After || Larry Stylinson

Chapter 22

The breakfast with Natalie and my mom is agonizingly slow. My mother continues to bring up my "wild night" from last night and finds every opportunity to ask me if I am tired or hungover. Granted, my actions last night were very out of character but I don't want to hear about it over and over. Has she always been this way? I know she just wants the best for me but she seems to be worse now that I am in college, or maybe being away from her for a week has given me a new found outlook on her.

"Where should we shop?" Natalie asks and I shrug. I wish she would have just come alone. I would love to spend time with her but not with my mom here. I need to have a talk with her anyway about telling my mom every detail of my life, especially the bad.

"Maybe we should go to the mall around the block, it would be easier. I am not familiar with the area yet." I tell them, cutting the last few bites of my french toast into pieces.

"Have you thought about where you want to work yet?" Natalie asks.

"I'm not sure yet, I am going to find a bookstore I think. I wish I could find an internship or something with a publishing house." I tell them and my mother gives me her award-winning smile.

"That would be great, then you could work there until you finish college and go right into working," she smiles again.

"Yeah, that would be ideal." I try to hide my sarcasm. Natalie grabs my hand and gives it a little squeeze under the table. As I put my fork into my mouth, the metal reminds me of Harry's lip ring. I need to stop thinking about him. I smile at Natalie and pull her hand up to kiss it.

After breakfast my mom drives to the mall. The Vancouver Mall is huge and crowded. "I am going to go to Nordstrom's, I'll meet you guys after. I will call you when I am ready." My mother tells us and I am relieved. Natalie takes my hand again and we browse through multiple stores. She tells me about her tennis game on Friday and how she scored the final point. I listen intently and offer her a few comments and praises.

"You look nice today." I tell her and she smiles. Her perfect, white smile is adorable. She is wearing a maroon cardigan, khakis and sandals. They are cute and somehow fit her personality.

"You do too Louis," she compliments and I cringe. I know I look like hell but she is too kind to tell me that. Unlike Harry, who would tell me in a heartbeat. Ugh, Harry. Desperately wanting to get my mind off of him, I stop walking and pull Natalie by her cardigan into me. I lean in to kiss her and she smiles, but pulls away.

"What are you doing Louis? Everyone will be staring at us." She laughs and I shrug.

"So?" I really don't care, usually I would but I need her to kiss me. "Just kiss me please." I practically beg her. She must see the desperation in my eyes because she cups my cheek and kisses me. Her kiss is gentle and slow, no urgency behind it. Her tongue barely touches mine but it's nice. It is familiar and warm. I wait for the fire to ignite, but it doesn't. I can't compare Natalie to Harry. Natalie is my girlfriend who I love and Harry is a jerk who hooks up with different people every weekend.

"What's gotten into you?" Natalie teases as I try to push my body against hers. I flush and shake my head.

"Nothing, I just missed you, that's all." I tell her. Oh.. and I cheated on you last night. My subconscious adds. "Could you please stop telling my mom when I do things? It makes me really uncomfortable. I love that you are close to her but I really need you to stop telling on me. I feel like a child when you do that." It feels good to get that off my chest.

"I am sorry Louis, I was just worried about you. I promise I won't do it again. Honest." She says and I believe her. She wraps her arm around my waist and kisses my cheek.

The rest of the day is better than the morning. My mother takes me to a salon and I get my hair cut, making it look better and with more volume. Natalie showers me with compliments the entire drive back to my dorm. I say goodbye to both, once again promising them that I would stay away from anyone with a tattoo within a hundred mile radius. I feel a tinge of disappointment when I find my dorm room empty. I'm not sure if I was hoping to see Tristan or someone else. I don't even bother to take my shoes off before I lay in bed. I am too exhausted and in need of sleep.

I sleep the entire day and when I wake up, Tristan is asleep in his bed. We will have to catch up on where he went Saturday and most of Sunday. I stop by the coffee house and grab my usual before heading to my first class. Liam is waiting for me with a smile. We are interrupted by a girl who asks for directions and we don't get a chance to catch up until we are walking to our last class of the day. The class that I have been dreading but anticipating all day.

"How was your weekend?" He asks and I groan.

"Terrible actually. I went to another party with Tristan." I tell him and he makes a sour face and laughs. "I am sure yours was much better, how is Danielle?"

His smile grows at the mention of her name and I realize that I did not mention seeing Natalie yesterday. Liam tells me about Danielle applying to a ballet company in New York and how happy he is for her. I wonder if Natalie's eyes light up when she talks of me as Liam's do when he talks about his girlfriend. He tells me how his father and stepmother were so thrilled to see him and that he did miss his mom while he was gone. His mother must live here or close to here.

"Won't it be hard if she lives so far?" I ask him as we take our seats. Harry's usual seat is empty.

"Well we are already far from each other now and it works. Besides, I want the best for her and if New York is the best thing for her, then that's where I want her to be." He says and the professor walks in, silencing us. Where is Harry? He wouldn't skip class just to avoid me, would he? We dive into Pride and Prejudice and the class ends too soon.

"You've cut your hair Lewis." I turn around and see Harry behind me. Him and Liam exchange awkward stares and I try to think about what to say to Harry. I hope he won't mention the kiss in front of Liam, he wouldn't would he? Yes, yes he would.

"Hey Harry," I say and he smiles, his dimples deeper than ever.

"How was your weekend?" His expression is so smug. I pull Liam by the arm.

"Good, I will see you around!" I yell nervously and Harry laughs.

"What was that about?" Liam asks, obviously catching on to my strange behavior.

"Nothing, I just don't like Harry."

"At least you don't have to see him often." There is something behind his voice. Does he know about he kiss?

"Um.. yeah. Thank god."

"I wasn't going to say anything because I don't want you to associate me with him, but Harry's dad is sort of dating my mom." He smiles nervously. What?

"What? Harry's dad lives here? Why is Harry here, where is his accent from? If his dad lives here then why doesn't he live with him?" I flood him with questions before I can stop myself. He looks confused but less nervous than a moment ago.

"He's from London, his dad and my mom live close to the campus but Harry and his dad don't have a good relationship. Don't mention any of this to him, please. We already don't like each other." He says and a thousand more questions come to my mind, but I stay quiet as he goes back to talk about Danielle.