Summer
Eight.
Summer worried her bottom lip. It wasn't like her to suddenly want to miss out on spending time with her best friend, all to see some guy she'd only recently met. She couldn't deny the strange chemistry between Harry and herself though. The only real question was: why was she so determined to hide Harry from Louis? As mentioned before, Louis was just her best friend, and Harry was just someone new she'd met. There wouldn't be any harm in telling him, right?
"Actually, I-" Summer paused. What would be a good excuse? Just come clean, her more logical side whispered. Come clean about what? What would it matter to Louis?
What would it matter to Louis? Other than for some reason she'd just lied to his face to begin with. She couldn't back out of the lie now.
"You?" Louis encouraged. This time he turned from the sink to look at her, leaning back against the counter with his armed crossed over his chest.
"I can't, I have somewhere to be today," Summer rushed out, the words mashed together in a way that made her inwardly cringe. She pushed back from the table and quickly made her way out of the kitchen. She felt Louis' gaze on her the whole way.
It only took a moment before she heard him following after her, his boots thudding heavily over the floorboards. She fumbled with pulling her shoes over her feet.
"What do you mean?" Louis said. "You just told me you hadn't met anyone. You-"
"Uh, uh," Summer interrupted quickly. "Liam- Liam asked me to join him for a run today."
"You don't run?" Louis said, his eyebrows knitting together harshly. "And you're not even dressed for it. Summer- is everything alright?"
"Yes!" Summer nearly shouted. She looked up at him over her shoes, mouth open slightly. That had sounded more harsh than intended. She cleared her throat and spoke more quietly the next time, focusing on her shoe laces once more. "Yes. I'm fine. I'm just- a bit stressed is all. You know."
Louis only sighed at that. He made his way over to her and sat next to her, throwing an arm around her shoulder. He gave her a squeeze and Summer leaned into him.
"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" he said quietly. Summer nodded against his shoulder.
It wasn't a complete lie. She was stressed. Stressed about lying to him about Harry. Of which she was still searching for a reason behind the decision.
Louis have her shoulder a squeeze, kissing the side of her head before pulling away.
"Alright, you have fun then," Louis said. And then he added with a chuckle, "On your supposed run. Tell Liam I said hi."
He retreated back to the kitchen. Summer sat for a moment chewing on her bottom lip.
Ah, there it was. She had taken a liking to Louis over time- a romantic liking, rather than one of simple friendship. And Louis had almost appeared to reciprocate those feelings. It no longer confused her as to why she felt guilty about Harry.
But it wasn't like she and Louis had ever really acted on their feelings, nor had they determined they were dating. Summer decided she needed to stop feeling guilty about it. She went back to tying her laces in record time, and brought her phone out.
Summer
Hey Harry are you awake
It only took him seconds to respond.
Harry
Yes! Let's go somewhere :) -h
"Actually, I-" Summer paused. What would be a good excuse? Just come clean, her more logical side whispered. Come clean about what? What would it matter to Louis?
What would it matter to Louis? Other than for some reason she'd just lied to his face to begin with. She couldn't back out of the lie now.
"You?" Louis encouraged. This time he turned from the sink to look at her, leaning back against the counter with his armed crossed over his chest.
"I can't, I have somewhere to be today," Summer rushed out, the words mashed together in a way that made her inwardly cringe. She pushed back from the table and quickly made her way out of the kitchen. She felt Louis' gaze on her the whole way.
It only took a moment before she heard him following after her, his boots thudding heavily over the floorboards. She fumbled with pulling her shoes over her feet.
"What do you mean?" Louis said. "You just told me you hadn't met anyone. You-"
"Uh, uh," Summer interrupted quickly. "Liam- Liam asked me to join him for a run today."
"You don't run?" Louis said, his eyebrows knitting together harshly. "And you're not even dressed for it. Summer- is everything alright?"
"Yes!" Summer nearly shouted. She looked up at him over her shoes, mouth open slightly. That had sounded more harsh than intended. She cleared her throat and spoke more quietly the next time, focusing on her shoe laces once more. "Yes. I'm fine. I'm just- a bit stressed is all. You know."
Louis only sighed at that. He made his way over to her and sat next to her, throwing an arm around her shoulder. He gave her a squeeze and Summer leaned into him.
"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" he said quietly. Summer nodded against his shoulder.
It wasn't a complete lie. She was stressed. Stressed about lying to him about Harry. Of which she was still searching for a reason behind the decision.
Louis have her shoulder a squeeze, kissing the side of her head before pulling away.
"Alright, you have fun then," Louis said. And then he added with a chuckle, "On your supposed run. Tell Liam I said hi."
He retreated back to the kitchen. Summer sat for a moment chewing on her bottom lip.
Ah, there it was. She had taken a liking to Louis over time- a romantic liking, rather than one of simple friendship. And Louis had almost appeared to reciprocate those feelings. It no longer confused her as to why she felt guilty about Harry.
But it wasn't like she and Louis had ever really acted on their feelings, nor had they determined they were dating. Summer decided she needed to stop feeling guilty about it. She went back to tying her laces in record time, and brought her phone out.
Summer
Hey Harry are you awake
It only took him seconds to respond.
Harry
Yes! Let's go somewhere :) -h