The Space Between Us | L.S

Claw

Two weeks. 

That is how long ago Louis and I had sex for the first time in almost a year. And we were making up for lost time. 

Literally and making up for it everywhere.

And I mean everywhere.  

Our beds, sofas, his kitchen counter, my kitchen counter, his car, Jonas' car (sorry Jonas), even a quickie in my work's bathroom during my lunch break. 

We went at it like teenagers going through puberty. While I am not one to complain, it left little to no room to actually talk to one another. 

I had still not brought up my conversation with Danielle. Or anything really? The curiosity of finding out why he sold his share of Sin's and betrayed his friends was finally getting the best of me. I mean it wasn't my business to begin with, but something changed in Louis during the time we were not speaking.

But then again, I changed as well. 

He looked and acted on edge all the time, wound up. And there was only room for one uptight, in-their-head person in this relationship.

There we go again — we haven't even discussed if we are back together or just casually shagging. I don't even know which I wanted. Although, we talked through the whole 'I slept with you but was seeing someone else' chaos, it still attempted to claw its way from the pits of my mind that I forced it into. I trusted him but at the same time I didn't. If we got back together, would he just do the same thing to me? 

I physically shook my head, refocusing on the textbook in front of me. The one I had let my mind pretended to read for the last fifteen minutes. I looked around the library and noticed it was almost cleared out. 

Fuck. I tapped my phone screen to see it was quarter after midnight. The library stayed open all night but most (normal) students dipped after 23:00. I had impulsively decided to head to the university after I was so distracted thinking of Louis I almost cut off my finger while cutting my dinner. 

My eyes skimmed over the small, red '3' sticking out of the green bubble message icon on my phone. One was from Jonas replying to my message to not wait up for me, and the other two were Louis. He had sent one in reply to my 'good morning' text that I had attempted to will myself from sending.

But I was a weak woman and craved communication with him. 

He had inquired about my plans for the day, to which I had not replied in fear of feeling my already obsessive thoughts. He sent a follow-up just as I was leaving my final class of the day inquiring about my day. 

Shit, he was only being nice. I would be a bitch to continue ignoring him.

Good, sorry was a busy day

And like clockwork, my phone began to vibrate with an incoming call. 

"Hi," I breathed, after picking up on the fourth ring. 

"Hi yourself," I could hear the smile in his voice. Thank god, he didn't suspect anything.

"Sorry, busy day." I shrugged my shoulder as if he could see me. 

"'s okay. What are you doing?"

I repositioned the phone to sit between my shoulder and ear. "Just leaving the library, and yourself?" I said, starting to pack up my belongings which were scattered across the large wooden table. 

"Jonas picking you up?"

"No, there's a tram that comes by in ten." I said distracted as a few looseleaf papers fell from my binder. 

"Give me fifteen," I could hear his feet sliding against his tiled floor. 

"It is fine Lou, I ride this route all the time." I almost groaned. Although a ride would be lovely, it would soil my plan of avoiding him, and the unwanted conversation that came along with seeing him.

"Wendy," he replied with a hint of frustration in his voice, "Do not move you hear me? I will be there in fifteen...fourteen now." He said and I heard his car door slam shut. 

Thirteen minutes later, my phone lit up with a text that he was outside the library gate. I practically ran from the doors to his car, the cool evening air slapping against my exposed ankles.

"You have a cute run," he said as soon as I got into the car, which earned a dramatic groan from me. The thought of him seeing me run was disgusting.

"Please erase that from your mind, thank you." I said with a  small smile, pushing my hair behind my ears. Then turning in my seat, I drank his appearance in. He looked tired — and not just because it was nearing an ungodly hour. It seemed to be his natural state as of recent. His eyes sucked in and adorned with heavy bags that I wanted to run my fingers over to soothe away. 

"Hi," he breathed, leaning in to drop a gentle kiss on my flushed cheek. I returned the greeting, the feelings I had been attempting to ignore flooding my brain.

Louis, of course caught on and his face morphed with slight concern. "What's wrong?" he inquired, his fingers dancing under my chin. 

"Nothing, uh well no I —" the words died in my throat.

"C'mon let's go get something to eat." 

Ten minutes later he parked in front of a cafe sort of restaurant. As we approached the door, a man was turning the welcoming sign from 'OPEN' to 'CLOSE' when Louis' hand caught the wooden door. 

"Tom, two minutes more?" he said with a small smile to the man, Tom, who I guess he knew from prior circumstances. 

"Fine, but nothing hot." Louis extended the door to let me walk ahead and basked in the sun-kissed fake light coming from the multiple swinging lights above. 

Louis ordered two cold cut sandwiches for us, and a coca cola to share. 

Before I knew it we were sitting on the curb outside, our knees gently clanking together every once in a while as we ignored the pending conversation. I forced my focus on the deli meat in front of me, soaking in how the cold slab felt as my teeth shred it. 

I took a small sip of the cola, and a wave of naughtiness washed over me.

I never had caffeine this late. I felt like I was seventeen again, and snuck out to go do scandalous things with my boyfriend. so Which was quite sad because if this was "scandalous", it paints a clear picture of what my actual teenage-hood was like. 

"I saw Danielle on Tuesday." I finally said, after another large swallow of the brown drink. He didn't say anything in response but in the corner of my eye I saw him place his food onto his black trousers. "She said you all haven't seen each other in a while." 

"We haven't," he replied simply. I could tell I had struck a cord and I felt terribly instantly. 

"We don't have to talk about it," I jumped in, "just know, when and if you are ready, I'm here."

His fingers curled around my chin and brought my lips to his, "thank you." he whispered softly.