Already Gone (Harry Styles / One Direction)

City Boy*

~~Harry's POV~~

After Maddie left me in the loft, I felt lost and shattered, yet I understood her perspective. Three months is indeed a lengthy period. I spent time with the guys and had a blast, aside from thoughts of her. She was missing for the rest of the evening, which concerned me. However, hearing from Josh that she was with Tristan assured me of her safety. I hope they resolve their issues because they really are the best of friends. The night continued, I got thoroughly drunk, and eventually found myself back at the house where I passed out.

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~~The Next Morning~~

Groaning, I wake to a pounding headache—a stark reminder of why I despise hangovers. As I sit up, I realize there's someone lying next to me. I move the covers and damn I'm butt ass naked and so is she... She, whom I do not recognize. I move away from the side of the bed and notice the condom wrapper on the floor. I mean come on; I don't remember anything but passing out. The body stirs next to me as I pull on my shorts.

"Morning'." Turning around, I think I might have met her last night; her name could be Savannah, though I'm not certain. I simply gaze at her. "You were really drunk last night, but it's okay, you were great," she says. I groan, heading to the bathroom to shower, secretly hoping she'll be gone by the time I get back. After brushing my teeth, I return, and there she is sitting, thankfully dressed this time. Damn it, how could I fuck someone in Maddie's house. I have no desire to do this walk of shame. "Hey, you want to walk me out, city boy?" Why do they keep calling me that? I nod, remaining silent. Opening the door, the aroma of coffee and breakfast greets me. As we descend the stairs, every gaze turns to us, and Louis' expression is murderous. I escort her to the door and mutter goodbye.

I hear a squeal and turn to see Tristan and Maddie entering through the back door, her riding on his back. Fortunately, she didn't witness what just occurred. Approaching the bar, all eyes are on me. I take a plate and heap it with the array of food before me. Someone has outdone themselves this morning; the choices are abundant. "Maddie, you're the best cook I've ever encountered. I'm tempted to sneak you into my bag and take you home," Niall declares, eliciting a giggle from Maddie. I glance her way, but she doesn't return the look.

"You're not taking my girl anywhere, Horan," Tristan interjects, planting a kiss on Maddie's cheek. Her expression shifts to one of guilt, and I'm left wondering why. Josh glances over, his face etched with surprise.

"Your girl? Tristan are you still drunk?" he scoffs. Tristan chuckles, then turns to Maddie, who is fidgeting with her fingers and staring at the floor. What on earth is going on?

"Yeah, well we are together now." I choke on the piece of bacon I've just bitten into. Every eye in the room turns to me, except for the ones I long for. Maddie strides over, peering out the back door. Josh catches sight and shakes his head. "Yeah, it just happened, you know. We might as well be together; at least now I reap the benefits of being a boyfriend," he says with a wink. Anger surges within me swiftly, yet I manage to suppress it. The backdoor bangs shut, and I watch Maddie dash down the hill.

"You know, I really don't want to hear that," Josh speaks up. Thank you, Josh.

"Well, I have to go. I've got things I need to do before tomorrow. Tell Maddie I'll be around," he says, waving as everyone bids him goodbye. Josh, Liam, and Niall head off, likely to play with the game system, while Louis simply stares.

"What?" I snap at him.

"Mate, what the fuck happened? I tell you to go get Maddie last night and you get a random and now her and Tristan are together." I groan because last night was just fucked up.

"I don't know, I told her about me liking her and she said she felt the same, we kissed, she pushed me away and said let's be friends. I don't even remember that girl, let alone fucking her. Tristan and Maddie. I have no clue, I mean I knew he loved her; you can just tell but I know she doesn't feel the same. She told me yesterday."

"Well mate, somethings changed." And I know it's because of me. I drove her into his arms; I frightened her, and she fled to him.

"I'm going to talk to her."

"Do you think that's wise?" It doesn't matter to me whether it is or not. I need to understand why she's acting this way. Rising, I exit and trace the path I took yesterday. This time, she's sitting on the fence, her legs swinging freely. Approaching from behind, she gazes into the distance, oblivious to my presence. I lean in to glimpse her face; tears are streaming down her cheeks. As I extend my hand to comfort her, she jumps off and strides across the field. Should I follow her? Yes, you should—she's in tears. I scale the fence and start jogging to catch up with her.

"Maddie, will you talk to me?" She continues walking, never raising her eyes from the ground. "Please, tell me what's wrong." I keep pace beside her until she halts at the lake's edge and sits on the bank. She sniffles, brushing tears from her cheeks.

"I don't know what to say, Harry." Her voice is laced with pain, and guilt seeps through. "He loves me, he's good for me, he's here." My heart fractures. She tugs at the grass, ripping it out in clumps. I settle next to her. The sadness in her eyes compels me to wrap her in my arms, and she leans into the embrace without hesitation.

"Do you love him, Maddie?" I already know the answer; I just want to understand her reasoning for choosing to be with him. She shakes her head 'no.' "Then why are you with him?"

"Because... I..." She halts, but I urge her to continue. "Last night, I found him. I was upset over you and how I had treated him." She avoids my gaze, her head resting against my chest. "We got really drunk, and one thing led to another; it just happened." I tense up at her confession, dreading what might come next. "He told me he was in love with me, and I just kissed him, and..." Her voice breaks into sobs, her body trembling with emotion. "We had sex and I felt guilty. I considered the possibility of being with him in that way. You're leaving, and he's present. My confusion was overwhelming, so I agreed. I believed I could learn to love him because I can't bear to hurt him. He's always been there when everyone else has left. Everything was going well until he told me he loved me, and I began to cry. Do you want to know why?" I say yes. "It's because when he said those words, it was you I thought of, you I wished were kissing me. The guilt... I could never confess that to him; I can't hurt him."

I really don't know what to say. Yes, I'm angry because they had sex. Yes, I am angry because she has become his girlfriend. And yes, I'm angry because I know she won't leave him. I hold her in my arms and reflect on her words. She wished it was me kissing her while he made love to her. I desire nothing more than to be the one to do that, but it won't happen, and my heart is breaking.

"What does this mean for us, love?" I lift her face, noticing her eyes are red and swollen.

"Nothing. We can be friends. We can continue with our lives." I can't let her go. I want to be her friend. I want to keep her in my life in any way possible. Maybe Tristan will realize that being friends is better. A guy can hope, right?

"Okay, friends then." She looks up at me, and I fight the urge to kiss her. "We can talk, text, and hang out when I'm in town, yeah?" I desire more, but this will have to suffice.

"Really?" I nod. "Okay, at least I'll have one hell of a friend." She smiles at last, and we sit together, silently gazing over the water.