh. 

"Or possibly because I love you."

He said it so quickly, and his hand immediately went to the back of his neck afterwards.

"What?" I asked staring at him. He coughed awkwardly and looked at an absolute loss for words.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have—"Did you just say—" We tried to speak at once which made the conversation ten times more uncomfortable.

He let out a shaky breath. "You know what I said." 

I felt a knot in the pit of my stomach when he wouldn't look at me. We were silent, both of us, and somehow it was deafening.

"I just don't want you to waste your time on someone like me." I whispered, and found myself trying to create distance between us.

"Olivia, I want to spend my time with you." He argued "My time is never a waste when I'm with you."

I shook my head and he looked confused. "Stop saying that." I felt like crying, my God what is wrong with me, he probably thinks I'm mental.

"Stop saying what?!" He exclaimed. "That you care!" I yelled, surprised at my own voice. "That you want to be around me, that you think I'm something special, that—"

"That I'm in love with you." He added on and I froze.

"I—I didn't say that, you've never exactly said that." I bit my lip, and he gave me a soft smile.

"I just did."