Chemistry (L.T.)

Chapter 42

Alexia POV

"Is it too much?" I glance in the mirror at my bold red dress and black heels and then turn to face Marie.

"You look gorgeous Alexia. Very festive." Marie replies.

"Well so do you." I respond, noting how the evergreen color of Marie's dress brings out the color of her eyes.

"I feel like such an adult dressing like this. You're sure we aren't too formal?" Marie asks.

It was true this was far from the attire I would usually wear for a college party, but Harry had told me that this holiday party was on the formal side. I mean considering it was at his parents house and all it had to be nice.

"Positive. I even had Leah check our outfits." I fluff my hair in the mirror before spritzing it with another cloud of hairspray.

"Do you think he'll be there?"

"Do I think who will be there?" I ask, acting oblivious to the question. I know who she's asking about because the same question had been running through my mind all day. 

"Louis." She responds quickly.

"Don't know. Probably depends on how his ankle's doing " I keep any sense of emotion away from my words. I didn't want to see Louis tonight, at least that's what I was telling myself.

But deep down there was a part of me that wanted to see him. He hadn't been in class since the game, and I'd be lying if I didn't say that some piece of me wanted to see how he was doing.

Marie doesn't mention Louis again as we make our way to the Styles' house. Snowflakes were lightly falling and I can't help but think about how crazy it is that my first semester of college is nearly coming to a close. Things were so different now than what they were that first day of orientation. I was so different.

Stepping into the house was like stepping into a Winter Wonderland. The walls were draped with garland and red bows and a Christmas tree that seemed to almost reach the ceiling stood in the center of the room. I was in awe. Christmas carols played softly in the background and I smiled as Harry approached us with a glass of champagne in his hand.

"Alexia, Marie, glad you could make it," he gives us a soft nod.

"Thanks for having us." I chime back, glancing around the room to see who was here. Not that I really could see, the place was packed.

"Of course. Drinks are in the back, food is circulating around. Make yourself at home."

I give Harry another smile as Marie and I hang our coats in the coat room. I try to subtly scan the room for a sign of Louis,  but don't have much luck.

Marie nudges me with her forearm as we push our way through the crowd towards the drinks. "Psst" she whispers in my ear and I turn to face her. She looks flushed and nervous and I know what she is going to say before the words leave her mouth. She's acted like this before, and its only in the presence of one person. 

"Liam's here. Over there." I turn to look and she quickly pulls me back to face her. "Don't look over there he'll see you."

"And I'm guessing Sophia is there with him?" Sometimes I had to be the realist in this friendship, and the fact of the matter was Liam and Marie's sister were very much still a couple, no matter how much she tried to ignore it. Marie gives a sad nod.

"Let's go get some wine." I say and pull my friend towards the mass amounts of classy alcohol found in the Style's dining room. With rose in our hands we would be much better prepared to scope out the situation. 

Leah runs into us before we have a moment to sit down. "I was hoping you'd be here tonight," she says opening her arms to give me a hug.

"Wouldn't miss it." I say with a smile.

"Have you talked to Louis?" She asks suddenly. It takes me aback at first, as Leah had never been one to be involved in the drama between Louis and I. I hadn't even thought she knew all that much. Apparently I was wrong. I see Marie look at me from the corner of her eye to check for my reaction, I keep my face solid.

"No I haven't. He's here?" I scan the room and finally see the brunette boy sitting on a couch across the room, the metal of his crutches reflecting the light. I look away before we can meet eye contact. 

"He's across the way. He was asking if you would be here tonight you know. Now I know you have your reasons for shutting him down, but he has quite been himself lately. I was hoping maybe the two of you could chat. Maybe it would cheer him up?"

I ponder the request for a moment. Although I had vowed to never again speak to Louis, I hadn't to see him hurt: physically or emotionally. Why that was I couldn't explain, but maybe with a few glasses of wine I could get over our differences for a few minutes. Who was I kidding, I didn't want to stay away from him for the rest of the semester. I couldn't actually- not with  the deadline of our final project fast approaching. 

"Okay." I say, and I see Marie's face look shocked. Leah's face fills with joy. "Thank you so much Alexia, it really means a lot. I'll have him come over here."

"Oh really that won't be necessary, I can walk over there and say hello."

"No really it's fine." I see Leah give a nod to someone in the distance and see Harry. Harry walks towards Louis on the couch. This was planned out all along, like some middle school set-up. 

"I don't understand why we couldn't just do this later Harry. These crutches aren't really the most comfortable things you know. I.." Louis stops talking to his friend and looks up at me. Its a look of awe at first, a look I haven't seen him give me before. His face quickly becomes passive.

"Hi Alexia." He says softly. He looks at me with anticipation, and I realize he is probably waiting for me to blow-up at him like I have so many times during recent encounters. 

"Hi Louis, how are you doing?" I motion towards the crutches that are keeping him on his one good foot.

"Been better if I'm being honest love." He responds. The word love sends shivers down my spine. Its a word that I haven't heard for a while, and I realize that it probably was a good thing that I haven't. That word could put me under a spell if I didn't have self-control. 

I laugh awkwardly, not sure of what to say or what exactly Leah and Harry wanted out of this whole exchange.

"Wanna go somewhere else? Its rather loud in here and although I really do appreciate the crutches they aren't the nicest things to be stuck up me armpits." Louis says.

"Sure." I respond and Louis motions up the stairs. He takes them slowly, gripping the railing and hopping along. I give him a questioning look, not sure if Harry would like us up here. Then I remember the last time we were both in this house. The time that Louis almost made me cry. 

"Here we are." Louis says and he plops down on a bed. I stare at the room, the flag of a soccer team displayed against the wall. Some trophies from activities I couldn't quite make out. 

"Are you sure Harry's okay with us being in his room?" I ask, standing awkwardly unsure of whether I should sit down on someone else's bed. 

Louis looks at me, his deep blue eyes showing their sincerity. Its only then that I recognize how truly handsome he looks in this moment, with his black suit and red tie. He cleans up well. His eyes shift as if he is deciding  what to say, a moment of hesitation.

"It's not Harry's room, love. It's mine."

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A little bit of a cliffhanger for you guys. Why does Louis have a room in Harry's house?

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I also uploaded the first chapter of my next story, which I will be publishing and working on after completion of Chemistry (hopefully by the end of the month). Let me know what you think!