Talk

17

Dawn's POV:

It's the next day, in Liam and Zayn's apartment with everyone but Harper.

As Louis finished explaining the circumstances of his breakup with Harper, a surge of anger welled up within me, hot and fierce. How could she treat him like that? How could she be so selfish, so thoughtless?

"I can't believe she did that to you," I exclaimed, my voice tinged with frustration as I struggled to contain my emotions. "She had no right to treat you like that, Louis."

Louis shrugged, a bitter edge to his smile. "It is what it is," he said, his tone resigned. "I guess I just wasn't enough for her."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut, a sharp pang of sympathy mingling with the anger that still burned within me. How could he think that? How could he blame himself for her shortcomings?

"You were more than enough, Louis," I insisted, my voice firm with conviction. "She's the one who messed up, not you."

Louis met my gaze, a flicker of gratitude shining in his eyes. "Thanks, Dawn," he said softly, his voice filled with emotion. "I appreciate that."

As Harper stepped into the room, her presence sparked a surge of anger within me, hot and unrelenting. How could she have treated Louis so callously, so irresponsibly? I couldn't bear to look at her, the memory of Louis' pain fresh in my mind.

"You have some nerve showing your face here," I spat, my voice dripping with disdain as I glared at her.

Harper's expression hardened, her eyes flashing with defiance. "I think I have every right to be here," she retorted, her voice sharp with indignation. "You don't even know the whole story."

I scoffed, disbelief coursing through me. "Oh, please," I scoffed, unable to hide my contempt. "I know enough to know that you hurt Louis, and that's unforgivable."

Harper's jaw clenched, her fists balling at her sides. "You don't understand," she snapped, her voice cracking with frustration. "Louis and I had problems, real problems, and breaking up was the best thing for both of us."

I shook my head, my anger boiling over. "That's not an excuse," I shot back, my voice rising with indignation. "You could have handled it better, Harper. You could have at least shown him some respect. You didn't have to act like a child."

"At least i'm not a helpless whore who can't just get a life!" Harper yelled back, hitting where it hurts.

Harper's words cut through my heart like a knife. My breath caught in my throat, the sting of her accusation hitting me like a physical blow. How could she say something so cruel, so heartless?

Tears welled up in my eyes, a mixture of anger and hurt swirling within me. "How dare you," I whispered, my voice trembling with emotion as I struggled to contain my rising fury. "You have no right to say that to me."

But Harper showed no remorse, her expression hard and unyielding. "You think you're so perfect, don't you?" she sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. "But the truth is, you're just as messed up as the rest of us."

I wanted to scream, to lash out at her with every ounce of anger I possessed. But deep down, beneath the pain and indignation, I knew that her words held a grain of truth – a painful reminder of my own insecurities and shortcomings.

As Harper's words lashed out, piercing through the tension-filled air, Harry's patience snapped like a taut rubber band stretched to its limit. With a surge of righteous anger, he rose from his seat, his eyes blazing with fury.

"How dare you speak to her like that!" Harry's voice thundered, his words reverberating off the walls with an intensity that silenced the room. "Dawn is worth a thousand of you, and she deserves better than to be belittled by someone like you!"

Harper recoiled, taken aback by the force of Harry's outburst. But he showed no signs of backing down, his stance firm and unwavering as he stepped forward, his gaze locked on hers with unwavering determination.

"You have no right to judge her," Harry continued, his voice low and dangerous. "You don't know anything about her, about what she's been through. So don't you dare act like you do."

"Oh, what do you know? Why are you so entitled to stand up for her?" She spat back.

"I'll always stand up for my girlfriend." Harry responded in the most disgusted tone, surprising everyone in the room, including me.

"Girlfriend?"

Harry's declaration hung in the air like a thunderclap, the weight of his words reverberating through the room with a profound resonance that left us all stunned into silence. My eyes widened in astonishment, my breath catching in my throat as I searched Harry's face for any sign of uncertainty or doubt.

But Harry met her gaze head-on, his expression unwavering as he spoke with a conviction that left no room for doubt. "Yes, girlfriend," he repeated, his voice steady and resolute. "I care about her, more than anything. And I won't let anyone hurt her, not while I'm around."

The realization washed over me like a tidal wave, the magnitude of Harry's words sinking in with a sudden clarity that left me breathless. Could it be true? Could Harry really see me as more than just a friend?

But before I could gather my thoughts, Harper's voice cut through the silence like a knife, her tone dripping with sarcasm and disdain. "Well, isn't that just precious," she sneered, her eyes narrowing in contempt. "Looks like someone's been keeping secrets."

I bristled at her words, my anger simmering just beneath the surface as I turned to face Harry, searching his eyes for any sign of hesitation or doubt.

"He won't ever care about you," Harper said bitterly, staring into my eyes.

"You snake. Get away from me," I yelled, pushing her away as she inched closer to me. Harper's bitter words cut through the air like a knife, each syllable dripping with venom and spite. I felt a surge of anger rise within me, my fists clenched at my sides as I stared back at Harper, her eyes blazing with defiance.

"You don't know anything about him," I shot back, my voice trembling with suppressed rage. "And you don't know anything about me."

But Harper showed no signs of backing down, her expression hardened by resentment and jealousy. As she took a step closer, my body reacting on pure instinct, I pushed Harper away with a forceful shove.

"Get away from me," I spat, my voice laced with contempt as I backed away, putting distance between myself and the toxic presence that loomed before me.

Harper's eyes narrowed, a cold smirk playing at the corners of her lips as she turned on her heel and stalked away, leaving me alone with my turbulent thoughts and the bitter taste of betrayal lingering in the air.

The weight of the confrontation crashed down on me like a tidal wave, overwhelming my senses and leaving me gasping for air. With a heart-wrenching sob, I crumpled to the ground, my body trembling with the force of my emotions.

Tears streamed down my cheeks unchecked, my chest heaving with each ragged breath as the full extent of my anguish spilled out into the open. It felt as though the weight of the world was pressing down on me, crushing my spirit beneath its relentless weight.

I curled into myself, my arms wrapped tightly around my trembling form as I surrendered to the overwhelming flood of emotions that threatened to consume me. In that moment of raw vulnerability, I felt utterly alone, adrift in a sea of pain and confusion with no lifeline in sight.