From Everything That Was (Till Everything That Will Be)

Louis (Present)

I can't make it go away by making you a villain
Guess it's my price for seven years in heaven
- happiness, Taylor Swift

"Hi, Mom," Louis said on exhale. His eyes were set on the floor.

"Louis!" Jay said. "About damn time you picked up. I've been trying to get in touch with you for weeks. I even had to try and reach out to Zayn."

Louis didn't get a chance to reply before she rambled on.

"I just got off from work and read an article," Jay rushed out. "About..." She swallowed. "Patrick. Someone claims he was inappropriately touching a fourteen-year-old boy at some event last night. He hasn't called me or anything, and I'm so confused—"

"What?" Louis whispered. His heart had stopped in his chest.

"Yeah," Jay said, her voice agitated. "I don't know what to believe, Louis. I can't get a hold of Patrick. I'm not even sure he knows about these allegations. It's late, he's probably in bed."

Louis' hand was trembling, his whole body was, and his fingers couldn't hold onto the phone.

It left his grip, landing harshly on the tiles.

Immediately, Harry was on him, holding him. Louis hid his face in Harry's neck, the skin there turning damp from tears he didn't know was streaming down his cheeks.

"Woah," Niall said. "Is everything alright?"

"Louis, your phone is ruined," noted Liam drunkenly. "Why the fuck did you ruin your phone?"

Louis could feel himself gasping for air, the only thing grounding him being the firm body he was leaning against.

"Guys," Harry said. "Can you give us a moment?"

"Of course," Niall said, his voice shaken. "Come on, Liam, you can show me those couple-photos you and Zayn took last time you saw each other."

"Great idea!"

Niall pulled Liam out of the room, but Louis barely registered it.

Someone claims he was inappropriately touching a fourteen-year-old boy at some event last night.

"Louis, I need you to breathe."

He was inappropriately touching a fourteen-year-old boy.

Louis gasped for air. He felt as if he was drowning. "Can't," he gasped.

Fourteen-year-old boy.

"Louis," Harry's voice was soft but stern. He placed his hands on Louis' shoulders, his eyes searching for Louis'. "I need you to look at me."

Louis looked at him, but his vision was blurry from tears.

"Here." Harry took Louis' hand and placed it above his heart. "Breathe with me."

Louis felt Harry's heartbeat underneath his fingertips, the steady rise and fall of his chest, and he tried his best to follow it.

It felt like hours, but finally, he calmed down enough to form a sentence.

"Someone has accused Patrick of touching them inappropriately. A teenage boy."

Harry's jaw went slack. "What?"

Louis nodded. "I... I..."

Harry pulled Louis into his arms, softly stroking Louis' hair. "What do you wanna do, baby?"

"I need to call my mom again," whispered Louis. "Your phone. Can I borrow it?"

"Of course," Harry said and quickly pulled the device out of his pocket. "Here."