"Louis. Eleanor's not pregnant."
Everything stops.
There have been a lot of defining moments in Louis' life, moments that he'll remember every sharp detail of, that he'll never be able to forget for as long as he lives; moments, good and bad, that pulled his life into a completely new direction: Harry kissing him, making the Essex team, his accident, telling Harry how he felt in Leeds and the first time they made love. Eleanor telling him she was pregnant. This is another one.
"What?"
Danielle's expression had grown softer. "She's not pregnant, Lou."
He must have given her a look then, like he got that part, but he needed her to explain more. His mind flashes back to every minute detail of the conversation as he runs to his car, completely bypassing the now-empty locker room.
"I didn't figure it out until the other day, when she was still acting like everything was fine."
"Dani, if this is some kind of joke..."
"It's not. I wouldn't joke about something like this, Louis."
Louis still can't wrap his head around any of it. He must be dreaming. He throws his car into drive and holds back every desire inside of him that says to go straight to Harry.
"Are you telling me she was never pregnant? Was this all just-"
"No. I think she was. I-. Louis, I can't really say anything else, alright? It's complicated. Just. Talk to her. Get her to explain."
"Dani."
Louis pulls up to the residence hall dorms. His hands are shaking on the wheel and it's not because of the cold outside. He tries to keep breathing, hold down that feeling of pure relief that wants to burst free. Not yet, he thinks. Not until he knows for sure.
"I know, okay? I know it's screwed up. This is all so fucked, Lou. If I had known that she wasn't planning on telling you, I wouldn't have waited this long."
"How long?"
It had been over a week. Eleanor had known for at least a week that she wasn't pregnant and she hadn't told Louis. She hadn't even tried. Not once.
"We got in a row over it, the other night when she called you. She still won't talk to me."
"Why?"
"I threatened to tell you. She's my best friend, Louis. But you never deserved this."
He thinks he should be used to this, to having his life flipped upside down until it's almost unrecognizable. Just when he's resigned himself, someone comes and turns it all on its head. This girl, his acquaintance at best, had altered his life completely not even ten minutes ago and she didn't even realize.
Or maybe she did. Maybe even if she didn't know all the details, she still knew that this would mean so much more than they both know he'd ever let on.
"You deserve to be happy, Louis."
He's not sure how her words, a girl he hardly knows really, could hit him in a way where he actually believed them for the first time in his life. But they had, and he did.
He'd watched her retreating form until she was just a speck in the distance. And then he'd taken off, his body full of adrenaline. It hasn't waned in the time it's taken him to reach Eleanor's dorm.
He'd wanted to find Harry first, of course, but the last thing he'd ever want to do is tell him this news and have it turn out not to be true. Not that he doesn't believe Danielle (he wants to with everything in him), but he couldn't bear the thought of putting the light back in Harry's eyes only to have to snatch it away again. He never wants to do that again.
