Tiara and Dalton //MPT+MD//

Chapter Twenty

Louis' P.O.V 

I squint when seeing the figure on the bench, she looked familiar... really familiar. When I get closer I notice that it was Tessa, a feeling of longing built up in my stomach. How long has it been, ten years? I get excited, wanting to walk over and show her that Tara was in high school happily getting the best of grades and that Dalton was three years below and he was also doing great- especially in sports.

I begin to frown when noticing that she had only one leg, what happened? I call her name, causing her to look up like a deer in headlights, her arms quick to grab out for her crutches.

"No, Tessa don't go!" I shout quickly, causing her to stumble and fall.

I feel my heart drop when noticing she attempts to crawl away from me, her arms scraping across the cobblestone path. I stop in front of her, helping her up onto her feet- foot and leading her back to the bench. I pick up the crutches, leaning them against the seat and sat beside her.

"Wh-what are you doing here? I thought you moved back to Doncaster?" Her voice is timid, fingers combing through her now dark cherry hair.

"All of us lads decided to meet up, we haven't seen each other since One Direction split." I smile at her, twiddling my fingers.

"How is everyone?" she dares to ask, looking up at me.

"Good, all the boys have settled down and everyone has at least one little baby." I grin.

"H-how's- how's Tiara?" Her lip wobbles slightly, looking up at me with eyes filled with hope.

"She's doing amazing in high school, but she changed her name to Tara." 

"T-Tara?" 

"Tara Horan." I smile, watching her smile drop slightly.

"She must be beautiful." 

"She is." I agree, staring off.

"I'm off, it was nice seeing you- Louis." She stumbles over her words, arms already in the crutches, heaving herself up.

"No- we should talk, I've missed you." I say, regretting ever letting her leave with her adoptive father.

"Come back to m-my house. We'll talk there." She hops along, me following after her.

"I always come here- for fresh air that is." She tells me, giving me a small smile.

"That's nice-- Tess. What happened to your leg?" I awkwardly ask, hoping she wouldn't be upset.

"My- um. Daddy- Dad. My- He-. Sorry." She coughed, stopping so she could cough into her elbow. "My father shot my leg- it was too late to cure it when I was in hospital. It was better for it to be- yeah."

"Where is he now?" I ask, sympathy and anger filling me immediately. Why did we let her go?

"He's locked up forever now." She smiles fondly at me, breathing deeply.

"Why don't you get an artificial leg?" I ask another question, again hoping not to offend her.

"I'm on minimal wage, most of my money go to- oh we're here." 

"Tess, I can-"

"It's okay." She interrupts with a smile, reaching into her pocket and taking out a key. She unlocks the door and lets me in.