Free Web NovelChapter 108: Chapter 108
Louis walked with Tristan in companionable silence as they made their way down the stairs and across the foyer. The night was brightly lit up from the glow of an almost full moon. Tristan held tightly to his arm, his head slightly bowed as they slowly walked some distance away from the entrance to the building.
"Feel any better?" Louis asked with genuine concern.
Tristan drew in a deep breath and straightened up but still held Louis’ hand. "A little, mind if we go on a little stroll? It’s fine if you don’t want to though, I could always go alone..."
"No, no, it’s fine. I don’t mind." Louis said lightly, continuing their journey.
He tried to remember what he could of the other Alpha, they weren’t particularly close, he had only come to him amongst a slew of others requesting that he tutor them. He did remember that unlike most of the others who came in twos and threes, Tristan was one of the few who came alone.
They weren’t in the same class so there was hardly the chance for an interaction between them.
Outside of class, Louis couldn’t remember seeing him often, it was like he blended effortlessly into the background. The only reason Louis remembered him was because he liked to keep a track of the names of the students that asked him to tutor them.
"What happened to you anyway?" Louis asked as they slowly walked down the carriage path, leaving behind the building where the Sports Ball was hosted.
He pushed his hair out of his face with his free hand, realizing that he should probably have asked that first before agreeing to help the other Alpha.
"Nerves." Tristan said quietly, his face seemed to have regained its color.
Louis wanted to ask further about Tristan’s friends, although the Alpha had mentioned that he had been heading out all alone, he should have friends, right?
He didn’t ask though, reverting to silence as the cool night breeze washed over them. They got farther and farther from the building and up ahead, he could see the wild garden and the shadows of rushing fountains.
There were also benches in the gardens, Louis headed for them, sitting down would help Tristan recover faster. The benches were covered in vines and seemed to be a part of the gardens. It was like the white marble benches had also been planted like the other flowers and grew out of the ground.
Tristan was oddly quiet but Louis didn’t question it, he guessed that the Alpha was probably still feeling queasy. Louis also appreciated the silence, maybe he needed this walk to clear his head too because he felt much calmer now.
He gestured for Tristan to sit on the bench when they got to it, intending to wander around a little bit more by himself. Did this count as socialising? They weren’t exactly having a lively conversation... but Louis couldn’t turn down someone who needed his help...
His thoughts were interrupted when he felt Tristan pull him down on the bench as well, the Alpha refusing to let go of his arm. "I don’t want to sit," He resisted with a confused expression trying to pry Tristan’s fingers off him. "I want to take a look at..."
Tristan held on fast to him with feverish dark eyes. "Are you leaving me?"
Louis’ confusion doubled, "What? No, I just want to..."
"You’re leaving after all." Tristan insisted with a plaintive expression.
Louis lost his balance and stumbled on the bench beside Tristan, his confusion mixing with trepidation. They were really far off from others and the Alpha was scarily strong.
He drew in a deep breath and tried to contain the situation. Maybe it was just the Alpha’s nerves, Louis should try to help him.
"I said I’m not, fine, I’ll sit here with you." He said in a calming voice.
This worked much to his surprise, Tristan stopped trying to rip his arm out of its socket but he still held fast to Louis’ arm. He kept his eyes on the cold grass underfoot and fell silent again.
Louis was still on edge, before the silence was peaceful but now it made him a little sick with dread, maybe his nerves were creeping up on him too. He knew next to nothing about Tristan, the Alpha was always quiet and unassuming.
He turned slowly to look at Tristan to find the Alpha staring at him without blinking, it made goosebumps pop out on Louis’ skin. They couldn’t just sit here for the rest of the night, Louis didn’t even want to take a look at the flowers anymore, he just wanted to head back.
"Are you ready to..." He started to ask.
"Do you hate me?" Tristan interrupted him, his face an expressionless mask.
Louis’ train of thought screeched to an abrupt halt, ’what was the Alpha going on about?’
He forced himself to consider the question, he wouldn’t say he hated Tristan. Sure the Alpha made him anxious and uncomfortable but he didn’t hate him.
"No, I don’t. So are you ready to head back to..."
"But you’re trying to leave me." He said in an accusatory manner, sounding butthurt.
"I’m not, we’ll go back together." Louis countered patiently, wondering how exactly he had gotten into this bind.
"That’s a lie, you’ll try to run the moment I let go of you." Tristan insisted.
Louis was more concerned about why the Alpha thought he would try to run. "I won’t." He denied calmly.
The situation had already gotten out of hand, Louis just wanted to be done with it and return to the ballroom. This time, he would stick to Henri’s side till the end of the ball.
Tristan looked skeptical, "Really?"
Louis had to use all of his willpower to remain calm. "Really."
"So you’ll stay with me?"
Louis hesitated, Tristan sounded airheaded but made worrisome requests. If Louis agreed to not run and to stay with him, just how long would they remain out here?
Maybe he shouldn’t have been so agreeable from the start, he had been the nice one here, offering to help even though he had no obligation to. Tristan was the one who needed his help and was also the one currently making all of the demands. Nerves or not, he wasn’t going to encourage whatever the Alpha was doing.
"No, I want to return to the ballroom." Louis replied, his tone was still calm but there was an underlying steel.
Tristan physically recoiled at this, his hold on Louis’ arm tightening. "You want to leave me?"
"Yes, Tristan, it’s cold and wet outside, I’m returning to the... ow, Tristan, stop that hurts." Louis cut himself off when Tristan’s grip turned tight enough to leave bruises.
"You hurt me first by saying you wanted to leave." Tristan countered, having the nerve to sound offended.
Louis was incredulous, "What is wrong with you? Is this also your nerves?"
"It never was." Tristant muttered under his breath, black hair swaying in the wind.
"What?" Louis frowned, every minute he spent with Tristan was more ridiculous than the last. How did a harmless offer of help spiral down this hole of madness? fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
"I was never fraught with nerves, I did it to get your attention. You’re always nice to me so I knew you’d agree to help but you don’t like me after all, because you want to leave."
Louis blinked slowly, trying to follow Tristan’s thought process and failing to. Firstly, he had been deceived? So Tristan bumping into him wasn’t an accident?
"What are you talking about?" He asked in a subdued voice.
"You’re nice to me because you like me." Tristan repeated with conviction. "So why do you want to leave?"
Louis was stunned silent, even if he wasn’t he would still have no words for the Alpha latched onto his arm. Louis was nice to everyone, did that mean he liked them all too?
Beyond that, what did he mean by Louis wanting to leave? They couldn’t sit in the garden for the rest of the night, the ball would end eventually and they would have to return to the academy.
Tristan scowled when he didn’t respond, holding Louis’ other arm as well to pull him closer. "I knew it."
Louis forced himself to take a deep breath, the cold night air rushed into his lungs doing nothing to relax him. If he thought it was impossible to escape Tristan before, now he was practically immobile.
He had no idea how to reason with him, it was like trying to make a child throwing a tantrum see sense. His demands were ridiculous and Louis wasn’t interested in humouring him.
He doubted that humouring Tristan would get him anyway, it was a stale mate. Lying to him wouldn’t fix this, just as telling him the truth would worsen things further.
’Just what was he supposed to do?’
**A/N: single and late Chapter because I had some difficulty with this scene but I had to put out an upload nonetheless. I’m still not satisfied with it and might do some minor edits later. I’ll put out more Chapters when I work out the scene. Thanks for reading!**
