I'm fine, We're fine [boyxboy]

Eighteen

Harry's POV

Running away from your problems is a race you will never win. You can go as fast as your legs will carry you, as high as your lungs will allow, but it'll still be there, tailing you like a dog running after the mailman, its endurance everlasting.

It was raining, like it always was, and this evening was no exception. It came down steadily. Chilly drops of ice that mixed with beads of sweat had my hair sticking to my forehead and my shirt stuck to my back. The soles of my shoes slapping wet asphalt and concrete sent a shower of water up from the puddles I ran through. Potholes littered the old cracked sidewalks, it was impossible to miss the rain-filled holes. I kept on, stepping into one, two, three and four more: another with every running step I took.

Why was I running in the rain?

Running freed my mind. It gave way to the tangled, knotted mass of thoughts clogging my brain. It let me think. The classical music streaming into my ears kept me on track. I followed each note and ran rather than allowing my thoughts and inner musings to rise back up. Had I known that this was my means of escape, I would have taken it up years ago. I would have gone for a jog when I became angry. I would have pulled on these new running shoes and took my leave before ever laying a finger on Louis.

I wasn't fast, really, I was clumsy. But I had endurance. I could run and run, skirting people, traveling up inclines, hopping the occasional obstacle when it came into my path, and I would never stop. A searing pain in my side didn't have me doubled over or gasping for breath. No, I carried on for as long as I needed.

The last bits of the sun were fading when I was stopped by a red-light. I stayed, jogging in place, the wire of my earbuds bouncing along my shoulders and chest. A few people caught my eye, one girl smiled. When the light changed to bright green, I was off again, jogging across the painted crosswalk that led me to the other side of the road. The rain never let up. A final ray of orange-gold light was fading as I rounded the corner of the remaining building that opened up to the park. It was empty, the people and their barking dogs driven out long ago by the rain that now came down on me. I was the only person winding my way around the sidewalks and through the grassy paths that curled through and around the length of the park. The grass was slippery. Once or twice I stumbled, but never fell. Beethoven's Symphony 5 drove me on.

Why I chose classical music over another genre bewildered me, but I didn't question it. Louis found it intriguing that every day, for about two weeks, the piece blasted over and over through my earbuds as I ran. It made him smile. Maybe that was why I made sure he could hear it before tucking the bud into my ear and leaving him at the apartment.

The phone I clutched in my hand vibrated, the notification coming through distorting my music for a few quick seconds.

Lou: be careful in this rain, its thundering here

A single heart following those words had me smiling and as I looked back up, I could see why he had text me. Even with the sun faded and even at dusk, the sky was darker than it should have been. It didn't mind running in the rain, but I didn't fancy being struck by lightning and if karma was as much of a bitch as I had heard, I couldn't rule out the possibility of it happening to me.

i'll be home soon, babe xx

Securing the phone in my fist, I ran on.

I hadn't lain a finger on Louis since the night at the club when he hit me back. Stunned didn't begin to describe what I had felt. It couldn't explain the fiery hot passion that shot up my spine as soon as his hand had left it's stinging mark. Louis hadn't hit me either, nor did he apologize and I never asked him to. It was a small price to pay for the shit I had put him through. It had also been my decision to stay away from Zayn and the guys. I was happy for them, I wanted to see the homey touches he would bring into their tiny home, but I thought it best for them to not see my face for long.