I know the last chapter wasn't the best so hopefully this long one makes up for it!!! tell me what you think!!!
Irresistible
"Are you sure about this?" Louis asks as we ride beside each other in the car.
"I'm positive." I smile, looking over at him.
"I'm nervous."
"You should be," I quip under my breath.
"What was that?" he questions with wide eyes, obviously hearing my remark.
"Nothing!" I smile innocently at him.
He narrows his eyes at me, obviously not believing it, but he doesn't push it, nonetheless.
I'm taking Louis--and the boys who are going to come later--to a dinner with my family at my grandparents house. My family had been planning it anyways because they wanted to see me, I just invited the band to join. Needless to say, Louis is nervous.
I have a pretty close-knit family. Growing up, my cousins were like my best friends, even though my sister and I are the babies of the family and some years younger than the rest of them. They were always around and would love playing with us. My mom has two brothers, and one sister, so it's a decent sized family, making it even more intimidating. I tried to explain the family dynamics to Louis a little, but it seemed to only freak him out more.
I mean yes, my family can be slightly judgmental when it comes to some of our new relationships, but once they like you, you're in. You become part of the family pretty quickly.
I don't think there will be a problem. I have faith in Louis, and I think he will fit right in. We're all a bunch of freaks, anyways.
I look over and see him clutching the wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white, as we approach the corner of my grandparent's street.
I reach across the dash and grab his hand in mine as he pulls into the driveway.
He turns to face me once he turns the key to the car towards him, turning it off, but leaving the key in place as he grips my hand with his. I know he is still unsure about this, and I know all he wants to do is twist the key in the ignition and drive away. Still, he takes a deep breath and does his best to control his nerves.
"You'll be fine," I assure him comfortingly.
"I love you."
I smile back at him with genuine eyes. "I love you, too."
He takes a deep breath. "Let's do this then."
I chuckle and lean across the console to peck his lips softly.
"Let's do this," I whisper as I pull away.
We both pull back and open our car doors, stepping out. He takes my hand in his as we walk up the stone entrance to the framed glass double doors.
Without knocking, I gingerly twist the knob and push the door open.
"Hello?!" I call aloud. I haven't been here in years, but it's still the same as I remember; spacious, homey, and familiar.
"Wow. Nice place," Louis breathes, looking around at the rustically ornate decor of the place.
"It's not bad. Perfect for my grandparents, and big enough to hold my family when need be."
"Hey, guys!" I hear my grandpa and he walks from his bedroom door in the hallway off to the side.
"Hi, Pop!" I beam as I move in to hug him. He wraps his arms around me and places a kiss atop my head. He smells just as I remember: clean and fresh, but with a hint of horse from the barn. I know that may sound strange, but his scent was always a sign of safety as a child. When I was young, I spent quite a lot of time here, so when we would go swimming or take a bath when we stayed over, I would wear one of my grandpa's T-shirts, which smelled just like him. I felt safe with him around me.
He finally releases his grip and steps away to greet Louis, who had been awkwardly standing there in wait.
"Nice to meet you, sir," Louis says with what I know is the firmest voice he can muster. His nervousness seems to make his accent even more prominent. It's cute and I give a slight smile at it.
"Call me Don," my grandpa responds. He seems to approve of Louis slightly, already. I swear he has it down to a science the way he approves our boyfriends. The first step is based solely on first impression. I have yet to determine what exactly makes him approve or disapprove, but whatever it is, Louis seems to have passed, thereby earning the 'first-name status' as I like to call it.
"Pleasure to meet you, Don," Louis corrects. Papa smiles. Good.
"So, Louis," he says as he retracts his hand, only to place it on my boyfriend's far shoulder. "You ready for a ride?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," he responds, seemingly slightly more confident. He must have noticed my grandpa's apparent approval, as well.
"Yeah, so we are gonna head up to the barn. We will be back by four. The rest of the guys are coming up with Mom and Gen around three thirty with everyone else," I remind as I pull Louis' hand towards the back sliding-glass door.
I decided I would take Louis horseback riding. I grew up around horses and have been riding since I was about five years old. Not to mention, being able to handle the reins goes quite a ways in my family's eyes. As much as I know he will be fine, scoring a few extra points to start with can't hurt, right?
"Well, good luck. Remember to wear helmets," Papa tells us as I slide open the door and walk through.
"Got it, Pop!" I call back to him. He nods in approval and I turn with Louis' hand in mine to walk past the pool and up the brick stairway.
"That wasn't as bad as I expected," Louis comments as we ascend the path upwards.
"See? I told you. Papa was the biggest part. Once you have his stamp of approval, the rest of my family will be much easier to win over. Not that he took much, though."
"Great, so I got past the big dog so now I have a shot of the puppies?" he jokes.
"More or less."
He shakes his head in amusement. "You do remember I'm not really experienced with horses, right?" Louis chuckles nervously.
"You'll be fine. I'm an excellent teacher," I mockingly brag as I lift the latch to the black iron gate.
"If you say so..."
Ignoring his comment, I walk up the cement path to the small arena that holds my grandpa's horse.
"This is Sixty-Six," I introduce Louis to the brown Missouri Fox Trotter. "This is my grandpa's horse, although we like to call him 'the favorite grandchild'."
"Why is his name Sixty-Six?" Louis asks as he approaches the horse to stroke his star-marked forehead.
"Papa bought him at an auction in Missouri and his auction number was 66. He buys and sells a lot of horses and we aren't allowed to name them so we don't grow attached to them. He wasn't planning on keeping him, so he called him Sixty-Six. But, he ended up staying, name and all."
I lace my fingers through his once again as I pull him from the horse up to the adjoining pasture and barn. I walk him up to the stalls, and come to a stop in front of the Palomino mare.
"This is Robert. And to get it out of the way, Robert is a girl."
He looks at me with a quirked eyebrow.
"The man he bought him from was named Robert."
"Hmm," he hums, but let's it go.
I bring him to the next stall in the line where a similar Palomino mare stands. However she has a darker coat closer to a pale chestnut and a creamier mane. Not to mention stands an additional hand or two taller than Robert.
"This is Emma Clare. She's my cousin's horse. She's only three years old. My grandpa bought her green and had my cousin break her, and it's the first horse she's trained on her own. She's still pretty raw, but getting there."
"She's tall," Louis says, taking in the intimating size of Emma.
"I think she's like 15 hands... I'm not really sure though. I can't remember."
"Hands?" Louis asks.
"It's the form of measurement used for horses. It's four inches, so if the length from the ground to the ridge between the shoulder blades is sixty inches, the horse is fifteen hands," I explain. I have had to explain this quite a few times in my life and have gotten my little speech memorized.
"Okay..." he says, probably not understanding the purpose of a separate measuring unit and system for horses, since most people didn't.
"And last but not least," I say as I lead him to the third stall. "This is Kobe, my horse."
I smile proudly as I open the gate to the pen and walk up to the all-black gelding.
"That's cool you have your own horse." Louis smiles at me with a look similar to affection, seeing my excitement of the animal.
"He's a great horse. A little fat, and a little stubborn, but he's so sweet and doesn't scare easy. One time, the saddle was a little loose, and when we were going downhill, he tripped over a rock and leaned forward a little too much. I ended up sliding off the saddle and doing a tuck and roll off of his back. Most horses would have bolted when their rider fell off, but he just stood there staring at me, waiting to see if I was okay or for me to get back on. It's a rare and valued quality in horses, because when they get spooked is when you get in trouble," I explain while finishing stroking Kobe's mane. I turn to face him with a look of excitement. "Well, you ready to saddle up?"
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"I still can't believe we have to go in like this!" I groan exasperatedly as I close the latch to Kobe's gate.
"It's not my fault the horse wigged!" Louis defends, still laughing at the whole mess.
"Well, I hope you are ready to explain to my whole family why we are soaked."
"I'll just say what happened. Sixty freaked while we were crossing the stream, I fell off into the water. You hopped off Kobe to help me up, and you slipped," he says, smiling innocently.
"I did not slip, you bugger! You pulled me down!" I exclaim, though I cannot bite back my smile. I'll admit, it's a funny situation, and we managed to have fun swimming in the creak.
"I do not recall that part of the story." He smirks.
"Whatever," I laugh at him. "It's already four so my family should all be here by now. The cousins tend to leave clothes here from when we visit or stay over so we can find something to change into."
"Thank goodness. Wet skinny jeans are not the comfiest," he says in mild disgust.
"Well then don't wear skinny jeans next time you go riding," I tease him as we approach the back door of the house. "Here goes nothing."
He smiles at me smugly as I open the door and step through. As soon as I walk in, I can hear the familiar sound of a sports game coming from the living room TV, and the clamor of my family cooking and chatting in the kitchen. I missed this familiar atmosphere.
"Come on," I say to Louis behind me.
We walk through the family room to the living room to find half of my family on the couches in front of the Angels vs Yankees game. It's one of the biggest games of the season, so their eyes are glued to the screen. The other half are sat around the kitchen island, nibbling on the appetizers in the center and talking. I stand there and enjoy my surroundings before my aunt realizes I'm here.
"AVERY!" she cries as she comes and engulfs me in hug, ignoring the fact that I'm dripping wet.
"Hi Aunt Di!" I squeal as I lightly wrap my arms around her, trying to not get her even more wet.
Once my name is heard around the rooms, everyone turns excitedly to see me. They all stand as I walk over to the living room to say hi. Before anyone tries to hug me, though, I put my hands out in defense while they gather that I am, in fact, soaked.
"Why are you wet?" my cousin, Markel, asks dumfounded.
"Ask the horse whisperer, over here," I grumble, jabbing my thumb in Louis' direction beside me.
He raises his hands in mock defense. "Hey, it was the horse's fault! Don't be blaming me."
I look back at him and rise my eyebrows, silently saying 'you wanna go?'
He seems to understand. He purses his lips and slouches slightly in defeat.
I turn back to face my family who have now all gathered in the living room for the welcoming.
"Everybody, meet my boyfriend, Louis."
He awkwardly gives a small wave. They all greet him from afar, politely. Everyone is being nice, but there is still the elephant in the room that we are drenched, head to toe.
"Okay, well, we are gonna go find some clothes to change into," I say as I begin to walk backwards out of the room. "Is my mom here with the guys, yet?"
"No, not yet. You know your mom. But she should be here soon," Papa answers from his position in front of his recliner in the far corner.
"Right. Well, we will be right back."
With that I turn, grabbing a hold of Louis, and walk to the spare bedroom where we keep the collection of clothes from over the years. I step in and Louis closes the door behind him.
"Well, that was fun," he jokes.
I walk over to the chest of drawers and begin rummaging for something that will work.
"Fun is one word," I laugh. Once I find a pair of sweats and a T-shirt for both Louis and I, I pull them out and toss a set to Louis. "These should work."
"Aren't we like, underdressed?"
"Yeah, but, it's just family. It's not the end of the world, trust me."
"Okay..." he says in response as he reaches for the bottom hem of his shirt.
"What are you doing?"
"Changing...?"
"Go change in the bathroom next door, you tool," I laugh. He seriously thinks I'd just change in front of him?
"Oh, come on!"
"This is my grandparent's home and it is not up for debate! Go!" I command, slightly playfully, but still one hundred percent serious. There is plenty of time for this stuff when we're not in my grandparent's home and surrounded by my little cousin's Barbies.
"Fine," he grumpily agrees, shrugging. "You don't know what you're missing."
I roll my eyes as he slips through the door, shutting it closed behind him. What a boy.
I quickly change into the dry clothes, leaving on my wet underwear, and walk out of the room to wait in the hallway for Louis.
He isn't far behind, and steps out of the door to join me after a few seconds.
"Ready?" I ask.
"Yep. Feeling much better."
"Great!" I beam excitedly. He reaches to interlace our hands and we walk back out into the living room.
"We're back!" I announce.
"Looking good, Lou," I hear a voice behind us say. I turn to see Harry standing there with a drink in his hand.
"Shut up, Haz." I scowl at the boy.
"Why would I ever deny the world of my words?" He smirks.
"Because I can slip Lou a little message to give you an extra little trim."
"Hey, hey, hey," he spouts in a hurry. "No need to go full lock-ness monster on me."
I roll my eyes. "When did you get here anyways?"
"Just a minute ago. The lads are in the kitchen putting down the food your mum cooked."
"Okay, cool. Guys! Come in here!" I shout to the boys and they come walking out of the kitchen to join us in the living room. "Well," I turn back to my family, "Everyone, this is the guys!"
"Hi everybody!" Niall says happily. They all call back greetings to the boys.
"Okay, so, this is Niall, Harry, Zayn, and Liam," I introduce as I point down the row of boys. "Oh, and this is a, now dry, Louis. If you forgot."
"Oh we remember," my cousin, Nichola, chuckles, and I make a mental reminder to strangle her.
"Okay, and boys. This is my family." I go around the room pointing out and naming my seven aunts and uncles. Then moving onto my fifteen cousins and cousin in-laws. Also counting my second-cousin-to-be in my cousin Brianna's belly. "Then you know my mom and sister."
"Big happy family, huh?" Liam chuckles. This is probably the first time I've heard him say something with a smile in a few days. I'm glad to see he's feeling better.
"Yep, pretty much," Bri giggles in response, rubbing her now largely prominent baby bump.
"Okay, well, why don't we hang out and get everyone acquainted and just... YEAH!"
"Hey, man," my cousin Cole comes up to us, slapping Louis' back.
"Hey. Cole right?" Louis asks.
"Yep," he replies, happily. I just wait for what he's really wanting to say. He's my cousin, yes. But he's also my godfather and he has always been a sort of father figure to me, especially since my dad wasn't here most of the time.
"It's nice to meet you."
"Yeah, you too." And here we go. "I just, uh, ya know. Wanted to make it clear that, well I was an all-star pitcher for ten years. That being said, I pack quite a punch," he chuckles. You'd think he'd want to come up with an original speech one of these days. But nope. Both me and his sister get the same one every time.
Louis stares back at him. "I'll keep that in mind," Louis chuckles back awkwardly.
I laugh, "Thanks Cole." I take Louis' hand and drag him to the couch beside Nichola.
I see her narrow her eyes in interest as Gen comes up behind us. I know that look.
"How old are you?" Nichola asks. Here we go...
"Twenty-two"
"Are you a good kisser?" she asks, licking her fork and removing the remaining potato salad left on it.
Louis chuckles nervously as he looks over to me to answer the question. I just raise my hands gesturing that this is all up to him, so he decides to go with what's comfortable--snarky.
"Well, I don't know love, I've never kissed myself before."
"Well, someone has to judge and I don't know you that well yet," she says, keeping a straight face which just makes it that much more funny. At least to me. Louis probably isn't so entertained.
"Avey, Genny, come see my new barbies!" my little seven year old cousin, Baileigh, yells, running over to us. We stand up and as Louis is about to follow,
"Where do you think you're going? It is a 'NO BOY ZONE'," she says, snapping in the formation of a 'z'. She twists her head so much I'm worried it will pop off!
"Don't die," Gen says as Bails drags us off to the same guest room.
I smirk at Louis and continue walking with her. She shows us her huge collection of Barbies, but I'm more concerned about Louis alone with Nic. I just want to hurry back to save him from her wrath.
As quickly as I can, I pull Gen and Bails back out to the living room. Once Louis comes into sight, I see him sweating bullets and his face flushed.
"What has you looking like you just ran a marathon?" Genevieve asks Louis.
"Oh, nothing," Nichola says innocently.
"I knew it wasn't a good idea to leave you alone with her," I say, kissing his cheek.
"I know, what a boneheaded move," she says with her voice in understanding. We all know how she is--including her.
I just roll my eyes and we all sit in front of the TV watching the game. Niall is having trouble understanding the American sport, and my Uncle Garff is giving him a hard time for it.
I'm laughing at the both of them when the door bell rings.
"I got it, hun," Pop says as he walks to get the door. I don't think anyone else is suppose to be here.
"Hey! Look who it is! Long time no see, son!" I hear my grandpa's voice at the door. Okay, now I'm really curious. Whoever it is, it seems like Pop is good friends with them.
Soon, I hear the sound of the boots against the tile coming towards us, but now accompanied by another pair of feet.
"Look who it is, everybody!" my grandpa laughs happily as he brings the guest to stand in the living room.
No. No. No! This cannot be happening.
His false smile turns up brighter as he takes in the crowd in the living room.
"Hi everybody! Miss me?"