Camera Shy (Louis Tomlinson) Book 5

Chapter 20

Lauren’s POV

Leaving the airport had been horrible. With each camera flash, I felt my chance at a normal life slip further and further away. Deep down, I knew this was just as much my fault as anyone else’s yet I couldn’t help but think of Louis as responsible for all this. I couldn’t understand how anyone wanted a life like this. Where you had to have a bodyguard to go anywhere safely. Where you were blinded by flashing lights all the time. To me, the idea of someone keeping tabs on my whole life was terrifying.  Glancing over at Louis, I see a sullen look on his face. I feel a stab of guilt race through me, knowing he was upset because of me. Why couldn’t I be better with all this? You’d think with a famous brother, I’d have realized I’d never have a normal life. But it was a life I desperately wanted. A dream that I clung to. Speaking of my brother, I send him a quick text letting him know I arrived safely before we finally pull up to a house.

“Thanks Paul” Louis says, slipping out of his car and grabbing his bag out of the trunk. I move a little slower, admiring the house as I get out. It was huge. And I thought Hunter had a big place in LA. His looked like a shack compared to this.

“Compensating for something?” I joke, grabbing my bag out of the trunk and I hear Paul chuckle.

“And I was going to offer to carry your bag” Louis teases. I just stick out my tongue, slinging the bag over my shoulder as I wave goodbye to Paul and head towards the house. “So does this mean I have the couch now?” I joke as we walk inside the mansion.

“Nah, I thought I’d let you have a bed. I have guest rooms,” he says with a grin. “Unless you want the couch.”

“That’s ok” I smile, looking around the inside of his house. The walls were littered with plaques and awards the group had won. There was everything from Teen Choice Awards to a Brit. It was all quite impressive if I was being honest.

“This’ll be your room,” he says, leading me up the stairs and opening a door revealing a crisp neat room. It almost surprised me how clean it was, being a boy’s house. It must never be used, I think, as I look around. “I’m right across the hall and the bathroom is the door on your right,” he continues. I nod and he backs out of the room, opening the door to his. I choke back a laugh, seeing the state of his room. There wasn’t a square inch of floor in sight.

“Holy crap did a tornado run through there?” I laugh.

“No, but an angry ex girlfriend might have” he muses, running a hand through his hair, kicking a path to his dresser through the clothes. My eyebrows shoot up at this.

“Would she have done that?” I ask. He shrugs slightly.

“Some of this was already a mess, but it’s a lot worse than it was. And we did break up on her birthday” he shrugs, poking around on top of his dresser, as if he was looking for something.

“Ouch” I say. Breaking up was hard enough. Breaking up on your birthday would be brutal. I felt bad for the girl. From what I’d always heard from Peyton, she’d been a nice person.

“Yea, it must have been her,” he finally says, holding up a picture ripped in half.” I nod uncertainly, not sure what I was supposed to say. “No matter,” he says, but I can tell his smile is forced.

“Are you hungry? Plane food sucks” he says, walking back out of the room and closing the door on the mess. I nod my head, back at home, it’d be just reaching dinner time now. We head downstairs and he rifles through his cabinets, searching for something to eat. I suppose there mustn’t be that much since anything perishable would have gone bad by now. “So I’ve got spaghetti with no Bolognese sauce, a package of crisps, and a can of green beans so if you want something besides that, we’ll have to order out.” I can’t help but laugh seeing him holding the random assortment of food he had.