Camera Shy (Louis Tomlinson) Book 5

Chapter 26

Lauren’s POV

Louis slipping down the stairs wakes me up. I listen to the creaking of the stairs in surprise. Normally I was the first one up. I slide out of bed, flinching a second when my feet hit the floor. I’d forgotten how sore my legs were. I pause a moment as I look around the room. I had nothing to change into, I realize, as I remember my suitcase downstairs. I pull back on the shorts I’d discarded at the end of my bed last night and try to smooth out Ed’s shirt. I’d have to change before I left. Louis could give Ed his shirt back. I regretted leaving, but I knew I had to. This wasn’t working; it was best to leave before it could explode in my face. When I get to the kitchen, I’m just in time to see him snapping his phone shut.

“Hey” I say awkwardly, not quite sure what to do with myself.

“Hey” he replies, just as unsure. “There’s a flight leaving at 3” he adds after a moment of silence. I nod, my eyes flickering to the clock. It was only 9. What was I supposed to do until then? Louis had to go to studio, I figured. Was I supposed to just stay here and catch a cab?

“I thought you could come with,” he says, reading my thoughts. “I could take you over at lunch.” I give a small nod before grabbing my suitcase and rummaging around until I find a clean shirt. I head into the bathroom to change, not wanting to take the effort to go back upstairs.

“What happened to you can’t cook?” I ask when I come out, seeing him eating a plate of scrambled eggs. He grimaces slightly, looking down at the plate.

“I was trying to make an omelet,” he tells me. An amused smile ghosts over my face as he pokes at the failure a few more times before dumping what was left of it into the trash.

“Ready?” he asks, looking up at me. I meet his unwavering gaze, trying to place the look in his eye. I would have sworn he looked nervously hopeful, but that didn’t make sense. Unless he really was ready for me to go back home. I follow him as he grabs my suitcase, taking it out to the car for me, while I carefully walk behind him, trying not to jostle my leg muscles too much.

“Still hurt?” he asks when he climbs into the car and looks over to see me rubbing my thighs. “I figured they would,” he adds when I nod as he starts driving.

“Where are we going?” I ask after a half hour of driving. This wasn’t the way we’d gone to the other studio. Had they changed places again?

“We’re almost there,” Louis tells me, his eyes focused on the road.

“This doesn’t look like a studio,” I say with a frown as Louis turns into a full parking lot.

“That’s because it’s not. We’re not going in today,” he says bluntly.

“Then what are we doing here. Just take me—Holy crap,” I say, interrupting myself as I finally look up at the building. My jaw drops and Louis chuckles at my reaction. The walls were covered with posters and my eyes land on the sign. ‘The Making of Harry Potter’

“Is this..is this”

“The studio it was filmed at?” he asks, finishing my question with a smile. “Yep” he says with a nod of confirmation. I’ve never gotten out of a car quicker.

“I thought your legs hurt,” he says with a laugh, jogging to catch up.

“What? Why? How?” I ask, unable to finish any questions.

“I wanted to make it up to you before you left and they give tours of the set. You like Harry Potter, you can only do this in London, so yea…” he says with a shrug.