Beyond the Stars *Dark Louis Tomlinson*

Chapter 13

Louis brings me into his car considering it's still raining outside and I want to talk privately. This story he's supposed to be telling me should be good and I'm all for a good story before bedtime.

"So, you know that Eleanor left," he starts. He suddenly closes his jaw tightly and stares out the windshield. "But no one knows that there was someone before her. I loved that someone more than anything in the world. I thought I loved Eleanor, but I was just trying so desperately to get over this person. This person, well, he was a boy."

He pauses, waiting for my reaction. "So you're bisexual," I state. He slowly nods, his head down. "I don't care. I know many people who are, too, and it's not a big deal. Go on."

"Oh," he says, surprised by my casualness. "Okay. Well, his name was Harry. I met him in my last year of high school. I used to live in Doncaster. Harry, his older sister, and his mum had just moved there from Cheshire. I was seventeen and he was fifteen. He was anxious about not making friends, so he joined the football team. I swear, it was like love at first sight. When I first saw him, I was just instantly attracted to him. And then we became drill partners for the season. He was so amazing. We were best friends and so much more."

"What happened to him?"

His eyes lower. "Even before I graduated high school, I got caught up in some bad things in Doncaster. Harry got in danger when he followed me out one day. We didn't want to live in fear anymore so we were going to move to London so he could finish high school and I could go to uni. Both of our mums agreed it would be the best thing to do."

He squeezes his eyes shut. "So, the day of the move, Harry met me in an alley where I used to hang out in. He had my car filled with gas and our stuff packed and ready. One of the guys I was caught up in, Derin, came out of nowhere with a gun. He started saying all this threatening stuff to us and he was really homophobic. He threatened to kill everyone I love. So he shot Harry."

My mouth hangs open in surprise. "He shot him in the chest. And then I took out the handgun from my sweatshirt pocket and shot him between the eyes in an instant. I murdered him for ruining my life. And Harry wasn't dead right away."

I can feel the sadness in his voice. "I tried to save him. He died crying. I held him. He was safe. He died...loved."

He wipes at his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Lou," I say soothingly.

I reach across and hug him. He immediately hugs me back, holding on for dear life. He's worried that if he lets go, I'll end up like Harry and Eleanor; gone forever. I take in his scent, which is a very good mixture of cologne and normal body odor. It actually smells really good and relaxes the nerves I didn't know I had.

"What was his full name?" I ask.

"Harold Edward Styles," he answers immediately. "Harry for short. I called him Harold whenever he was being stupid, which was a lot. I mainly joked about it, though."

I smile. "He sounds just lovely, Louis. Don't be ashamed of who you are. It's okay to be bisexual. It really is."

He grins. "Thanks. When I told Eleanor, she was so disgusted with me. She said it wasn't natural and that I was gay. I'm sure it was part of the reason why she left. Honestly, I'm glad she's gone. I've got something better now."

I raise an eyebrow. "Me?" I question. "Oh, Louis, you could do so much better than me. I am even more messed up than you think I am."

"Then we're both pretty messed up. We're messed up together," he points out. "You know, I thought I had lost you, too. There was a brief time when I thought you were dead and it weighed on my conscience so terribly, like Harry's murder. He really was killed because of me. I missed his wake and funeral because I fled to London. I have no idea where he's buried and haven't heard from his family in two years."

"It wasn't just you that made me jump that day. It's other things, but I won't get into those just yet. There's a lot I haven't told you."

"Ditto, Adeline. Sounds like we're perfect for each other."

"Innit?" I say, causing us both to smile.

Innit.