Chapter 5

When we got back to the apartment, I was still in shock. Louis was acting weird; not in a bad way, but I wasn’t used to him being so protective with me. I unpacked all the groceries while Louis sat on the couch and turned the TV on. We hadn’t said two words to each other on the ride home and the awkward silence was continuing.

“I’m not going to be around tomorrow,” Louis spoke, clearing his throat. I looked over at him, but his eyes remained on the TV.

“Why not?” I replied quietly.

“FCG called me in,” he answered, looking down at his wristband and fiddling with it a bit.

“Oh,” I whispered, putting the last of the groceries away.

“So what I’m trying to say is, don’t get yourself into any serious trouble,” Louis called, glaring at me. I sighed in relief and rolled my eyes.

“Aye, aye,” I saluted him and he shook his head with a smile.

“But let’s hypothetically say that I do get into some trouble,” I grinned and Louis narrowed his eyes at me. He pointed at me.

“You’ll get me into a heap of trouble and you’ll probably be assigned some boring a*s Angel,” he grumbled and I couldn’t help but laugh, but as I thought about Louis’s absence, I remembered the first time Louis and I hadn’t been together.

“Wait, if you’re gone...will I get sick?” I panicked, but Louis stood up and walked over to me. He looked at me before resting his wrist on the counter.

“Already taken care of,” he smirked, fiddling with the wristband before it slid off his wrist. I stared in awe before looking at mine and fiddling with it. Louis laughed and I looked up at him.

“That desperate to get rid of me?” he grinned and I dropped my wrist, feeling my face getting hot. He slid the wristband over to me and I took it in my hands.

“This is our little secret,” he spoke, his face inches from mine. The air caught in my throat and I felt my body starting to warm up. He pulled away and walked back over to the couch and resumed watching TV. I was frozen in place, but sighed in relief a moment later. I quickly filled up a glass of water and chugged it to cool myself down. I looked over at Louis to see him smirking at me. I rolled my eyes and quickly walked down to my room. I put Louis’s wristband on my desk so I wouldn’t misplace it before the next day. I walked back out into the living room to find Louis gone. I frowned, but as soon as I smelled the smoke, I knew he was outside. I went to the porch to find Louis puffing excessively on his cig.

“You want one?” Louis asked, holding out his carton of cigarettes to me once more. I shook my head and he shrugged, shoving the carton back into his pocket.

“Do you smoke when you’re stressed or what?” I asked, leaning against the wooden railing and he glanced at me quickly with a shrug.

“Why would I be stressed?” he replied and I looked at him.

“Because of the FCG,” I answered and he scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“Oh, please. All they’re doing is calling me in there to evaluate me and see how I’m doing as a guardian. What’s the big deal? It’s not like you care if they revoke me as a guardian anyway. You’d have an authentic guardian if I’m relieved of my duties,” Louis spoke, seemingly rambling, but I could tell he was the one who was nervous about being revoked as a guardian. I smirked at him and he raised his eyebrows in question.

“What?” he growled and I bit my lip, shaking my head.

“Noelle,” he spoke with more anger in his voice. I rolled my eyes and turned toward him.

“You’re getting attached to me. You’re scared that the FCG will let you go and I’ll have a new guardian,” I spoke matter-of-factly. Louis’s face flushed red and he quickly broke eye contact with me. He shook his head, taking a very long drag from his cigarette. He was flustered now; something I’d never seen from Louis.

“I thought I was a pain in the a*s?” I asked, trying to get Louis back to his very dry, sarcastic humor. He looked at me, and let out one, quick chuckle.

“You might be a pain in the a*s, but that doesn’t change the fact that over the past week and a half I’ve spent pretty much all my time with you and I’m learning how to be a guardian and, you know, most guardians don’t have to put up with someone like you who actually fights for what they believe in. I don’t know, Noelle. I didn’t know that becoming a guardian meant that I’d feel this way,” he spoke, and it was pretty much the most Louis had opened up to me as his genuine self since I’d met him.

“You’ve been an interesting guardian, that’s for sure, but I never had a guardian before you so there’s no way I could say if you were bad or good. You’ve turned my life upside down, but somehow we balance each other out, Lou. The FCG isn’t going to let you go,” I spoke, telling Louis my honest feelings for him. He smiled, with another chuckle as he took another puff. He threw the butt of the cig off the porch and stretched.

“Okay, seriously. Enough of this mushy s**t,” Louis groaned, and I laughed, but nodded in agreement. I went inside and Louis followed.

“I’m gonna head out now, if you don’t mind,” Louis said softly, and I shook my head, tucking my hair behind my ears. He gave me a nod and went to the door. He leaned up against the doorframe for a minute and looked at me.

“I’m serious about not getting into trouble. I’ll be back by the end of the day, but you better be conscious of what’s going on around you,” he lectured and it felt almost like one of my parents talking down to me.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be good,” I replied dramatically and he rolled his eyes, waving as he left. For a moment, I felt relief, but the next moment I felt empty without Louis’s smart remarks, and even without knowing that he wasn’t there physically that he was still there watching over me. I was suddenly back in my old life for the first time in a week and it already felt weird. I’d only be alone for a little over a day, but something just didn’t feel right...

Author's Note

I hate the ending of this chapter.

Reviews

[theHobbit]

This chapter is like a little breather. They have their heart to heart (very good and moved the plot alone nicely). But I'm so nervous about what's going to happen in the next chapter because this was like the calm before the storm. Great chapter yes I loved it!!!!! Yeah the ending was a little curt but that's good because it leaves us readers in suspense. Again, amazing job and I'm on the edge of my seat for the next update!!! :)

[kaylahardy120]

I keep seeing ending scenes from this book or scenes later in the book and I'm struggling to transition into them right now, but I hope to have another chapter out tomorrow! (:

[theHobbit]

Don't worry that's always the most difficult part! Take your time and don't stress too much about it because your a fantastic author and it'll turn out great!! :) (so excited!!!)

[Anastasia Ortan]

I ove the way that this chapter really shows their feelings for each other, I somehow knew that this was going to happen. More like I hoped that this is going to happen. I just hate the end of this chapter, but knowing that he would return made things much better.

[kaylahardy120]

I didn't like the end of this chapter either! The next two chapters are my least favorite. I'm working on trying to take Louis back to his "evil" roots

[Patrick Schultz]

I know as a writer you're your worst critic but I disagree with you disliking the end. The end gives us readers a cliffhanger indicating something really interesting is going to happen in the next chapter which I am excited about. :)