SPACES [Editing]

Cold Shoulder

Louis Tomlinson

"Baby!" I said too loudly, causing everyone to look at me.

Yes, I'm married to him, people. Get over it.

"Join us," I said , moving to the chair beside me so I could make space for him. I held his arm gently and waited for him to be seated.

"You're with a friend," he said, looking at Eleanor. I couldn't quite decipher the expression on his face, but I can tell that he doesn't want to be here anymore.

"Uh yeah, um, Baby, this is Eleanor. El, this is Harry." Eleanor held out her hand for Harry to shake.

"His husband." He said, shaking Eleanor's hand. Their hands stayed *there* for a moment, while I tried to break the awkwardness.

"You didn't tell me you were married?" Eleanor said, making the situation more awkward than it already is.

"Well, that's interesting." Harry said.

"I'm sure he didn't mean to, though. I mean, it hasn't come up in the conversation, so..." Eleanor tried to save it.

"Yeah, I don't think it's that important anyway." Harry said. I tried reaching out to his hand below the table, but he ended up placing them both on top of the table, fumbling with his rings. His left hand had one solitary ring on his ring finger: our wedding ring.

I left mine at home, but that doesn't mean anything.

"Anyway," Harry said, breaking the silence, "how'd you two meet?"

I know what he was doing. Eleanor was supposed to ask us that question, but he chose to throw that question out to us. He was playing games, and I didn't like it.

"We're old friends," she answered.

"Ah, rekindling an old flame." Harry said, rubbing the bottom of his chin with his pointer finger.

"I'm actually Hannah's friend. But then I saw Louis again after a long time so I decided we should get coffee and catch up." She smiled sweetly, oblivious to what was happening.

"Ooh, Hannah. I haven't heard from her for a while, that's interesting. Tell me more." Harry told her and that's what she did.

Really, does this girl even think?

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The deafening silence of the car ride home as painful, even as agonizing as what happened back in the coffee shop.

All I did was to listen to Eleanor while she talked about modeling and her famous friends. Harry pretended to be into the conversation just so he could be polite, but I could tell that he hated being there.

He was driving faster than the usual, his eyes were focused on the road. He didn't even bother answering his phone that was ringing non-stop.

"Aren't you going to pick that up?" I asked him.

He didn't answer me, his eyes were still glued to the road.

"Baby, please..." I held his non-driving hand.

"Don't call me that." He said, pulling his hand closer to his body.

"You're upset." I said.

"Really? Am I? Why would I be upset?" He said sarcastically, hitting the brakes hard just when the light was red.

"Because I hung out with Eleanor?" I said.

"Isn't that a bit shallow, though?" He said, trying to conceal his anger.

"I'm sorry." I said, trying not to make him more upset.

"Three things. Three things I'm upset about." He said, holding up his fingers.

"One, you didn't text me where you were. I know you didn't mean to, but if I hadn't thought about waiting in the coffee shop, I would have waited a bit longer. Imagine how I felt when I saw you in there with her, a girl who has something I don't have." He explained. I know he's had the same problem with Mason before, so I know where he's coming from.

"Two, you didn't tell her you were married. It could've been okay with me, but third, you weren't even wearing your wedding ring." He said, biting his bottom lip afterwards.

He pulled up the driveway and parked the car before leaving me in it.

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to make you mad--" I chased after him.

"See? I hate it when people do that. People apologize for making other people mad instead of apologizing for the wrong things they have done." He said while taking long strides to the house while I was trying to catch up with him.

I didn't know what to say next. I didn't want to say anything that would make him more upset than he already was.

I went up the stairs shortly after he's gone up to our room. By the time I reached the door, he was on his way out, carrying a pillow with him.

"I'm taking the couch. Final word." He said, not even looking back at me before heading down the stairs.

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It's been hours since we've gotten home and I was still hoping he'd come to bed with me. I honestly deserve to be sleeping on the couch, not him. If anything, I deserve to sleep outside.

I went down the stairs to check on him. There he was, sleeping in the couch, with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

I went back up the room and stripped the comforter off from our bed. I put it on top of him and I watched as he took a deep breath and snuggled into it.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, his eyes still closed.

I knelt in front of the couch, touching his curls so his hair was out of his face. He was sleeping soundly, but I can see that his nose was still red. I can tell he was crying before he went to sleep.

I moved closer so my lips were touching his temple.

"I love you, you know that?" I placed my palm on the side of his cheeks, rubbing the side with my thumb.

I kissed him one last time before coming up the stairs.

"Stay." I heard him say in the softest voice, but it was all I heard from all the silence.

I turned around and noticed that he was already sitting up.

"Please stay with me." He said, his eyes still swollen.

He lifted the comforter and tapped the space beside him. I went under the duvet and laid down on the couch, facing him.

I wanted to hug him so badly but I was reluctant because he might not want me to. I realized I was wrong when he held his arm around me and placed his palm against my outer thigh so my leg was on top of his.

"I'm sorry," I said while he held me.

"Shhh, just cuddle." He said before kissing my nose.

In that moment, I knew he was the first one to forgive.

He was being brave.