My Lucky Strike (Louis Tomlinson)

Chapter 19

Brushing a few loose strands of dark hair away from his girlfriend’s pretty face, Louis spared a light smile as she slept, glad she’d seemingly adapted to life away from her home in London. It’d been a few weeks now since she’d switched home for Manchester and after his talk with the team, everything seemed to have fallen into place for the pair of them. They were expecting their second child in just under seven months, they’d made friends with a few members on the team and everything between themselves seemed just perfect, not to mention how well Oscar was progressing, at eight months old the small boy had uttered a few words here and there making his parents immensely proud.

Sighing gently, Louis placed a kiss against the top of her head before moving out into the living room. Oscar was down with his grandparents for the night, giving them a much needed night to themselves, something they both needed. As much as they loved having their little boy in their lives, they’d not had a single night to be a proper couple since they’d reconciled, hence why her mother had been so adamant on taking the little boy, she didn’t want her daughter to lose the most important man in her life again.

Flopping down onto the couch, Louis turned the television on at a low volume and grinned, taking in the stillness that encapsulated him. He’d missed it, the silence that lingered around him, though he would never admit it, Navishaa would merely throw a fit, claiming he wanted rid of her, something which was beyond untrue. It was merely unfathomable.

Turning at the sound of his bedroom door opening, Louis spared a bright grin, watching as his girlfriend, still half asleep, stumbled into the seat beside him. “What are you doing up love?” he mumbled softly as he wrapped his arms around her, cuddling her close. Navishaa huffed slightly before nestling her head in his chest, complaining of feeling nauseous again. In the past month the pair had come to learn that the sickness that pregnancy entailed wasn’t purely limited to the morning with Navishaa, she nearly always felt nauseous and it made Louis slightly concerned even if she did insist it’d been the same with Oscar. He didn’t think it was right for her to feel so ill all the time.

She adjusted herself against Louis's body slightly before the sound of the post flap on the front door caught her ears. It seemed far to late to be receiving mail and both picked up on it, sharing a concerned look before the brunette made her way into the hall. Louis watched after her for a moment before resting back on the couch.

Staring at the door that lingered just ahead of her, her eyebrows furrowed together, noting the light green envelope that hung from the post flap. It had her name, no address, and it suggested that it had been hand delivered, something which filled her with fear. Very few people but close friends and family knew she was back with Louis and living in Manchester and those who did would have called if they needed to speak to her.

The letter merely filled her with a fear she’d not felt in years. Stepping towards the door slightly, she took the envelope in her fingers, her light eyes filling somewhat with tears as she noted the handwriting that appeared on the front of it. She’d not seen if for years, not since he’d been caught, and it made her fall against the wall with a sob. She’d thought she was free of him, she thought he couldn’t get her anymore, but it was clear she was wrong, the way her name was scrawled across the envelope merely confirmed it to her.

Louis flinched at the sound of the cry and jumped up from the couch, fretting for their unborn child. He’d never heard such a hurt noise from the lips of his girlfriend and he feared the worse. It was a mild relief to find her merely sitting against the wall in tears. “Navishaa?” he mumbled softly as he sat down beside her, she wasn’t clutching at her stomach and Louis was taking that as a good thing. “Love what on earth is wrong?” he mused with a soft smile. Something was clearly bothering her and he wanted to know what. The brunette stifled another sob before handing him the envelope. “What’s this?” he mused. It was unopened yet it had her in tears for reasons he didn’t know, he was beyond confused. Navishaa merely urged him with her eyes to open it which Louis did before frowning at the content.

Photographs, the envelope was filled with photographs of Navishaa and Oscar, yet there was none of himself, suggesting he wasn’t the target. They were surveillance photographs, taken from bushes and the like and it immediately put Louis on alert. There was someone spying on his family and it didn’t sit well with the striker.

“Navishaa, do you know who sent these?” he mused softly, wiping a few tears from her cheek. The brunette gave a stoic nod before heaving out a small sob. “Alan” she mumbled making him frown. It wasn’t a name he’d heard her mention before but it clearly upset her and he wanted to know why. “Who’s Alan?” he asked her softly. Navishaa shifted slightly against him before closing her eyes. “Do you remember the name of my boyfriend before you?” she enquired softly. Louis thought for a moment before shaking his head, she’d never really spoken about her life before him, then again he’d never really asked. “There’s a reason that I never told you about him. He was bad news” she stammered out making him look down at her.

“Did he hit you?” he asked bluntly. It came out harsher than he’d anticipated, but he needed to know. “Not me, he hit his mother and his little sister, but never me. He was always so good to me” she whined making Louis cling to her tighter. It was clearly distressing whatever she was attempting to explain to him.

Navishaa gave a short sigh before she looked at Louis softly. “We met when we were in senior school, year seven actually and we became friends instantly. He was sort of geeky and I didn’t exactly fit in either” she noted making Louis nod. “We started going out when we turned fifteen and were together right up until three months before I met you. He was good to me, but his family, they were another story. His dad had left his mother when he was little. The man was a drunk and fled with some bimbo to America when he was six and his little sister was two” she explained.

Louis offered another nod, wondering where her story was leading. It was clear already that this Alan character was messed up and Louis wondered how far things had gotten. “He always seemed to love his family until I showed up one day unannounced. I peeked in through the window and I saw him smacking his baby sister with a frying pan. She was only eighteen and she’d come home after school to tell him she was pregnant. Alan wasn’t having any of it. I watched him beat her to within an inch of her life before he spotted me. I ran and I called the police” she explained. Louis kissed her forehead softly, mumbling about how he would protect her no matter what.

“It was my testimony that got him sent to prison almost six years ago” she mused “And now he’s out and he’s coming for me. I’m not safe” she whimpered as she buried her head in his chest. She was beyond scared and he hated seeing it in her. She’d done the right thing, she didn’t deserve to be hunted down because of it.

“I’m not going to let him hurt you” he whispered “You, Oscar, the baby” he mused “I’m not letting anyone take you from me. I vow I will protect” he mumbled as he kissed her head.

It wasn’t going to be easy, but he wasn’t going to lose his family, not so soon after finding them.