𝓣𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐌𝐎𝐊𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐔𝐒, ˡᵒᵘⁱˢ ᵗᵒᵐˡⁱˢᵒⁿ

𝐗𝐗𝐈𝐈. 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐓

𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐢𝐬' 𝐩𝐨𝐯

i don't know when it happened. one day, she was just this girl who shared a cigarette with me, someone i saw around more than i should've. but now, as i sat there, mindlessly scrolling through my phone, her face kept popping into my head. it wasn't normal. no, not for me. i'd met a thousand people, seen a million faces, and no one had ever gotten stuck in my mind like this.

and it wasn't just because she was sweet, although she was annoyingly sweet. it was something more. she had this energy, this light. it made me uncomfortable. it was like she could see right through all my shit and didn't care. she just smiled. it was ridiculous, really. but every time i thought about her, i felt... lighter? happier? no, that couldn't be it. i wasn't that guy.

"fuck," i muttered, tossing my phone onto the couch beside me. "this is so fucking stupid."

it had to be some kind of mistake. maybe i'd just been seeing her too much, you know? too many coincidences. too many run-ins. my brain was playing tricks on me, making me think there was something more. because, let's be real, i didn't do the whole romance thing. i wasn't one of those lads who believed in all that fate or soulmate nonsense. but imogen? she had me questioning it all.

and that scared the fuck out of me.

i thought back to our last conversation at the café. she'd been so excited about her art, so passionate, and i actually listened. really listened. what was happening to me? it was like i cared about what she thought, and that was a fucking problem. caring wasn't something i did. caring got messy.

but the truth was... i'd fallen for her. somehow, somewhere between all the sarcastic comments and shared smokes, i'd gone and fallen for this girl who radiated sunshine like it was her damn job.

i groaned, running a hand through my hair. this was bad. really bad.

daisy walked in at that exact moment, looking at me like she knew something was up. "what's your problem, grumpy?"

"nothing," i grumbled, not wanting to get into it.

"yeah, right," she snorted. "you've been acting weird lately."

"thanks for that," i said dryly, sinking deeper into the couch. "real fucking helpful, daisy."

she raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying my bullshit. "is this about imogen?"

the way she said her name—it was like she already knew everything. like she could see right through me. and that pissed me off.

"what about her?" i asked, trying to play it cool. but my voice cracked a little, which made phoebe smirk.

"oh my god," she gasped, her eyes widening. "you like her!"

"no, i don't," i shot back quickly, maybe too quickly.

she rolled her eyes and plopped down on the couch next to me. "don't even try to lie to me, louis. you're totally into her."

"fuck off," i muttered, not wanting to deal with this right now. "i'm not into her. she's just... nice."

"nice?" daisy laughed. "you're obsessed with her."

"i am not fucking obsessed!" i snapped, glaring at her.

daisy just kept laughing, clearly enjoying this way too much. "louis and imogen sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g..."

"i'm gonna kill you," i threatened, but it didn't carry any real weight.

she ignored me, leaning in closer. "admit it. she's the reason you've been acting like a total weirdo lately."

i ran a hand over my face, feeling the frustration build. "it's not like that, dais."

"then what is it like?" she pressed, her teasing tone gone now. "because, from where i'm sitting, it seems like you actually care about her."

"that's the problem," i muttered under my breath.

she stared at me for a second before softening a bit. "you're scared, aren't you?"

"scared? no. it's not that," i said, shaking my head. "it's just... she doesn't belong in my world, dais . she's too... good for all this shit."

"oh, please," she rolled her eyes. "don't give me that 'i'm protecting her from the spotlight' bullshit. if you like her, just admit it. stop overthinking everything."

i sighed, not wanting to admit that she was right. "even if i did like her, which i don't—"

"bullshit," she cut in.

"even if i did," i continued, ignoring her interruption, "it wouldn't work. my life's a fucking mess. the last thing she needs is to get dragged into that."

she shrugged. "maybe she doesn't care about that. maybe she sees something in you that you don't see in yourself."

"yeah, right," i scoffed. "like what?"

"i don't know, maybe the fact that you're not as much of a dick as you pretend to be?"

i laughed, but it was a bitter, hollow sound. "you don't know what you're talking about."

daisy leaned back, crossing her arms. "look, louis, you can keep pretending like this doesn't matter, but i can tell it does. you've never been like this about anyone. you can't fool me."

i didn't say anything, just stared at the floor, my mind racing. because the truth was, she was right. i'd never felt like this about anyone before. and that terrified me.

she stood up, clapping me on the shoulder. "well, whenever you figure it out, let me know. but for the record, i think you should go for it. she's good for you."

i didn't respond, just watched her walk out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

great. now what?