TORN

Chapter 8: Conflicted Hearts

The crowd was still roaring, the music loud and electrifying, but for Harry, everything had gone silent. The last few minutes felt like a blur—Louis' words, Y/N's stunned expression, and then the look in her eyes as she turned and stormed off. His stomach twisted as he watched her disappear into the sea of people, knowing he couldn't let her leave like this.

Without thinking, Harry pushed through the crowd, his heart racing. He barely noticed the bumping bodies and flashing lights as he tried to keep up with Y/N. She was fast, her long legs cutting through the mass of concertgoers like she couldn't get away from him fast enough.

"Y/N, wait!" he called after her, his voice drowned out by the music. But he didn't stop.

Y/N burst out of the main concert area and into the quiet night air, her breath coming in sharp bursts, her chest tight with a mix of anger and confusion. She didn't stop walking, her mind reeling from Louis' words, from Harry's reaction, from the way he had hesitated when she needed answers.

"Y/N, wait!" Harry's voice finally broke through, and she heard his footsteps quickening behind her. She kept walking for a few more steps before coming to an abrupt stop, her hands clenched at her sides. She couldn't hold it in anymore.

Harry stopped a few feet behind her, panting slightly as he tried to catch his breath. "Please... just let me explain."

Y/N spun around, her eyes blazing with confusion and hurt. "Explain what, Harry? What the hell was that back there?"

Harry swallowed hard, running a hand through his hair. "It's... complicated."

Y/N's brows furrowed as she crossed her arms. "Complicated? How? Who was that, and why was he acting like... like you two know each other?"

Harry could feel his heart pounding in his chest. There was no way out of this. He had to tell her. "Louis... he's someone I met at a bar a while ago. We... we kissed."

Y/N blinked, momentarily stunned into silence. "You... kissed him?" Her voice wavered, the shock evident on her face. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know how to," Harry admitted, his voice quiet. "It was a one-time thing, and I thought... I thought it didn't mean anything. But I've been confused ever since."

Y/N's lips parted slightly, and she took a step back, shaking her head as if trying to process his words. "So, you've been hiding this from me? You've been thinking about him while we've been... while we've been together?"

Harry opened his mouth, but no words came. The truth was all over his face, and Y/N could see it clearly now.

Her eyes flashed with anger. "That's why you've been so distant, isn't it? You've been lying to me this whole time, haven't you?"

Harry's heart sank. "I wasn't lying. I just... I didn't know how to tell you."

"Didn't know how to tell me what?" she snapped. "That you've been sneaking around with him? That you're still thinking about him while you're with me?"

Harry flinched at the harshness of her words, but he couldn't deny it. "I never meant for this to happen. I didn't plan any of it. Louis just... happened."

Y/N's jaw tightened, and she let out a bitter laugh. "Things like this don't just happen, Harry. You should've told me the truth."

"I know," Harry said, his voice cracking. "I'm so sorry, Y/N. I didn't want to hurt you."

"Well, guess what?" she said bitterly. "You did."

There was a heavy silence between them, the only sound the distant thumping of the concert's bass. Harry stood frozen, his mind racing with all the things he wanted to say but couldn't find the words for.

Y/N's voice cracked when she finally spoke again. "I thought you wanted this... us. But now, I don't even know if you do."

Harry felt a sharp pang in his chest. "I do, Y/N. I care about you, I really do. But... Louis—"

"There's always a 'but,' isn't there?" she cut him off, shaking her head. "If you really cared about me, you wouldn't be so distracted by him."

Harry swallowed, his throat dry. "I'm confused. About him. About... everything. I never thought—"

"That you might like men?" Y/N finished for him, her voice softer but no less pained. "It's okay, Harry. I get it. I just wish you'd been honest with me before it got this far."

Tears welled up in Y/N's eyes, and she quickly blinked them away, unwilling to let them fall. "Maybe you need time to figure out what you really want."

"I don't want to lose you," Harry said quietly, his voice breaking. "I care about you, Y/N. I really do."

Y/N let out a shaky breath, her arms wrapping around herself as if trying to hold herself together. "I think we both need space. You need to figure out what this thing with Louis means, and I need time to figure out how to trust you again."

The words hit Harry like a punch to the gut, but he knew she was right. He had been dishonest with her, with himself, and it had all caught up to him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I never meant for this to happen."

Y/N nodded, her heart aching. "I know. But it did."

Without another word, Y/N turned and walked away, leaving Harry standing in the street, his heart heavier than it had ever felt. He watched her disappear into the night, and for the first time, he didn't know if she would come back.

Harry stood there for what felt like hours, though it was only minutes, his mind reeling from the confrontation. He had been selfish, trying to hold on to both Y/N and Louis without facing the truth of his feelings. Now, everything was crumbling.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, snapping him out of his thoughts. He pulled it out, his heart dropping when he saw Louis' name flash across the screen.

"So, have you figured it out yet, Professor? Or do you need another night out to clear your head? 😉"

Harry stared at the message, his stomach twisting with guilt and confusion. Louis' carefree tone felt like a jolt of reality—a reminder of the chaos he was in. He didn't know how to respond, or if he even should.

The night was quiet around him, the concert fading into the background as Harry stood alone, caught between two worlds he didn't know how to reconcile.