Once in a Lifetime ➳ Larry

chapter twenty-one

Chapter Twenty-One

Apologies pour from Harry's lips like a leaky faucet, dripping uncontrollably without conscious thought. He cries loudly in Louis's fancy car and stains the leather seat with salty tears. He hiccups through his weak sobs and tries to catch his breath, tries to stay calm, tries to be strong for Louis's sake. He already put them through enough. He exposed them, put their lives at risk, and it's all his fault.

"Harry," Louis says sternly. "For the one hundredth time, stop crying."

Harry sniffles and scrubs his eyes with his knuckles. "I'm sorry—"

"And stop apologizing," Louis interrupts. "I told you I'm not angry, H. I'm just concerned about you."

"But you should be angry, Lou!" Harry whimpers. "If I were you, I'd dump me on the side of the street and leave me behind."

Louis's grip tightens on the steering wheel. They're driving back to the cottage to pack their belongings and figure out a plan. It's pitch black outside with a crescent moon hanging in the sky, a sliver of white hope in the midst of darkness. The wind rustles through Harry's hair from his half-open window, filling his nose with the familiar scents of calming nighttime. Louis is driving faster than usual, probably speeding far over the limit, but he doesn't seem to care.

"I'm not going to abandon you because you made one small mistake," Louis promises softly. "I care about you, darling. You're my boyfriend."

"Yeah, an awful one."

"Don't say that," Louis snaps back.

Harry flinches at the sound of his voice. He shamefully stares down at his lap and focuses on his pale thighs. He's only wearing his golden thong with crumpled bills in the waistband, and his makeup is smudged from crying so much, and he probably looks like an absolute mess. Which makes him cry even harder.

"Babe," Louis hushes, rubbing his thumb over his bare knee. His skin is smooth and soft and covered with glitter. "I'm not mad at you, okay? This was bound to happen eventually."

Harry sighs quietly. "But I didn't want it to happen so soon," he frowns. "I have a life here, you know? I have friends and family."

"You don't care about your family."

"Yes, but they're still here, in England."

"We can visit sometimes, H," Louis assures. "Besides, you have a phone. You can still talk to your mates."

"It's not the same, though."

"I know," Louis sympathizes. He removes his hand from Harry's leg and places it firmly on the wheel. They turn down Louis's road, where tall trees grow on each side, towering above power lines and cables. The lights of the city don't compare to the countless stars in the sky, glimmering above the dense woods.

"I just— I want to be strong for you, Lou, but I'm gonna miss Angel, and Jag, and all my other mates. I'm gonna miss my job and my flat downtown. I'm gonna miss our cabin."

Louis gulps. "I know, love. I've had to leave behind so many friends in my lifetime— so many people I cared about. But you need to understand that your safety comes first, okay? Liam threatened you."

Harry nods numbly. "Yeah, I get it."

Louis bites his lip as he flicks on his turning signal, approaching their dimly-lit gravelly driveway. They follow the steep hill that leads to the cottage, twisting around various curves like a coiled snake. Out here, in the middle of nowhere, it feels like they're the only two people on earth. Like they have the entire world to themselves.