When Eyes Meet

Chapter 6: When Promises Break

Y/N woke up that morning with a rush of memories from the night before, her heart still fluttering from their date. The way Louis had held her close, the intensity of their kiss—it all felt surreal.

She'd let her guard down thinking he was different, that he wanted more than a fun night. But hours turned into an uneasy day, and she began doubting as her phone remained silent with no word from Louis.

When Louis finally called that evening, his tone was different—distant, hesitant.

"Hey, Y/N," he started, his voice oddly flat. "I need to tell you something."

The dread crept into her veins and she froze. "What's going on?" she asked and hoped her nerves didn't betray her voice.

"Management just threw this at us. We're leaving tonight for a press tour. They want us back on the road tomorrow," he said, with a frustrated sigh. "I didn't have a choice it wasn't the plan."

Y/N felt her walls rising instinctively. She wanted to be understanding but all she could feel was that familiar sting of abandonment, every time she let someone close only for them to walk away.

"I see," she managed to say slowly, and the voice that came out was colder than she intended. "I guess things change, right? Promises don't mean much in this industry."

Louis, caught off guard by her tone, tried to reason with her. "It's not like that. You know this is the industry; it's not in my hands. I didn't want to leave, but you're acting like this was intentional."

Y/N's hurt was too raw to hold back. "And what am I supposed to do, Louis? Just sit around and wait, hoping you won't disappear the next time things get inconvenient?"

His voice flickered with irritation. "You're being unfair, Y/N. I wanted to continue seeing you, I wanted us to work out. But I can't drop everything because of one date."

Her stomach twisted at his words, feeling the blow of his dismissal. "One date, right. I guess I misread everything, then."

Louis's patience was running thin. "Look, maybe this was all moving too fast. Maybe we got caught up in something that wasn't as serious as we thought."

Y/N felt something inside her harden, a sudden shift in her heart. "Thanks for the reality check, Louis," she replied icily. "I get it now."

The silence on the other end seemed louder than words.

Finally Louis exhaled, his tone matching hers, and its icy resolve. "Fine. If that's what you think. I'm not the bad guy just because I have a career."

She shot back, "Don't act like you're the only one with priorities. I won't waste time on people who can't make room for me."

Shaking her hands, she ended the call with no other word. She'd let him in, she'd let herself think he wasn't the same as the rest of the world—and in one moment, he proved promises were just as empty as she'd ever thought they'd be.

Y/N sat still on her bed looking blankly at her phone after hanging up on Louis. Her chest weighed heavily, and she fought to keep the tears from falling. The pain was too much. Just when she thought she'd found someone who wanted her as much as she wanted them, she lost them all in the blink of an eye.

Mia's face full of concern broke her trance with a soft knock on her door. "Hey... are you okay?"

Y/N failed at trying to smile. "Yeah... I mean, no." She gave a small little whisper and admitted, "Not really."

Mia closed the door and sat down beside Y/N. Putting her comforting arm around her shoulder, she waited patiently for Y/N to speak.

Y/N finally looked up, her voice tense as she finally said, "It's so stupid," her voice trembling. "I thought he was different, Mia. He said he wanted to keep seeing me... and I believed him."

Mia's eyes softened as she listened, rubbing gentle circles on Y/N's back. "It's not stupid, Y/N. You felt something real, and it's not your fault you let yourself believe in that."

Y/N swallowed, the hurt bubbling up in her chest. "It just... hurts. It hurts because I thought he was finally someone who'd want to stick around. But the second things got difficult, he was gone. It's like I wasn't even worth fighting for."

Her heart broke for her friend. She knew about Y/N's past, how afraid of abandonment she was, and how much effort it took for her to open up to people. "I'm sorry, Y/N. It's not fair."

Y/N tried to fight her tears. "I just...I've been trying to be okay with this. I pretend it doesn't matter but Mia, it matters so much." She let out a shaky breath. "And it scares me. Once I let them in, and it's the same thing every single time. I don't know how many more times I can take that."

Mia hugged her tight, letting Y/N release the hurt she had kept in. "You don't have to be strong always Y/N. It's okay to feel hurt. You let him in since you believed he'd do the same. That doesn't make you weak. It makes you brave."

They both sat in silence, Mia embracing Y/N to comfort her wounded heart. She'd have to pick those pieces up at some point, she knew that, but for now, it was okay to be sad for what could have been.

—

The tension in the bus was thick as Louis slouched down onto the couch and his face was a mix of frustration and defeat.

His bandmates immediately noticed and exchanged a couple of knowing glances before deciding to dig a little deeper.

Harry raised an eyebrow and leaned over from his seat. "Lou, what's with the storm cloud?" He asked trying to keep it casual.

Louis rubbed his hands over his face and sighed. "It's Y/N. She's... well, she's pissed. Thinks I bailed on her without caring."

Zayn let out a low whistle. "Ouch, that's rough. But you had to leave. She knows it's not your call, right?"

"I told her, but I don't think it matters to her," Louis replied, leaning back and staring up at the ceiling. "She basically shut me out, like I was just another guy messing around."

Niall crossed his arms, frowning. "Mate, you barely know each other. Maybe she's just... not as into it as you thought?"

Louis's jaw tightened. "It's not that. I know she felt something. We had a real connection—she wasn't just some random girl, alright? And now she's just done like I meant nothing."

Liam leaned forward, trying to find a middle ground. "Look, mate, she probably feels like you just vanished on her. Doesn't matter if it's management's call or yours—it still feels like you left."

"But I didn't just leave her!" Louis protested, the frustration breaking through. "I didn't have a choice. I wanted to keep seeing her, and I told her that. It's like she just didn't believe me."

Harry shrugged, his tone casual but sympathetic. "Maybe she's just got her guard up, you know? Some people aren't great with that whole... letting people in thing. Doesn't mean she doesn't like you."

Louis shook his head, looking away as he tried to make sense of it all. "It just sucks, alright? One second, we're having a great time. The next, she's acting like I'm no different from any other guy she's met."

"Can't really blame her," Zayn said, leaning back. "The whole 'I'll be back' thing sounds weak. She probably figures you'll get busy, move on, and forget about her."

Louis scowled. "It's not like that. I'm not trying to mess around."

Liam let out a small chuckle. "Mate, none of us are saying you are. Just, you know...maybe she's got her reasons. People don't just shut down like that for no reason."

The weight of their words sunk in, Louis ran a hand through his hair. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. Feels like she's already made her mind up."

Niall gave him a pat on the shoulder. "If she's worth it, give her a bit of space. She might come around on her own."

He nodded, but still, he felt the nagging doubt. He didn't know the whole story, but he knew enough to know there was more going on than she let on.