Falling for the Rockstar

Chapter 20 - Louis

It's still early in the morning, and the tour bus is already ready to go. The last boxes are being loaded into the bus, the crew is running in all directions, finishing up their tasks. I sit in the hotel lobby, watching the hustle and bustle and letting my thoughts wander as the tiredness in my limbs starts to fade. The sun hasn't risen yet, and the room is dimly lit, but the day is already in full swing – the next city is waiting, the next concert, the next show. Everything keeps moving, whether I want it to or not.

The argument with Grace just won't leave my mind. We simply went to bed, without talking things through. I didn't have the courage to check on her, to wake her up, or even say a word. I'm not even sure what I should say anymore.

"Louis!" I look up as Zayn suddenly appears in front of me. "You okay? Didn't expect to see you. I thought you and Grace were going to make the most of your time together until the last minute."

His tone is light and playful at first, but when he sees that I don't answer, just staring at the floor, the grin fades from his face.

"You good?" Zayn asks again, this time more seriously, without the usual smirk. I know he can tell something's off. He knows me well enough to recognize when something's wrong.

I don't answer immediately, just keep my gaze fixed on the floor.

"You want one?" Zayn asks again holding a cigarette box up in front of me. I nod slightly, not saying much. I need a moment to clear my head.

We walk together to the small smoking area at the back of the hotel. The smoke rises into the cool morning air, and the quiet is soothing. Zayn lights my cigarette, and for a moment, I smoke silently while he stands across from me, obviously waiting. Zayn takes a drag from his own cigarette and keeps glancing at me, as if trying to get something out of me.

"Louis," he finally says, his face showing that he really wants to know what's going on. "What's up, man? You've been looking forward to being with Grace again all these weeks. Where is she, anyway?"

"She... She's still upstairs," I answer, my voice weak. "We had an problem last night. Everything kind of got out of hand."

Zayn looks at me with a questioning look. "What happened?"

I close my eyes for a moment, take a deep breath, and light another cigarette.

"It was actually fine. We had sex." I pause briefly. "And that's bad?" Zayn asks. I shake my head as I exhale. "No, not that. It was... it was actually perfect. But then, after all that, you know, what happened... the condom broke. And I didn't notice until it was too late." Zayn's eyes widen. "Shit, Louis."

I let out a laugh of desperation. "We got the morning-after pill. She's already taken it. So nothing should happen." Zayn nods, but his expression is still worried. "Okay, that's good, you took care of it. Why do you look so wrecked, though?"

"Because..." I pause briefly. "Because it's not just that. We had a really bad fight. She said I'd leave her, run away when it came to taking responsibility. She called what we have a mistake. You know? She thinks I'm like all the other superstars out there, sending my manager to take care of everything for me. I really thought we'd gotten to know each other better, that she wouldn't have that image of me. But apparently, I was wrong."

Zayn listens carefully, and for a moment, there's silence between us, only the soft hiss of the cigarette smoke in the air. He takes a drag from his cigarette, his face thoughtful as he exhales slowly.

"You know that's not who you are, right?" he finally asks, his tone not really a question anymore. It's more of a statement, as if reminding me of something. "You're not like the others. You care about the people who are important to you. I know that, the guys know that, your family knows that. But Grace doesn't yet. She doesn't know you well enough for that. Put yourself in her shoes. She's scared. Our lives are anything but simple, bro. We're always on the move, there are rumors about us, scandals get attached to us. It's pretty clear that freaks her out. And the fact that you're here with me instead of with her, it's not helping her trust you the way she clearly still needs to."