Once

Chapter Eleven

Louis

"Why?" I ask, frowning at the phone. After our kiss, I had asked Stella out, and she said yes instantly. Now she was telling me we had to break up.

"I... I think it would be easier to explain if I was there." She says slowly.

"Do you have to?" I asked, annoyed. It had taken me so much courage to ask Stella out after being rejected multiple times, and now she had finally said yes, and she wanted to break up within less than 24 hours.

"Yeah." She said, and I could tell she was feeling guilty. She hung up before I could argue, and I sat on the couch, choking tears back and biting my knuckles. After ten minutes that took much longer to pass than they should have, there was finally a knock on the door.

"It's unlocked." I say, staring at the remote on the table, anything to get my mind away. Stella walks in and sits beside me. She took my hand in hers, but I pulled away, it hurt too much.

"Lou, I'm sorry-" She started, but I didn't want to hear it.

"Why." I asked, although it sounded more like a statement than a question.

"I..." She thought for a bit. "I can't tell you." I snorted.

"Your breaking up with me and you can't tell me why?!" I looked up at her, annoyed and feeling more hurt.

"I don't want to hurt you, Louis." Stella said, pity and honesty showing in her facial expressions.

"You can't hurt me any more than you are now." I say, looking down at my hands.

"Louis, you've known me for a week-"

"No I haven't!" I stood up, wanting to break something. "I've known you for so much longer than you realise!"

"What do you mean?" She asked, standing beside me.

"I can't tell you." I say, realising she probably felt as hurt as me by now.

"Louis, I don't understand!" She cried out. "Just tell me." I turned to her and took her hands in mine.

"You tell me why your breaking up with me, and I'll tell you how I know you." Stella looked like she was thinking hard.

"Ok." She said, taking in a deep breath. "Only if you promise to tell me."

"I promise." I say honestly.

"I have to." Stella said.

"That's no better than 'I can't tell you'!" I say, outraged.

"Listen, Lou!" She said. I calmed myself down a little and did as she said. "Management noticed me leaving here with your jumper on yesterday. They want me to start going to random guys' hotels and leaving hours later, and look like I slept with them."

"So?" I asked, throwing my hands in the air.

"If I'm going to have a serious relationship with you, I have to either tell everyone about it and risk not only my own band but yours too, or keep us a secret and continue going around to other guys' hotels and likely hurting you." Stella explained.

"I don't care." I say, straight up. "I don't care if you go to a million different hotels, just as long as I know you haven't done anything with anyone else. Your an honest girl, you couldn't lie to me." I saw surprise flicker over her face at me knowing she can't lie for shit before it was gone, and she was left looking simply happy.

"Really?" She asked. I smiled back.

"Yeah." The way she looked at me, it was just like the way she used to, and for a second I thought she remembered. But she didn't. Annoyed but not blaming her, I excused myself to make some tea. Remembering exactly how she liked hers, I left the tea bag in, threw in two sugars and lots of milk. Just as I was pouring the last of the hot water into my cup, I heard a voice from the doorway, startling me.

"You never told me how you know me so well." Stella said, leaning against the doorframe. I closed my eyes for a second, remembering how I was told to let her remember herself.

"Do you remember anything?" I asked, turning to face her. She laughed a little.

"Remember what?"

"High school. Do you remember when we were in high school?"

"Lou, you went to school on the opposite side of the world to me, and had to be at least two years ahead of me at school." Stella said, shaking her head.

"No." I say, trying my hardest to help her remember without telling her.

"Tell me then!" She begged.

"I'm sorry, I can't. Just wait a bit, I promise you, you'll know soon."

A/N;

Another dramatic chapter!! Soooo, Louis has asked Stella out multiple times? He's known her for longer than she realises? Is he a stalker?! :O Haha I'm joking. What do you think happened before that Stella doesn't realise? Haha it feels so weird talking about myself from someone else's POV xD I'll never get over that photo of Lou on the side, one of my favourites x