I sigh and flip through the channels on the TV. Harry had gone to sleep hours ago. The ice on my knee had melted and fuck it hurt. I would have limped to the kitchen for some pain relief but having your boyfriend cuddled on top of you made it hard to move.
"Lou?" Lottie's voice whispered as she opened the door.
"You're up still Lots?"
She walks over to the bed and gently sits down. She puts a new ice pack on my knee and hands me a glass of water and some pain killers.
"What'd you do Lou?"
"Busted my knee."
She rolls her eyes. "You're a good enough dancer not to bust it dancing. Now what'd you do?"
"Who said it was dancing?"
"Liam. Zayne. Harry. Obviously they're covering something." She stands up and shuts the TV off. "Lou I went to the doctor today. I need to know that when they arrest him for rape they will find him unharmed."
I scoot myself up and sit against the wall. "Why did you go to the doctor?"
"I...look there's a reason Fizz and I call you rocky balboa. We know what happens when someone you love gets hurt. I saw Niall's face. You always kicked Nick's ass good. So I ask again...he's in one piece right?"
I nod. "More or less. Broken ankle. Maybe few ribs. Busted face."
"LOU! They'll come for you."
I shake my head. He won't talk. Harry moves but he doesn't wake up. "I promise Lottie they won't. Now what happened to you?"
"You always have to be impulsive."
"Lottie. Answer."
She sighs. "I just wanted to get him arrested. Lou just...he's going to pay for this. I just hope you don't." She kisses my cheek. "I'm glad you had him with you." She kisses Harry's hair. "Get some sleep big brother."
She walks out of the room and I hear the door to the guestroom open and close. I take the ice pack off and scoot down on the bed. Harry pulls me closer to him and I kiss his shoulder.
"She's hiding something."
I look over and see him looking at me. "You heard all that?"
He shakes his head. "Just some. Rocky."
"Shut it. I'm not Rocky."
He laughs. "No you're Tony Soprano."
"Funny Harold. So you're Carmela? My little housewife."
"Go to sleep Lewis. We can talk in the morning. Maybe we'll get you a nice suit and a cat you can pet."
I slap his shoulder and push him onto his side of the bed. "Goodnight child."
He laughs harder than he was. "Guess this child should be repulsed by this old man. Gross."
He goes to get up but I pull him back down and on top of my chest. "Enough. Sleep now."
He nods. "Love you Tony." He pecks my lips and settles onto my chest.
"Love you too Carmela."
The next morning I wake up with blonde hair in my face instead of the curls I was expecting. I look down and Lottie has her head on my pillow and my arm is around her shoulders. I look to my other side and Harry's gone. The bathroom door opens and he comes out wearing boxers and a shirt. He pulls on some sweatpants and sits on the bed next to me.
"What is Lottie doing here?"
"She came in crying. I made room for her and she cuddled up to you. I'll make breakfast. Go to sleep love." He kisses my head and gets up.
Lottie hasn't come into my room since she was a kid. She used to come in when she had a bad dream or watched a scary movie. She claimed that I could scare anything away because I was the strongest person she knew. Out of all my sisters Lottie was the one I was closest to.
"What's in your head Lots?" I didn't realize I even spoke the thought out loud until she answered.
"I'm just scared Lou."
"Talk to me. Big brother will make it okay."
She sniffles. "You can't though. No one can."
She pulls me closer and I feel tears on my chest. She cries and I just rub her back listening to Harry in the kitchen. I start humming a song and I think it starts to calm her. Harry walks in with breakfast tacos and orange juice for us all on a tray.
"Breakfast in bed anyone?"
He places the tray on the bed and sits at the end of the bed with his legs crossed. I scoot a bit away and Lottie sits up crossing her legs wiping her eyes.
"Thanks H." She smiles at him.
"Anytime Lots." He returns her smile.
I watch as we all eat in silence. I want so badly to ask her questions but I don't want to push too much. I finish and get up, grab my clothes and get in the shower. No one moved in the time I was gone. Harry and Lottie just sat in comfortable silence. I grab my wallet and phone and put them in the back pockets of my skinny jeans.
"I'm off to Larry's. See you later." I kiss Harry on the lips and smile at my sister.
"Don't over work your leg babe." Harry calls out as I walk out.
I'm still limping but it's not as bad. I decide to walk to clear my head. I unlock the doors and turn the close sign to open. I turn on the lights and go to the kitchen to start the coffee. The Cafe see's more business than the bar. Maybe we should just serve the alcohol on the menu and close the bar. My inner thoughts distract me for a while as I start setting up and taking the chairs off the table and setting menus down. The first customers start coming in. I go into autopilot and start taking orders. It's breakfast so it's pretty simple. Coffee. Tea. Pancakes. Eggs. I start mixing everything when Harry walks in and takes over cooking.
"We should take the bar out." I say as I take the coffee out to the table.
I walk back in with more orders and start more coffee. "Keep the bar." He says as he hands me the first plates. "Lottie will be here soon. Lou?" He calls to me before I leave the kitchen. "She's going to need us both." He grabs the new ticket and starts making the order.
He knows. She told him something after I left. Why couldn't she tell me? I keep going over our conversation from last night. She wanted to tell me something. I could tell she wanted to confide in me. I go over and over it in my head. It suddenly hits me.
We know what happens when someone you love gets hurt.
I had to be impulsive.
Unharmed.
The way she said my name after I listed injuries.
She's scared. She is scared I'm going to do something impulsive. The bell rings and she walks in with her head down. She walks behind the counter and sets her purse down. I take another order to the kitchen and grab the coffee pot to go refill cups.
"Morning Lots."
"I saw you just a couple hours ago."
I shrug. "I didn't say good morning then."
She laughs. I smile at her. "Chop chop. People love breakfast."
We work the tables occasionally making jokes. Lottie starts playing music over the speakers and asks if we can talk on her break time. Breakfast crowd ends and we have a bit before people come in again. Lunch isn't our busiest time. Dinner is when things really get packed. Lottie takes her break and Harry offers to clean up. Hanna comes in as we step outside and starts helping him. Lottie and I walk down the sidewalk and we stop at a park. She sits on the bench and just watches people. I sit quietly next to her waiting for her to start the conversation.
"Look Lou." She points to a mum pushing her kid on the swings. "She looks so happy."
I nod. "Swinging is fun. Remember we used to have races?"
"You always let me win." She laughs and pushes my shoulder. "I meant the mum though."
I look again and the mum does look happy. Like pushing her kid is the most fun she's having today. I've seen that look on my mum's face. She had it with all the girls I imagine me too but I never noticed it with me.
"Lou. I'm...I'm pregnant."
I turn to look at her. "Excuse me?"
She nods and sniffles. "That's why I went to the doctor."
"How?"
She scoffs. "You're not that thick Lou. You know where babies come from."
I shake my head. "Okay that was dumb. What...what are you...I mean..."
"I don't know Lou. I'm still in school. I can't have a baby!"
"We'll figure it out alright?"
I put my arm around her and she nods. "Are you...are you okay?" She asks.
I nod. "Tony Soprano is completely in check."
She looks at me confused. I shake my head and stand up. I grab her hand and pull her up. We make small talk as we head to the cafe. So many thoughts are running through my head. I watch as Lottie starts taking orders and serving them as Harry gives them to her. He tosses a french fry at me and I turn to look at him.
"Come here." He mouths.
I walk in the kitchen and lean against the counter next to the oven. "You wanted to see me Mr Chef?"
"She told you."
I nod. "My sister is having a baby Haz."
"You're smiling boo."
"Am not."
He laughs and shakes his head. "You'll be a great uncle."
I smile and kiss his cheek. "So will you." I steal a fry before he puts them on the plate and take the plate out to the correct table.
"What are you smiling about Lou?"
"Uncle."
Lottie doesn't say anything in response. I look over at her and I see happiness and fear in her eyes. "I want to be happy Lou. I'm happy you are. I just...I'm not sure what I want. I'm just a kid."
"You're my sister. You're stronger than you think. We'll get through this alright?"
She nods. "Can we start by telling mum?"
I laugh. "You got it. Harry can drive the get away car yeah?"