Page 51 of Girls Will Be Girls
But when I make it into town, there he is. Standing at the end of the road. Leaning nonchalantly against the cafe I was heading to. His obnoxiously muscly back taking up all the space on the sidewalk.
All other emotions vanish, and I just feel mad looking at him standing there. Who does he think he is, flirting with me for days, asking me out on a date, pretending to be my fiancétwice, and now he’s going to ignore me because ofwhat? He didn’t even tell me why!
I stomp up to him in a huff, the guilt and worry gone now and replaced with pure rage.
When I reach him, I tap him on the shoulder twice before crossing my arms in front of me and cocking my hip in the universalI’m angry at youstance.
He turns around, his face slightly shocked to see me.
“Hey,fiancé,” I say sarcastically. “Fancy seeing you here.”
“Louisa.”
“You gonna explain what the hell that was before?” I ask. “Or are you just avoiding me now?”
“I-” He starts, but someone behind the corner interrupts him.
“Fiancé?”
Uh-oh.
The guy from the hike.
Otto.
The one I told Lou about and the supposed reason for him avoiding me rounds the corner from behind Lou to come stand next to him.
Comparing them next to each other is like playing a game of spot the difference.
Apart from the contrast in their eyes, face shape, and entire aura, they could definitely be related.
Lou is no more than an inch taller, and they both have that effortlessly fit and muscular build while still being a little gangly. They both look like they’ve spent a lot of time in the sun this summer — Otto, with his blonde highlighted hair, and Lou with the lightest smattering of freckles on his nose.
“You’re engaged?” Otto looks up at Lou, who looks like a deer in headlights, his eyes still on me.
When Lou doesn’t answer, Otto looks to me, realization creeping onto his face. “Hiking girl?”
I lift my hand in a small, awkward wave. “Hi.”
“You didn’t think to tell me you gotengaged?” He rears back to Lou.
Lou still doesn’t look away from me. “Slipped my mind.”
I open my eyes widely at Lou, trying to convey to him my thoughts of“What the fuck are you doing?”, but that’s when he finally takes his eyes off of me and turns to Otto who looks just as stunned as me.
“This is Louisa,” Lou says, gesturing towards me.
Otto seems to finally train his face into something less shocked, less hurt. It’s clear that Lou not telling him about his supposed fianceé wounded him, and I’m more curious than ever about what their relationship is.
Otto finally smiles at me, but his eyes are disingenuous, cold, calculated.
“Well.” He extends his hand to mine. “Louisa. Pleasure to meet you a second time.”
I shake his hand quickly. “Same here.” I look between the two of them, trying to gauge how I should be reacting to this newlayer of deception we’ve taken on with someone who is clearly in Lou’s life in some way or another.
Otto’s smile turns into the same one he gave me on the hike. Arrogant, flirty. “Sounds like there’s a little trouble in paradise?” His demeanor changes as he stands taller.
“Oh.” I stutter. “That was just-”
