Everything About You

He leaned in slowly, his breath ghosting across her lips. She searched his vibrant blue eyes, looking for any sign of doubt. She found none. He cupped her face in the palms of his hands and gently touched his pink lips to hers. She wrapped her arms around him, his suspender straps slightly digging into her skin.

“I love you,” he whispered once he had pulled away.

Her heart thumped against her ribcage at an almost unnatural pace. “I l-love you too, Loui-

I slammed my head down, narrowly missing my laptop, and groaned. This was the third time today that I had written that scene, each time ending with me unconsciously turning my character, Nate into Louis. I saved my work, and left my laptop. I would return to it later, when I was distracted by a certain pop star.

I climbed down the loft stairs and into my bedroom. I could hear Gregory banging around the apartment and I sighed. We hadn’t spoken at all since the fight, and we most likely wouldn’t talk again until he leaves in three days. I felt a pang of guilt. I couldn’t help but regret fighting with him, but I wasn’t about to let him tell me to stop seeing Louis. I could see whoever the hell I wanted! I wasn’t ten years old anymore, and he had to stop treating me like the scared, grieving child that I had been.

I pulled on my slippers and slipped out into the hallway, making my way down to the living room. I saw Gregory sitting on the couch watching the telly and I plopped down on the seat next to him. I watched him wearingly as he raised his arm out to me, his peace offering. I slid into him, resting my head on his chest. No matter how much I hated him at times, I loved him.

“So I take it you told this Louis fellow that you couldn’t see him anymore?”

I pulled away and out of his arms, moving to the other side of the sofa away from him. “Um, no? I told you I wasn’t going to stop seeing him, Gregory.”

My brother glared at me. “Natalie, I don’t care whether you want to or not. You’re going to stop seeing him, and that’s final.”

I shot up from the couch and stood in front of him, hands on my hips. “Gregory, you’re not my dad! You can’t tell me what to do!”

“I might as well be your dad! I raised you, Natalie! I think I have a say in what you can and can’t do.” His face was already going red with fury.

I threw my hands up and began to pace. “That’s just it, Greg! You have a say! You don’t get to tell me what to do and whom I can and cannot date!”

“Oh yes I can, Natalie! You don’t understand what I gave up for you and Holly when they died! I gave up everything for you!” Gregory shouted in my face.

The tears pricked my eyes, falling over silently as I whispered back, “You didn’t have to do it Greg. You had a choice.”

“Oh no, Natalie. I never had a choice.” My brother whispered back to me, before stalking back to the guest room.

I was able to make it to my bedroom before I sank to my knees and burst into tears. This was nothing new to me. I had always known that I had ruined Gregory’s life. It just hurt to hear him admit it out loud. It hurt.

Bing. Bing. Bing.

I wiped my tears and climbed the steps to get to my laptop. I squinted at the screen, seeing a Skype call coming in. I was about to shut the laptop until I caught a glimpse of who was calling. Lou.

My curser hovered over the accept button and I closed my eyes as I pressed down. I quickly wiped my tears as my webcam appeared on the screen, soon followed by a large image of Louis and the rest of the boys.

I faked a smile and waved, “Hey guys!”

“Hey, Nat!” All of the boys screamed, all except Louis. He had a perplexed look on his face, and he was staring intently at the screen.

“What’s wrong?” Louis asked, pushing the other guys away from the computer and out of the room.

“Nothing! I’m great, Lou, really!” I sounded fake to even my own ears.

He shook his head. “No you’re not. I’m coming over.”

“No Loui-” I was cut off by the Skype screen closing as Louis signed off.

I groaned as I thought of Louis and Gregory in the same house. Greg would be furious with Louis coming over so soon after we had fought over him, no- he would be furious with Lou coming over in general. What if he attacked Lou? I wouldn’t put it past Gregory. He nearly killed Mike when he learned the he had knocked up Holly.

I don’t know how long I sat in the office chair in my loft, but before I knew it the door bell was echoing throughout the apartment. I scrambled out of the chair, down the stairs and out to the hallway to get the door. But someone had beat me to it, and that person had his hands balled into fists and was screaming at my guest on the other side of the door. Fuck.