Things I Can't

Chapter 31

"You--you what?" Jay asked, holding a hand over her beating heart. I realized my words too late, but I didn't regret them.

"I love him." I said, more bravely this time. She began stuttering, searching my eyes for a lie, but found nothing. "I love him, and he needs me, so if you'll excuse me--"

Without warning I kicked my feet off the bed and rolled sideways, ignoring the strong wave of vertigo that had washed over my senses.

"Louis William Tomlinson!" My mother called, chasing after me. I ignored her, slamming the door on her face and continuing down the hall, almost wiping out a few stray nurses.

I didn't stop until I reached the front desk. The lady at the desk, Alice, took in my frazzled appearance and asked what I needed in clear voice.

"I need to know what room Harry Styles is in." I demanded, my hands curling into fists behind my back.

"Sir, he can't take visitors currently, but I can point you to the waiting room?"

"Are you positive?" I said through my teeth. She nodded sadly.

"The waiting room is just down the hall, to the left." Her finger led me down another endless path, this one ending in a large room filled with uncomfortable chairs and weeping family members.

I took a seat, listening to the creak of the wood under my weight. My head fell into my hands and I rubbed back and forth, trying to rid my mind of the negative thoughts.

Minutes later, two familiar girls shakily sat a few seats away. One was adorned in black sunglasses while the other had on a fancy businesses suit. They embraced each other tightly, whispering that everything would be okay.

When Anne glanced up, she caught my eyes on her. In any other situation I would've turned away, but now I offered a tiny smile, as much as I could muster through the pain.

Astonishingly, her lips lifted up in response. I blinked, wondering if she knew who I was.

"Don't think I don't know it's you, Louis." Anne spoke quietly. The women looked vulnerable as she fiddled with the zipper on her jacket, not meeting my eyes "Why are you here?"

Admitting to my mother I was in love with Harry was one thing, but telling Anne was different, especially when the boy was laying on his death bed as we spoke.

"Louis?" Gemma asked for her mother, more urgently, "why are you here?" I didn't answer, instead I stared at the wall, letting my thoughts take over.

"He's here because he's in love with your son."
I let out a gust of breath and turned to find my mother walking in with her arms placed over her chest.

I opened my mouth to speak, but she held a finger up.

"You have a lot of explaining to do Mister. I had to physically track you down, walking around the entire hospital before Alice showed me here. Louis, you realize what you did was against the rules?You still had an I.V. in your arm! You could've gotten yourself hurt!"

I wanted to laugh at her dramatic hand movements that went along with the speech.

"Jay?!" Anne yelped, standing up in suprise. "Why are you both here?" Her voice was hostile, but I stood my ground.

"If you hadn't noticed, Anne, your son wasn't the only person injured yesterday. Louis and his friend Niall were attacked." It was almost as if my mum was trying to compete with her rival.

Anne scoffed, "Oh yeah, I saw that on the news. Your son was captured by his own cousin, how tragic. You wonder why we don't associate with your family...and besides, if you couldn't tell, your son is fine. He's standing right in front of us while mine is laying on his deathbed!!"