"Lovely"

Part Nineteen (Harry)

Part Nineteen (Harry)

I spend the rest of the day in complete and utter worry. What if Louis isn’t okay? What if he breaks down again? I knew that I shouldn’t be letting my mind swarm itself with such terrible things, but I just couldn’t help it. Louis wasn’t here, and I wasn’t exactly sure what to do about that.

Be there for him.

My conscience screams at me to do exactly that. Be there. However, simply being there for someone you care about is often the most difficult thing to be. You want to help them, guide them, do something that may be of some benefit to them, but you can’t. You just have to support them in whatever decision that they come to.

Be there.

What a load of complete bullshit.

If by “be there” they meant that I should stand on the sidelines while Lou repeatedly breaks down over something I can easily fix? Then no, I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it.

I needed to do something.

I had to.

Get rid of Liam.

The obvious answer. Just get rid of him.

How to do that?

I suppose I could just speak with him. Have an angry little chat about staying away from Louis. Though beating the life out of him was always a viable option, I have this crazy hunch that it may not go over so well. In the meantime, I’ll have to speak with Lou about what he wants to do about it.

After he had left the school, I had left a message on his home landline, letting him know that I’d be there as soon as class was done. If he needed anything that his dad could not provide, I’d be there. Part of me wanted to leave when he left, just so that I could sit with him, and help calm him down. This was the second time in the month I’d known Louis that this had happened, I can’t imagine how often it was when the incident was still fresh in his mind. Mind you, it’s probably only gotten fresher as time passed. It hurt me physically, seeing Louis that broken, that…vulnerable, and I couldn’t bring myself to let it happen again. To know that he was going through all of this pain, and all of this remembering…I couldn’t bear the thought. Louis needed constant support, and reassurance, and I intend to be that for him. He needs someone that isn’t related to him. Someone on the outside to help him when he needs it.

I do hope that he was able to get some sort of rest when he got home. The bell had rung about five minutes ago, and I’d burst out of chemistry class in record time. It was only three forty five, and already I was over half way to Lou’s.

His house really wasn’t too far from my own, his being on First Street and mine on Third. I found it only took around fifteen minutes to walk there from school, and when I arrived, his father was sitting out on the front porch.

“Hello Harry,” he greets casually, “How was the first day?”

I smile, moving up the driveway “Good to see you Mr. Tomlinson. It was alright, I mean…besides the thing with Lou.”

“Call me Jeremy, please.” He insists, shaking his head. “I think Louis’ still sleeping, but you’re welcome to head inside and look for yourself.”

I nod. “Thank you, sir.”

“Not a problem, straight upstairs, second door on the right.”

~~

Well, he certainly wasn’t wrong. I do my very best to be quiet, moving swiftly up the stairs and to Louis’ bedroom. The lights are turned out, and the curtains are closed. However, despite the lack of light, I can tell that the room is painted a simple white, with basic furnishings, a dresser, desk and a messy double bed against the wall.

It wasn’t the room itself that interested me though, or the bed for that matter. It was who was in the bed that had captured my attention. Louis. I could see his chocolate fringe poking out from underneath a thick white comforter, and his legs poking out at the ends, despite his small size. I laugh as his toes wiggle in adjustment.

Thought that only happened to me.

I have to admit that he looked wonderful when he slept. My conscience urged at me, insisting on the creepiness of what I was doing. Maybe I should wake him.

Just as I’m contemplating whether or not I should, his alarm sounds, and Louis sits up in a confused sort of grogginess.

“Good morning, sunshine.” I laugh, leaning over to flick off the clock. He rubs his eyes, laying back down.

“Hi Harry,” he mumbles, lying back down. “I thought you weren’t coming till after school?”

“Lou,” I almost whisper, taking a seat on the end of his bed, “It’s almost four o’clock.”

He grumbles something, pulling himself up and out from under the covers.

“Thank you for coming.” He smiles, scooting over on the bed. Louis pats his hand against the space next to him, gesturing for me to climb in next to him. I do so, pulling the cover up over the two of us again.

“How did you sleep?” I breathe, pulling him into me.

“Alright, I guess.”

Immediately I sense something off.

“Hey,” I say quietly, “What’s going on?”

Louis takes a moment to collect his thought, sniffling several times before replying.

“He’s going to hurt me.”

Hearing the words come from him hurts.

“I know it.” He adds.

I want to comfort him. I want to know what to say. I want to make all the pain away. But I can’t.

“Lou…” I begin, pulling him closer to me. His head rests on top of my chest, and settles his body over mine.

I don’t know how long we lay there for, but when Mr. Tomlinson- Jeremy- comes in and sends me home, it’s dark out. I had left at the best time. Louis had been asleep for maybe an hour, and I left him a note telling him where I went. He’d find it in the morning. Pressing a quick kiss to his forehead, I went on my way.

It is a bit colder than usual on the walk home, but I really couldn’t care less. I can’t stop thinking about Louis. How he felt laying with me. I like it. A lot.

Once I get onto my street, I get a knot in my stomach. I had forgotten.

Rent was due yesterday.

I can only hope that mum and dad were able to come up with it. My final check from Diana hadn’t been too much, one shift, but it was something. Mum had even had to go out every night last week for her work. God I hope it’s still alright.

Though I do my best to keep my mind off it, I can’t shake it. I dig into my front pocket and find my house key, and once I get up to the front steps I realize what’s happened. There is a black box on the doorknob, and a letter secured to the front door:

EVICTION NOTICE