Stripped
Chapter 23: The Excuse
Chapter 23: The Excuse (Ann’s P.O.V.)
I watched Taylor walk out of the apartment. I listened as she ran down the stairs and out the door. This was eating her up inside. A part of me wished that I had been following right on her heels, but I hadn’t. I was still standing in our apartment with Louis and hurt Harry.
“You guys can sit down if you like…” I spoke softly as I walked into the kitchen to get everyone some water.
Louis closed the door before the two moved across the room to the couch. I grabbed some glass from the cabinet as I looked at the clock on the microwave. It was getting late. I needed to leave and catch up with Taylor soon or she would start tonight’s run without me.
I tried to push this from my mind as I walked over the boys with two glasses of water. Louis took his with a smile and thank you. Harry only nodded and stared at his glass.
“I’m sorry about that,” I apologized softly. “Taylor’s been under a lot of stress lately. I’m sure she didn’t mean to say any of those things to you.”
That was a complete lie. Taylor normally wouldn’t have said those kinds of things to anyone. She would have given what looked like a genuine smile before going to her room to vent about it later. That was just how she was, she always wanted to put people first. And to say that she had been under a lot of stress lately was putting it kind of lightly, but it was the truth.
However close I was, this answer didn’t fully satisfy Louis and Harry. Harry continued to sit quietly for a moment as Louis asked, “Is there anything that we can do to help?”
I looked down a little as I shook my head.
“Why not?” Louis continued, “There has to be something we can do. What is bothering her?”
I began to wish even more that I had followed Taylor out the door. My heart ached at the flashbacks of my mistake in my head as well as the things that Taylor and I had been forced to do afterwards. There was no way that I could tell any of it to Louis.
Harry noticed my prolonged silence, “Does it have something to do with why you two are dressed the way that you are?”
Before I knew what I was doing, I nodded my head yes. I could feel my eyes beginning to grow wet. I had to pull myself together. I had to come up with an accuse, a reason why we were dressed in these slutty outfits.
“I was trying to get her to go to a club or something tonight,” I started as I looked back at the two of them. “Try to get her to loosen up a little or something.”
A part of me wanted to applaud myself for my nearly true story again. We were going to a club tonight. We were supposed to stop at Carson’s nightclub and have a meeting with him before or after we headed out tonight.
“But why would she tell you to make sure what you were wearing was short and showy?”
I looked at Harry, fighting back the tears that were trying to surface again, “I guess she was wanting to have a reason to knock out some asshole.”
Harry looked me in the eyes, “Ann…then why are you about to cry?”
That was the last straw, I couldn’t hold it back anymore as I let the tears roll down my face.
I watched Taylor walk out of the apartment. I listened as she ran down the stairs and out the door. This was eating her up inside. A part of me wished that I had been following right on her heels, but I hadn’t. I was still standing in our apartment with Louis and hurt Harry.
“You guys can sit down if you like…” I spoke softly as I walked into the kitchen to get everyone some water.
Louis closed the door before the two moved across the room to the couch. I grabbed some glass from the cabinet as I looked at the clock on the microwave. It was getting late. I needed to leave and catch up with Taylor soon or she would start tonight’s run without me.
I tried to push this from my mind as I walked over the boys with two glasses of water. Louis took his with a smile and thank you. Harry only nodded and stared at his glass.
“I’m sorry about that,” I apologized softly. “Taylor’s been under a lot of stress lately. I’m sure she didn’t mean to say any of those things to you.”
That was a complete lie. Taylor normally wouldn’t have said those kinds of things to anyone. She would have given what looked like a genuine smile before going to her room to vent about it later. That was just how she was, she always wanted to put people first. And to say that she had been under a lot of stress lately was putting it kind of lightly, but it was the truth.
However close I was, this answer didn’t fully satisfy Louis and Harry. Harry continued to sit quietly for a moment as Louis asked, “Is there anything that we can do to help?”
I looked down a little as I shook my head.
“Why not?” Louis continued, “There has to be something we can do. What is bothering her?”
I began to wish even more that I had followed Taylor out the door. My heart ached at the flashbacks of my mistake in my head as well as the things that Taylor and I had been forced to do afterwards. There was no way that I could tell any of it to Louis.
Harry noticed my prolonged silence, “Does it have something to do with why you two are dressed the way that you are?”
Before I knew what I was doing, I nodded my head yes. I could feel my eyes beginning to grow wet. I had to pull myself together. I had to come up with an accuse, a reason why we were dressed in these slutty outfits.
“I was trying to get her to go to a club or something tonight,” I started as I looked back at the two of them. “Try to get her to loosen up a little or something.”
A part of me wanted to applaud myself for my nearly true story again. We were going to a club tonight. We were supposed to stop at Carson’s nightclub and have a meeting with him before or after we headed out tonight.
“But why would she tell you to make sure what you were wearing was short and showy?”
I looked at Harry, fighting back the tears that were trying to surface again, “I guess she was wanting to have a reason to knock out some asshole.”
Harry looked me in the eyes, “Ann…then why are you about to cry?”
That was the last straw, I couldn’t hold it back anymore as I let the tears roll down my face.
Notes
Here's the next part guys! I hope you all enjoy it. I would also love to hear from you guys! Thanks for reading!
Later,
RockerKiki
@Allie Miller
The sequel is up! Head over to my profile and look for Bare. I hope you like it!
1/22/17