Treacherous {Louis Tomlinson}

(27) Facing Fears

Sorry for not posting anything in nearly a month (more than a month? I haven't checked :/ ). I've been busy with work and school and whatnot. Hopefully I will get into the habit of regular updates again... Hope you like it! I'm sad that there's only one chapter left, but also happy that I've finally completed this.

Thank you all for sticking with this through the end! It really means a lot. :) Vote or comment if you like!!

Clara.

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*Louis*

    "One Direction! One Direction!”

    The crowd cheers and screams and occasionally I hear my name, or one of my band mate’s. A grin spreads over my lips as I look down the line, the five of us standing at the edge of the stage. The show was brilliant and wild as ever. We all wave and grin out at the thousands of people. It’s still shocking sometimes, knowing this is my life. Knowing that this is what I do for a living. But it’s also one of the best feelings in the world.

    “Thank you, New York!” Harry calls out and the screams intensify. I let out a chuckle and continue to grin out at our fans.

    “We all had a lovely night, and it’s all thanks to you!” Zayn adds. Finally we all race backstage and hand off our microphones, excitement still buzzing through us.

    I pull my shirt off the minute we reach the dressing room and toss it onto the chair. The others do the same beside me. Caroline’s new assistant, Colette, smiles at us from the other side of the room. I smile back, but suddenly I don’t feel as excited. It shouldn’t be Colette here with us. It should be Harper, but she’s gone. Sighing, I try to push the thoughts away. Why’d you have to think that? For a while, I’d been furious at Harper. But then I realized that maybe all of it wasn’t a lie. She’d told me that she couldn’t be with me, but I thought that was just her own reluctance. Now I’ve realized that maybe she was serious. Maybe she was saying that because of her job, and she didn’t want to lie to me. Still, it doesn’t make it hurt any less. I still miss her like hell.

    Our hotel is right on the coast and it doesn’t take us long to get there. We all pile out of the van and Niall, Harry, and Zayn immediately head upstairs. I’m about to follow them when Liam slaps my arm. I give him a curious look, only to find him gesturing toward the beach.

    “Want to take a walk?”

    “Sure.”

    We tell Paul where we’re going and he insists that Andy go with us. After a brief moment of consideration, I decide that it’s not worth it to protest. Liam and I go around to the back of the hotel and start walking a little ways away from the surf.

     “We could search, you know,” he says, looking over at me. I purse my lips together a moment, staring at the sand through the dim light.

    “I know,” I say softly after a few moments. “But I don’t think it’ll matter. She doesn’t want to be found.”

    Even though I hate it, I know that it’s true. If Harper wanted me to find her, she would have said. And I don’t even know her real name, how would I begin? No, it’s best to just let her go. No matter how hard it hurts. I have to let her go. I’ve promised myself that I won’t run around pointlessly in hopes that I might catch some hint of her. If I ever get a concrete hint as to where she might be, then obviously I will follow it. But I’m not going to put myself through the pain and disappointment of chasing a ghost. Besides, maybe this is what Harper wants. No it’s not, and you know it, a voice whispers in the back of my mind. Probably not. But it’s what she decided and I have to respect that. I have to let her go.