Promises

We live in a world built on promises, constructed by liars.

I had always been one to keep my promises. I promised my sister Violet I would always be there for her, and I am. I promised my mum and dad I would follow my dreams and make the best of life, and I am. Those were made before he broke up with me, so I kept those promises. 

Promises meant everything to me. It was that one thing that meant a lot in my life. If you promised me something and broke that promise it was like you were stabbing me in the back. Maybe it was because my parents didn't keep promises all that well. My dad promised he would love my mum for the rest of their lives and look how that turned out. They're divorced and live eight hours away from each other. They promised they would never break me and Violet apart. They broke that promise. Violet and I were seven when they got divorced and my dad took Violet to live with him in Paris, while I stayed with my mum in Doncaster. They did keep one promise though and that was that Violet and I always got to spend the summers, holidays, and school breaks with each other at my dads.

When Louis broke my heart and promises I vowed I would never promise anyone anything. I didn't like how it felt when someone broke promises they made to me, so I didn't want to put someone through that. I didn't like letting anyone down.  

I glanced at the clock and noticed it was four in the morning. Shit. I need to get to the bakery and start baking. My hair wasn't cooperating with me today so I braided it as fast as I could. On my way out the door of my new flat I grabbed a Monster Rehab. Those things were my weakness. It kept me energized when I needed it. As soon as the lift doors opened four guys stepped off with multiple suitcases each. I side stepped out of their way and kept to myself, seeing as they didn't look all that happy. Although who would at four in the morning? 

When the lift reached the garage, I stepped off and answered my phone that was blaring Lights by Ellie Goulding. 

“'ello?" I answered. I knew it was Violet, but I didn't want to be rude this early in the morning. 

“'ello Boo! What're you doing?" She chirped. She had the most weirdest sleeping habits ever. Some days she would go to bed a seven like an old granny, other days she would go to bed at two in the morning, and now for the weirdest, she would sleep for two hours then wake up and stay up for four hours, then she'd go back to sleep for a few more hours and get back up. It went like that every night but the times varied. 

“Heading to the bakery to start baking. I'm officially opening today," I replied. When I reached my car I hit the unlock button and climbed in. This thing was my baby. My dad got it for me when I moved to Paris with him and Violet two years ago. He got my sister one just like it except in dark purple. I wouldn't trade my 2010 Nissan 370Z for anything.

“I forgot you were doing that. Do you want me to come help? Oh can I, pleeeeeeeeese?" I groaned. Violet in a bakery with sweets wasn't a good mix. She'd end up eating everything before I even opened. “I won't eat anything. Promise."

Twin telepathy. I hated it sometimes. “Fine. You know I don't do promises. But you will actually work. Not sit on your bum," I spoke in what her and Seeley called my mum voice. 

“Heck yes! Okay, I'll be there in an hour or so. Bye Boo." 

“Bye Boo." I'm not so sure my sister driving at four in the morning is such a good thing. But there's nothing I can do to stop her.


My bakery Sweet Dreams was my life long dream. It was what I wanted to do since I started baking with my mum and Gran. I kept my promises to my parents and followed my dream. I went to culinary school and moved to London where I'm opening my very own bakery. They were proud of me. My mum informed me her, Winston, Gray, Emerald, and Indigo would come down as often as they could and my dad said he would be over everytime he had business here in London. 

The inside of my bakery was just how I wanted it. Grey hardwood floors, magenta painted walls with random grey designs scattered over them, black tables and chairs by the floor to ceiling windows in the front, the display cases, the counters, and lastly my old cash register. Sweet Dreams was finally open for business.

“Violet, will you flip the sign from closed to open?" I hollered from the kitchen. She told me she would work the front while I finished up these last few batches of cupcakes. “Yessum," she hollered back. 

It was eight in the morning and all I had left to do was ice the carrot cake cupcakes, Reese's peanut butter cup cupcakes, and Root Beer float cupcakes. Everything had been put in the display cases for everyone to see. I'm pretty sure there were close to a hundred cupcakes alone. I had made mainly cupcakes and cookies today. Tomorrow I'll come in at six and put pies in the oven that I'll make and put in the fridge tonight. Before I started icing the cupcakes I put my iPhone 4g on the docking station and turned on some music. First song that started playing was Skrillex's remix of Nero's, Promises. I loved this song. Maybe it was because of the title. 

"Ay, how do you work the register?" I quickly drizzled Hershey's chocolate syrup over the top of the Root Beer float cupcakes and carried that tray to the front. Only two more batches to ice. 

I clicked the correct buttons on the register easy peasy. “That's how you use the register Vi." 

“Oh okay." She dragged out both words while slowly nodding her head. I shook my head with a chuckle and headed back into the kitchen right as the bell above the door dinged. My first customer! How exciting. I turned the music down a little and got to work. With how long I had been baking I iced the cupcakes in record time. I grabbed one tray and took it to the front, putting the cupcakes in the case.

There were ten or so people in line waiting to order. A smile appeared on my face. My dream was coming true. I was doing what I loved and following my dream all in one. 

“Are you the owner?" A man asked with salt and pepper hair. I nodded and said, “Yes I am. My names Scarlett."

“It's nice to meet you Scarlett, I'm Luke. I just wanted to tell you that this cookies and cream cupcake is amazing." My smile grew at his words. “I've never had anything like it."

“Well thank you. I'm glad you like it." I bid him goodbye and headed back into the kitchen to get the carrot cake cupcakes. By the time I got back out there a few people had been serviced and were either sitting at the tables eating or walking out with Sweet Dreams' signature magenta takeaway box. Once I had the cupcakes in the display case I took off my apron, hanging it on the hook by the kitchen door and going over to help Violet. 

Once everyone had received what they ordered we were left with an empty store. It was only eight thirty and a fourth of my stuff was gone. It made me feel good that people liked the stuff I baked. It meant I was doing a good job. 

“And here's One Directions newest song, One Thing." Violet gasped and turned the radio up a little louder as she sang along and danced behind the counter. One Direction was her favorite boy band. I tended to stay away from them. For one reason and one reason only. 

I've tried playing it cool
But when I'm looking at you
I can’t ever be brave
'Cause you make my heart race

“Oh my god, doesn't Liam's voice sound amazing?" I rolled my eyes at my swooning sister. She's way too obsessed. When she started singing again I walked around the counter to wipe down the tables and chairs. I was a clean freak. The tables and chairs had to be cleaned every time after someone used them, or I'd go crazy.

After I had moved to live with my Dad my Mum had called and informed me that Louis had made it on the X Factor. I had to act all excited. I didn't want her to know we had a bad breakup. Of course I told her we agreed we were better off as friends, but I didn't tell her or Winston. Her in fear of her hating Louis and Winston in fear of him murdering Louis. My mum loved him like a son. I didn't want her to hate him just because we broke up. He had been in a majority of my life and he was like family to her.   

My mum called me every week when a new episode aired. I had Vi talk to her about it since she was hooked on it. I had no intentions of watching it. When Vi watched it I left the room and did something else. I didn't want to see his face. I didn't want to hear his voice. I didn't want to see or hear anything that had to do with him. I had moved on. My moving on was me dying my hair back to my natural blonde, making new friends, meeting new guys, and leaving my troubles in the past. It worked. I moved on and met a guy who made me feel like myself again. Seeley was and still is the reason why I'm happy.

Seeley made me forget about my past. He showed me how a man is supposed to treat a woman. He showed me that he would never hurt me. He changed my life and made it that much more better. Without him, I wouldn't have had the money to open my bakery. He helped me make my dream come true. 

Get out, get out, get out of my head
And fall into my arms inst--

Violet stopped singing almost immediately. I furrowed my brows and looked up from cleaning the table farthest from the door. She stood behind the counter staring at the door. What in the world is she looking at like an idiot? I now looked at the door to see a redheaded girl standing there smirking at my idiotic looking sister. 

“Do you like One Direction?" She asked with a knowing look. Vi slowly nodded and just stared at her like she was an alien. “Sorry about my sister, she has a problem with staring," I apologized. “Is there anything I can get you?"

Vi was pushed out of the way when I got behind the counter and the radio was turned off. The girl smiled and skimmed her eyes over the sugary goodness. 

“Can I get one of the bacon cupcakes and a dozen snickerdoodles?" I put her cupcake in the magenta Chinese takeaway box with the metal handle and put the cookies in a box by themselves. “That'll be seventeen pounds and fifteen pence."  

“Here you go." I put the money in the register and thanked her. “These smell so delicious." She took a cookie out and bit into it, letting out a groan. “This tastes just like my friend Scarlett's cookies she used to make back in school."

That made me furrow my brows. This was my own recipe I came up with by myself. I never told anyone, not even my mum knew. I looked closer at the girl in front of me and noticed the three freckles by the outside of her right eye that were in a straight line, looking like the cat eye makeup. Holy shit. This was my best mate Rosalie from school.

“Rosalie Adams?" 

“Scarlett Osbourne? Holy shit!" She exclaimed. “What be happenin'?" 

“Me be happenin'!" That was how we greeted each other. We just started saying it one day and it stuck. Vi stared at us with a half shocked half confused face, still not saying a word. 

"Oh my god, Rossy, I haven't seen you in forever. When was the last time we saw each other?" 

“I don't know." She shrugged. “Two years, give or take." 

I introduced Rosalie and Violet. She had calmed down and wasn't acting like a total retard. I'll ask her why later. While I caught up with Rosalie, Violet manned the counter and register. I'd pay her for helping. I felt bad for making her work while I sat and talked, but she told me to catch up with her so I did. We spent a couple hours catching up before she brought up a topic I didn't want to talk about. Louis.

“So how come you and Louis broke up? He still won't tell me."

I shook my head with a soft chuckle. “He didn't tell anyone did he?" She shook her head making me roll my eyes. “Figures. Make him tell you. He's the one who broke up with me."

She went to say something but the the door opened and the bell dinged. I looked over her shoulder to see my boyfriend Seeley. Hopping up, I ran over and hugged him, pecking his lips. 

“Hey baby. What're you doing here?" He shrugged and kissed my lips again. “Just thought I'd visit my beautiful girlfriend on the day she opened her bakery," he replied with his French accent. 

He was by far the sweetest guy ever. Best boyfriend I've ever had. He brought me flowers and gifts for no reason. I didn't know how to act in the beginning, but I knew that I liked it. No guy had ever done that for me. It made me feel special. Like I was the most important girl in the world. 

“Well I'm glad you came. Come here, I want you to meet an old friend of mine." I pulled him over to Rosalie and cleared my throat. When she looked up she smiled at Seeley. “Rossy this is my boyfriend, Seeley. Seeley this is my best mate Rosalie. I've known her since we were seven."

“Nice to meet you Mademoiselle," he greeted kissing her hand. Charmer I tell you. She sent me a look that said ‘nice-work-girl' and said her hello as her phone beeped. 

"Oh shoot, that was my boyfriend. He's worried since I've been gone so long." She picked up her stuff and handed me a piece of paper with her cell number on the back. “Give me a call and we can hang out sometime. It was nice meeting you guys and seeing you again. Toodles."

Seeley's long arms wrapped around me as his chin rested on my shoulder. “She seems nice."

“She was one of my best mates."

All of a sudden Violet ran over and pulled me out of my boyfriends arms and started shaking me. “Do you have any idea who that was?!" 

“Um...me best mate?" She was worrying me. Did she already forget that I introduced them? She shook her head. “Besides that. That was Rosalie Adams, the girl who's dating the one and only Zayn Malik of One Direction!" 

Oh my god. The screams. And jumping. Holy crap on a cracker. Talk about my ears bleeding. 

"Bloody hell Boo, shut up. You're gonna make me ears bleed."


Rossy and I had made plans to have dinner tonight. We were going over to her place with a couple of her friends. She wanted me to meet her boyfriend. I of course had to make sure he was right for her and give him the best friend interrogation I gave all of my friends' new boyfriends and/or girlfriends. Part of my job description. 

Before I had left the bakery I had made some pies and put them in the freezer. I know I smelt like cupcakes, but I didn't have time to change before going over there. It was opening day and I was busy. Seeley said he liked when I smelt like cupcakes. He said I was his own personal dessert. He meant that in the most sexual way too. He wasn't an innocent guy. He was one of those guys who was perverted and loved sex more then he did his car. So basically the typical male. 

“Baby quit fussing over your hair," Seeley spoke from his spot on my bed. “It's fine the way it is. You don't need to impress any of them. You've already impressed me."

I chuckled realizing he was right. I didn't need to impress Rossy's boyfriend and friends. If they didn't like me that's fine. Haters make me famous. I've always loved that saying. Glancing at the clock I noticed it was six pm, in other words what time dinner at Rossy's place started. When we were texting we found out we live in the same building and on the same floor. Scary right? 

“We gotta go babe." Seeley rolled off my bed and straightened his shirts. “Lets go then." 

On our way out I grabbed the box from the bakery. I had also made some more snickerdoodle cookies before I left to bring to dinner. Rossy told me not to bring anything but I would feel bad if I didn't, so I brought these. And I knew she loved those cookies anyway. They were her weakness. 

When we reached her flat door which was a door down from mine and across the hall, Seeley knocked on it. I felt so short next to him. He was six foot two easy, and I was only five foot five. We were an odd looking couple. But I liked my men tall. They didn't have to be Shaq tall, they just had to be taller then me. The door swung open to reveal a boy with dark hair that was spiked similar to Seeley's. He was tall, but not as tall as Seeley. 

“Hi. Who are you?" He questioned, staring at us. 

I sent him my signature deep dimpled smile. “I'm Scarlett, Rosalie's friend and this is me boyfriend Seeley. She invited us over for dinner."

“Oh 'ello! Come on in." He stepped aside, holding the door open for us. He shut the door behind us and introduced himself. “I'm Zayn Malik, Rose's boyfriend. It's nice to meet you."

“Nice to meet you too." He informed me Rossy was in the kitchen and I was more then welcome to go in there, then started a conversation with Seeley about soccer. Men and their sports. As soon as I stepped in the kitchen my nose went into overdrive. Lasagna. Amazing lasagna. And not just any lasagna; it's Rossy's lasagna.   

“Oh my Jesus, is this your orgasm-in-my-mouth lasagna?" She let out a yelp as the woodden spoons she was using to toss the salad went flying up in the air, hitting the ceiling and falling straight to the floor with loud clanks. My hand covered my mouth to try and stop the giggles from coming but it didn't work. 

“You bitch! You know not to sneak up on me! Remember what happened last time?" She picked up the spoons and went back to glaring at me. Oh god. Last time. That wasn't a good experience whatsoever. I was scarred for life...literally. We were having a sleepover at her house one night when we were seventeen and she was in the kitchen doing something and I decided to scare her. When I grabbed her shoulders and shouted her name she spun around and had a knife in her hand. It cut me on my upper arm. The cut was about two inches long going up and down. She freaked out and rushed me to the ER where I got ten stitches. 

I cringed at the thought of all the blood. I hated blood. “Don't remind me." The door of the flat could be heard opening and closing followed by loud voices. One was louder then the rest, but I ignored them and sat the box down on the counter.

“I brought some freshly made snickerdoodle cookies. Figured since you were cooking dinner I would bring dessert." 

She narrowed her eyes at me. “I told you not to bring anything! This was my idea, so I have to make everything." When I ignored her by taking a slice of tomato out of the salad and popping it in my mouth, she went back to talking. “But thank you. The guys really liked them. Niall especially." 

It made me feel all giddy that people liked the stuff I baked. I would never get used to it. Even after having been doing this for the last two years, it still made me feel that way. Of course when my family and friends said they liked my stuff I brushed it off saying their opinions were baised. But what person doesn't? It's like if you ask your mum if the jeans you're wearing make your bum look big and she say no, but you think they do so you don't believe her. 

A loud yell came from the living room. “Harry! Rose is gonna kill you! Rose, Harry broke your smelly good thing!" The voice had an Irish accent. I love Irish accents. 

“Harold Edward Styles!" A round of long oh's could be heard making me roll my eyes. I followed Rossy to the living room to see a boy with light brown slightly curly hair sitting by Zayn, a blonde boy sitting in a recliner, while a boy with curly brown hair sat completely still in the other recliner. By the curly haired boy was a candle that was broken on the coffee table. Seeley and Zayn kept watching tv, so I sat down beside Seeley and grinned up at him when he pulled me into his side. 

“Harold, I'm going to chop all your hair off," Rossy threatened. The curly haired boy now known as Harry covered his head with his arms. “NO! Not my sex hair! It's my baby! I won't let you near it!"

My giggle caught the attention of Harry and the still nameless blonde boy and slightly curly haired boy. Zayn seemed to remember we hadn't been introduced and introduced us. 

“Scarlett, these are my mates Harry, Niall, and Liam. Boys, this is Rose's mate Scarlett and you already met Seeley." 

I waved. “Hi. It's nice to meet you guys." 

“Nice to meet you too love," Harry replied with a dimpled grin. How adorable! It made him look so childish, but in a good way. 

Liam waved and sent me a friendly smile. “Hi Scarlett."

“Hey, were you the one who made the cookies Rose brought home?" Niall asked. 

I nodded, opening my mouth to answer but was cut off by the flat door opening and closing, then a vaguely familiar voice. 

“Sorry I'm late. My mum wouldn't get off the phone and I couldn't find my pants." Where have I heard that voice before? I swear I've heard it before, I just can't place it. Come on brain, think. 

Liam snorted. “When has you not being able to find your pants stopped you from coming over Lou?" 

Lou? Lou? No, it can't be. It can't be the same Louis. It can't be the Louis I'm thinking about. Please dear God let it be a different person. I glanced over the back of the couch to see if God had answered my prayer. There he stood. Right there in all his glory. 

Louis William Tomlinson.