Paris In The Rain [h.s]

Aurora

"Thank you for being here for me, Liam," I whisper into his chest as we sit on my couch, a tub of ice cream resting on the table in front of us.

"Of course," his voice is strained and his hands tremble as he runs them down my back. "Always will be."

The tears seem to be endless and the pain all-consuming, crashing against my body like wave upon endless wave. Even the plants in the corner are withering away, begging me to water them and bring them back to life, but I can't bring myself to get up and help them when I can't even help myself. It's pitiful, I know, but my whole world has fallen apart in less than twenty-four hours.

"I just can't believe he left me. I mean, I know we probably need it. Well, we do need it. But I don't want to admit it," I admit while wiping away more of my tears that have soaked my cheeks.

"What exactly did he tell you?" Liam asks, his voice cracking towards the end, but he quickly clears his throat and brushes it away.

"He kept saying he needs to find himself and how he's tired of hurting me. And then he proceeded to say how I need this too, and how he's ruining me by staying with me," My voice wavers and cuts off as I talk, his words still echoing around in my head and causing more tears to form in my eyes.

Liam remains quiet, still gently rubbing my back. I'm oblivious to his change in demeanor, too caught up in my own little world of self-pity to realize he's oozing with guilt. That is until he opens his mouth.

"I told him to leave you."

My body tenses up and everything falls silent. He removes his hand from my back and I slowly stand up from my place on the couch, staring down at him with confusion and disbelief flashing in my eyes. He slowly stands up as well, tears forming in his eyes as he shifts back and forth nervously on each foot.

"You did what?"

Liam gulps harshly, wringing his hands in front of him nervously, "I told Harry to leave you," he repeats.

I stare at him in shock, not knowing what to do or say. I'm completely speechless and I'm not even sure what the fuck is going on in my life right now.

One second, everything between Harry and I is... okay, and then the next he's breaking up with me. Ripping my heart straight out of my chest and smashing it on the floor, closing a door in my face as a way of telling me I'll probably never see him again. And now, my best friend is standing here telling me he's the reason Harry decided to leave me. Telling me how he told him all of these heartbreaking things to get him to leave me so I can be happy again. 

"Why would you do that?" I whisper, staring at him with tears in my eyes. I'm too heartbroken to be mad or angry. I'm too sad to yell at him to get out of my house and for him to never talk to me again. Because I can't lose anyone else. My heart can't handle it.

"I'm sorry, Aurora. I- I don't know what I was thinking. I was just so tired of seeing him hurt you and I couldn't stand around and watch you break apart," he says while keeping his distance. "I was so mean to him, Rory. I was mean because I knew it would push him over the edge and he'd leave you. I told him you were planning on leaving him. I told him all of these awful things."

"You had no right to do that," My voice cracks with every word I speak. "Liam, you had no right to tell him those things."

He takes a deep breath, tears threatening to fall from his eyes, "I know. I know, Aurora. I'm so, so sorry."

"Sorry doesn't fix things," I continue to stare at him in shock and disbelief. "He's gone, Liam. He's gone because you told him to leave me. Why would you want him to leave me? And how can you sit here and comfort me after doing what you did?"