The Second Time Around

Chapter Seventeen

Yay chapter 17 whut whuttt! Hopefully you guys will like it more than the last one because it's a tad happier so yeah. Enjoy! xoxo

Chapter Seventeen (Lucy’s Perspective)

I’ve been thinking about Harry nonstop ever since I caught a glimpse of him at that club a few days ago. It isn’t healthy. I’ve called in sick for the next few days at the bookstore. I told my boss that I caught a stomach bug and was constantly nauseous and puking. I did feel slightly nauseous when I thought too much about Harry, so it wasn’t a complete lie. I just feel so horrible. How could I have expected him to be okay after I completely pushed him away? Maybe I’ll feel better by Friday. Wednesday and Thursday will be enough time to straighten my act out, right?

Tobey’s left me alone, for the most part. She’s come in my room to check on me a couple of times, and made conversation with me each time I’ve ventured into the living room. I feel bad for being such a Debbie Downer around her the past couple of days. I feel like I’m wasting precious time that we have left together before I go back to England and she goes back to Texas for Christmas. But it’s so hard to just forget.

Just then there’s a light knock on my door.

“Lucy?” She says softly, poking her head through the gap. Her face is illuminated by the soft orange glow of my lamp on the nightstand by my bed. I don’t say anything, just look up and make eye contact. “I’m going to bed now. It’s a little past midnight. Will you be okay?” I nod and she smiles weakly. “Okay. I’ll see you in the morning, babe.” She blows a kiss to me and I pretend to catch it and press it to my heart. Her bright red hair disappears from the doorway and I roll back onto my side. My throat tightens and tears flow freely down my face. Whenever I’ve been this sad before, there’s only been one person other than Harry that could cheer me up. So I call him. He answers after four rings.

“Hello?” He says into the speaker, his voice rough with sleep.

“Louis?” I murmur, not attempting to hide the fact that I’m crying.

“Lucy? What’s wrong, love?” He asks, voice softening worriedly.

“Can you come over?” I ask, sniffling.

“Give me forty minutes. Can you stay awake that long?” He asks, and I can hear his sheets rustling in the background.

“Yeah,” I sigh, closing my eyes.

“Okay. I’ll be there soon,” He says before hanging up. I sit up and place my phone into the iHome on the nightstand next to the lamp and set the volume low enough so that it doesn’t wake Tobey, but loud enough for me to hum along to. I open the playlist that Louis had once made and start playing Shot At the Night by The Killers. I allow the serene sound of Brandon Flowers’s voice to lull me into a slightly more peaceful mood. The minutes drag by as each song starts and ends. Louis has a great taste in music. Just when Vienna by Billy Joel comes on, my phone buzzes in the dock. I look up and see a text from Louis telling me that he’s outside. I quickly get up and go to the front door.

I unlock the locks and pull the door open. He’s standing there in a hoodie and sweatpants slung low on his hips. His eyes meet mine and his expression falls when he sees that I’m still crying. He quickly closes the distance between us and envelops me in warm hug.