Always On My Mind (Sequel to Always In My Heart)

Chapter 23- Goodbye

"Louis," a deep voice prods as I begin to wake up, keeping my eyes shut tight as I pull the covers tightly up around me.

"Louis, wake up," the voice says more seriously than the time before, a warm hand shaking my arm. I groan and roll over to face Harry, slowly opening my eyes to more darkness. I blink in surprise, just a few moments ago expecting it to be morning, but it appears to still be the middle of the night.

"What, Harry?!" I snap in a bit of annoyance, curling back up in the blankets and sighing gently. I feel Harry shift around slightly before he pulls the covers off of me again, aggravating me even more. I whine at the loss of the blankets, huffing frustratedly.

"Louis, we have to go to the hospital. Charles just called and told me that Ava probably isn't going to make it through the night," he explains, making my eyes fly open. I sit up as Harry switches on the bedside lamp, causing me to squint slightly as I rub my sleepy eyes.

Once my eyes adjust, I blink up at him in panic as he gets out of bed, opening my mouth to say something but not being able to find the right words. Finally, I am able to gather myself enough to explain my panicked thoughts.

"Harry... I... I... I can't be there when she dies! I can't do that! I am going to be an absolute mess!" I ramble quickly before Harry stops me, putting his hand out and closing his eyes, taking a deep breath in indication that I need to shut up and listen to him.

"Listen, Louis. I know that this isn't going to be easy for either of us, but we have to do this for Ava. She specifically told Charles and Alice that she wants us there," he explains firmly, making me blink sadly in despair and frustration. I know that I must do this because Ava wants us there, but I am not exactly sure how I am going to hold it together.

"Wh... How... Why is this happening so suddenly?" I ask in confusion, hurriedly standing up out of bed and walking over to the dresser.

"I have no idea. Charles said that all of yesterday she was acting extremely strange, but then, just a few hours ago, she got so incredibly sick that they know she isn't going to live much longer," Harry explains, slipping on a pair of jeans. I listen intently as I pull out a black pair of jeans, quickly pulling them on over my boxers. I slip on a t-shirt, running off into the bathroom to hurriedly brush my teeth and run a comb through my hair. Harry does the same, both of us getting a bit frustrated at trying to do the same things at the same time.

"Harry! Move!" I huff in annoyance with a mouthful of toothpaste, shaking my head and sighing as he steps out of the way so I can spit in the sink.

"Jesus... whatever," he responds with an annoyed shrug, carelessly tossing the comb back down on the bathroom counter.

We keep bumping into each other as we move around the bathroom, causing the both of us to glare intensely at one another. After a few moments, we both take a deep breath, realizing that we are just flustered and shouldn't be acting so mean to each other.

"We just need to take a second and calm down," Harry says with a sigh, gently wrapping his arm around my waist and squeezing my side, pressing his lips against my temple. I nod quickly in agreement, taking a deep breath and trying to calm my nerves.

We quickly make our way downstairs, Archie already waiting outside in the car for us. I put my burgundy beanie on my head, slipping my Vans on and opening the front door. Harry follows me out, both of us running down the front steps, my hand sliding down the marble railing. We hop in the backseat of the SUV, closing the door as Archie drives off.

I buckle my seatbelt, sitting and twiddling my thumbs anxiously as I stare sleepily out the window, watching as Archie pulls out onto the main road. I swallow hard when I feel Harry's hand on my knee, causing me to look over at him sadly. He looks at me sympathetically, pressing his lips into a flatline, his sad expression still visible in the darkness of the car.