Six Degrees of Separation ➳ Larry

Fifth Degree

"Fifth, you see them out with someone else"

FIFTH DEGREE

The moon was full and bright. A soft white glow reflected in rain puddles as a steady rain fell from the sky. Choked out by light pollution, only a few stars were visible in the city. Louis and Valerie walked along the pavement towards her flat. She lived with two other roommates, her bandmates, in a not-so-great part of London. As they approached the front door, police sirens blared in the distance.

"I had a great time," Valerie confessed, smiling softly.

"Me too," Louis agreed, but his mind was elsewhere.

He genuinely enjoyed his time with Valerie, and he liked her a lot, but he couldn't help but feel distracted. He didn't expect to see Harry on screen at the cinema. It wasn't that Louis never believed in him— it was just that acting was a difficult industry to break into, and there were plenty of handsome actors in L.A.

In all honesty, Louis could barely pay attention to the film's plot. He knew it dealt with grief and trauma, or something like that, but all he could focus on was Harry's face. It brought back countless memories with him. He spent the entire two hours daydreaming about their time together— all the coffee dates, late-night chats, and nights spent together cuddling in their bed. All of this made Louis feel incredibly guilty because he should be focused on his date, not his ex-boyfriend. And yet, he couldn't seem to help it.

"Should we go on a second date?" Valerie said, pausing on her doorstep.

"Yeah, I'd like that."

Valerie placed her hand on Louis's arm, squeezing his bicep softly. Her fingers were small and delicate, covered in metal rings. Shiny, chipped black polish coated her nails. Louis felt himself shudder at the touch. It was embarrassing to admit, but he missed physical contact. He'd been longing for it.

Louis leaned in and kissed her. It was short, sweet, and her lips tasted faintly of vanilla lip balm. His hand glided up to her face, caressing her soft cheek. He felt the silkiness of her hair slipping between his fingers as their lips touched. A tingling feeling erupted in Louis's stomach as they separated, and he felt a warm flush rise to his face.

"I'll see you at work tomorrow," Valerie said, pulling away from the kiss.

"Yeah, have a good night."

Valerie gave a small wave before walking inside. Louis stood there for a few seconds, feeling the chilly early-spring breeze whipping against his face. He felt his heart pulling in two opposite directions: his past with Harry, and his future with Valerie.

Louis walked back to his car and slid in the driver's seat. He stared out the windshield, watching the rain fall and splatter against the glass. He eventually pulled out his phone and found Harry's number in his contacts. He never bothered deleting it. Perhaps part of him always hoped that it wasn't the end of their story.

He clicked on the message icon, and his fingers froze over the keyboard. He didn't know what to say. He tried typing it a few times, but the words were a jumbled mess inside his brain. Eventually, he settled on one and sent it.

To Harry: just saw your new film. you were lovely. congratulations x

Louis stared at his screen for a few seconds. The blue light reflected back on his face in the dark, making his eyes sting slightly. For a moment, he wondered if Harry might've changed his number. But then, the words popped up at the bottom of his message: Read at 11:32 PM.

He waited, and waited, but there was never a response. Louis's heart sank as he drove back to his flat, trying to put his past behind him.

***