Hint of the Future

The wind was sharp and bit at her cheeks as she stepped out of her apartment complex and tugged Louis’s beanie farther down on her head before she struggled to finish off the few buttons on her jacket. The freezing temperatures almost made her turn around and take her car before she realized that the walk to her boutique was just around the corner, and it would be such a waste to take the car.

As she shoved her gloved hands into the pockets of her jacket, she hurriedly walked down the sidewalk and greeted familiar faces politely with her rosy cheeks. Sleep was still lingering in her body, making her want to turn around and crawl back into bed with Louis, who was still softly snoring away since it was one of the few days he had off away from work for the month, but she knew that she couldn’t miss too many days during the week before the staff was begging her to come back and help.

The warmth that washed over her as she entered the store was welcomed, and she felt her shoulders slump in relief before she slowly stripped herself of her coat. Feeling was slowly entering her fingers, and she adjusted the hat upon her head before she began to glance around the shop. It had only been open for a few months, but it was something Elodie took pride in because she put every little heart and soul into building it. When sales instantly boomed in just the first month of being opened, she was in heaven.

Elodie was unpacking boxes of clothes and placing them in the appropriate places when she heard employees coming into the shop. They usually came in packs like wolves since they were all friends, but they were all so hardworking at the same time. She could hear them talking amongst themselves, and she smiled a little before she entered the back once again.

“Elodie! You’re here for once,” Violet, a friend of hers, joked, and Elodie chuckled softly as she shook her head at her friend. “I hear Louis sung an original just for you again,” she smiled widely, and Elodie smiled just a bit bigger back at her as she nodded her head. Louis was her favorite subject to talk about, and she could go all day about him, though she was sure no one would listen.

“He’s too perfect,” Elodie swooned as she smiled before she glanced at the time, realizing that the boutique was opening in just a few minutes. She headed back to the front, flipping the pink sign on the window to open before she went to tend to little missing details of the store. It had taken almost a year for Elodie to plan out how the store would look. She wanted burgundy color walls with white shelves and tables to fill it and ebonized hardwood. The store had both male and female clothing, and they were split down the middle. In her eyes, the store was perfect along with the name, Dreamstruck.

During the morning hours, the store was usually slow with just a few customers coming in and out, making Elodie greet them each and every time, though she honestly didn’t mind. The next time she heard the soft chime of the bell, she looked up from her sketchbook to greet the next customer to only have her mouth wide open and nothing falling out of it.

He wore a simple black hoodie with the Adidas logo on it along with a beanie that had TXNMY on it, and Elodie could feel the pencil in her hand slowly fall to hit the sketchpad on the counter. She watched as he strolled through the store; his hands were shoved into his low black jeans pockets. He seemed focused on the clothes, and he even picked up a few and looked them over, occasionally keeping them in his hand and continuing to walk until he stopped at the cash register.

It was a few flannel shirts, two pairs of jeans, a pair of sneakers, and three beanies. Running her fingers down over her shirt, Elodie pulled on a smile as she spoke, “Is this all for you today?” she asked as she grabbed the first thing on the pile of clothing items, ringing them up. She tried to focus on her job, but her fingers were shaking as she felt his stare on her. All he was doing was boring his eyes to her like yesterday, and it was extremely nerve-racking and stressful at the same time. Once she finished, she told him to price to which he swiped his credit card and entered in the cold.

The two hadn’t exchanged any words unless it was business until Elodie finally spoke up when she was placing his clothes into a bag. “Can you please stop staring?” she asked politely, giving him one glance before she returned to what she was doing. Silence filled the air once more as customers started spilling into the shop, and she was grateful for the noise that came from them.

“I don’t mean to, really,” he muttered slowly, and she could feel relief as she felt him look away. “It’s just that you’ve changed a lot, and I can’t help but try to take them all in,” he added softly; Elodie’s cheeks were burning as she finished placing everything into the bag and handing it to him.

“Have a nice day and come again,” she offered that employee smile, but Liam didn’t budge as he looked her dead in the eyes. All she wanted really was for him to leave the shop, no the damn town, and go back to his famous lifestyle instead of spending it in her little store.

“Elodie,” he said, and she felt goosebumps rise on her skin from the way he said her name. It was deep and raspy, and it made her heart beat just a bit quicker as she casually wiped her sweating palms on her jeans, “I didn’t come back to this town to shop or visit my family. I hope you know that.” With that, he reached over the counter and carefully brushed his fingertips lightly against the side of her face, pushing strands of hair away before he picked up the bag and walked straight out the door.

When she turned to take her break, she felt like she was burning from inwards out, and she pushed the doors leading into the back where the storage and the backdoor was. Liam Payne wasn’t back for family, and she was praying that he didn’t come back for her.



Elodie locked the store up as she stretched slowly. As she turned to exit through the back, she found Louis grinning and leaning against the counter. A smile stretched on her own face as she walked over and looked up at him.

“What are you doing here?” she asked with a raise of an eyebrow, but she smiled as she wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him quickly on the lips before pulling away.

“I thought I would be a good boyfriend for once and come pick you up,” he teased, and she giggled, swatting at the hand that was trying to steal his beanie back. “Shouldn’t you ask before taking things?” he asked, and Elodie huffed.

“You said when I moved in that anything you have was mine, so this is mine,” she pointed up to the beanie that was on top of her head, and she watched as Louis threw his head back and laughed. His chest bounced up and down against her, making her laugh lightly with him.

“And that is still true, darling,” he hummed as he kissed the top of her head before softly tickling her with the stubble on her, which made her swat at him again. “Are you ready to leave?” he pulled her jacket from behind him to help her into, buttoning it up for her before he placed a gentle kiss on her nose and lacing his hands with her.

“I am,” she nodded her head, and as they started out the boutique, she knew that she should tell him of Liam. It was just the thought of seeing his face with worry and sadness and jealousy written on it worried her because she didn’t want him to feel self-conscious because Liam was some big superstar, and he wasn’t. Louis was her superstar, and she loved him.

They’re hands softly swung back and forth; the silence between them was comfortable as they made their way towards the apartment they shared.

“Louis,” Elodie murmured as she looked over at him until he looked at her. She bit her lip before she opened her mouth again to say, “Liam came into the store today.” The look on his face stayed for just a second before disappearing like a gust of wind. “He told me he didn’t come back to visit family, but that doesn’t mean he came back for me. Okay?” she told him as if to assure him, but she just really wanted confirmation from him that he agreed. He didn’t reply, though, as he looked away, and the silence between them had tension laced with it.

“I was always jealous of Liam,” he softly told her as he pulled her inside their apartment complex and to the seats in the lobby. “He was your first love, and he had so much of your heart in his hands that when he left, you weren’t Elodie. It always made me wonder if I have as much of your heart as he once did because I love you, Elodie. I loved you since the first time I saw you accidentally enter the restaurant thinking it was open and clumsily making your way out. Elodie, you had my heart in your hands the first time my eyes laid on you, and I’m just scared that you’ll run away to him to leave me like you were when he left you.” The fear and pain on his face was breaking through the wall that was trying to block it all, and Elodie felt the tears come to her eyes as she tried to not cry. To see Louis like this broke her heart, and she cupped his face in her hands as she looked him straight in the eyes.

“Louis William Tomlinson,” she spoke in a confident voice as she blinked the tears away from her eyes, “I love you. You saved me from that black abyss I was in, and you cared for me as if I was a princess. Louis, I loved you for two years, and I still love you today, and I will continue loving you until the day I day and even more in the next life if there is one. Louis William Tomlinson, I will always love you. I will not run back to Liam. I promise, Louis.” They were both crying by this point, and she could feel Louis pull her close as he buried his head in the crook of her head.

“I believe you, Elodie. I love you too,” he murmured, and she could feel the wetness of his tears hit the skin at her neck. Elodie sniffled softly, hoping and praying that whatever feelings she once had for Liam was gone because she couldn’t bear to break Louis like Liam had broke her.