the traveller // louis tomlinson

chapter eight // the role of the best mate.

Harry's POV

"What in the world is going on?" Liam asks me as he places his hand over his phone so Rosalie can't hear him.

My eyes cast downwards guiltily as I ignore his question, not quite sure what to say for myself. I hadn't expected Mia to react like that. She seemed like the kind of girl with a sense of humor... I just assumed she wouldn't be very sensitive. I suppose not everyone shares my humor.

Of course I feel bad for making Mia so upset, but the thing that killed me the most was the look Louis gave me before chasing after her. He looked so disappointed to call me his best mate.

How he can be so protective over a girl he just met is over my head. It doesn't make sense to me. I don't think it makes much sense to the two of them either.

Tyler hops into the tour bus after having a chat with someone on the phone outside. He glances at me curiously, but before he can open his mouth to question Liam and I, I hop to my feet.

"I'm going to get some fresh air before we head out, okay?" I mumble.

I don't even take the time to make sure Tyler understood my gibberish before I'm racing out of the tour bus. The bustling city sounds just as lively as it had in the middle of the day. Nobody bothers the small little alley we're parked on, that's blocked off by large cones.

Stuffing my hands into my tight jeans, I pull out my phone. My fingers move on instinct, even though I know it's no use.

I dial Olivia's number that I memorized the day she wrote it down on my hand. I listen to her familiar rings, a sound I've grown accustomed to these past few months.

"Hi!" An excited voice greets me from the other line.

A great big grin appears on my face out of nowhere. I had not expected her to pick up at all. She's usually fast asleep by now.

"I miss you," I breathe into the phone, unable to contain it any longer. She lets out a small, tired chuckle that makes me miss her even more.

I can practically picture her rubbing her sleepy eyes and trying to keep her bangs out of her face as she gets comfortable, propping her cellphone on her shoulder as she often does. If it were possible, I'd get on the next flight to her right this moment. There'd be no hesitation.

"Who is this?" She jokes, her smile very evident in her voice.

"Oh sorry, I must have the wrong number. I thought I had called my girlfriend who's dying without me and can't wait to talk to her handsome boyfriend. Sorry about that," I joke along with her, dropping down onto the chilly sidewalk.

"Oh Harry, sometimes I have to go through my long list of boyfriends to make sure which one is which," She laughs, "But out of all of them, I miss you the most, if that's any consolation."

I roll my eyes and let out a low chuckle, missing her more than I thought possible. Perhaps it's better that we don't call each other all that often. I know after I get off the phone with her, I'm going to be miserable. The longer I don't hear from her, the more bearable it is. Is that selfish of me?

"Lucky me," I smile into the phone, holding it tight to my face as if it were Olivia's soft cheek instead.

"It's pretty late in Vegas, isn't it? What are you doing awake?" She asks, turning off the playfulness a bit, a quality that I love about her. She can be so silly one moment, but completely serious the next.

I let out a stressed sigh, remembering the reason I had called her in the first place. She's the only person I want to talk to about my problems. She always knows what to do, even if she acts like she doesn't. She gives great advice.