Keep Holding On [Zouis Tomlik Love] [Sequel to Feelings Don't Fade Away]

chapter four: the truth.

i'm so sorry that i have taken forever to upload :\ i've been extremely busy and writing isn't exactly my number one priority (i hope you all understand) but here's chapter four <3

Juliette.!<3

The rest of the day passes slowly and I don’t see Louis once. It’s like he’s avoiding me. The most I’ll see is a flash of stripes here, a glimpse of his hair there- nothing that brings me any closer to figuring out what he’d mumbled before he’d left the nurse’s office. As the periods pass by I find myself becoming more and more frustrated and pissed off.

Why can’t he just be straight (no pun intended) with me? Why is he being so complicated? One minute he’s singing and it seems like he cares and then the moment he knows I’m watching him BAM! he’s all secretive and dick-like again. Why is he doing this?

I grab my backpack from my locker and make my way out front to where I was sitting this morning. I sit and wait, prepared to speak to Louis about this and confront him. He can’t keep avoiding me forever.

“Hey, babe,” A sultry voice hits my ears. Taylor slides down beside me and grips my arm, putting her lips close my ear. “I missed you last night.”

I try and swallow past the lump in my throat. She’s gross, honestly. I’m really only with her because she’s an easy fuck whenever I need one. It’s shallow, I know, but I can’t exactly call the one person I want to be with whenever I want, can I?

“I was busy,” I say. That’s a huge lie. I was at home thinking about Louis. He’s just too damn amazing, I can’t help it. He’s on my mind all the time. So I act like a dick to get him to hate me because if he stops talking to me then maybe these feelings will go away. That’d worked this morning until I passed out and he came back for me.

Did Mrs. Pratt really send him back? He hadn’t been gone that long. Was he listening to my conversation with Niall? What’s going on between the two of us? Is there something going on between the two of us? Why am I even thinking about this when I have-

“Malik.” My eyes snap up to Louis who’s standing a few feet away from Taylor and I, a look of complete disgust on his face. His nose is slightly crinkled and not because he’s laughing. I can tell Lou is hiding a scowl. I just can’t figure out if it’s aimed at me or Taylor.

“What do you want, Tomlingay?” Taylor asks before I can say anything. Louis takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. He opens them again slowly.

“Malik, you’re dropping me off at my house tonight, remember?” He asks. “Harry’s going home with Niall and Liam’s with Danielle, so I don’t have a ride. Harry said you’d be able to drop me off.”

“He’s too busy for-”

“I’ll take you,” I nod and stand after cutting Taylor off. I walk off towards my car without a second glance back at her. I open the trunk of my black BMW. I look up and see Louis slowly making his way towards me, his shoulders hunched, his hands in his pockets.

“I can walk home if it’s too much of a problem,” He says. I look closely and I can see that he’s blinking back tears. He sniffles and tries to cover it up by coughing. “I mean, you were probably going to be with Taylor, and-”

“Louis, I’m taking you home,” I say. “Seriously. Get in.”

Louis nods and opens the passenger’s side door, getting in before slamming it shut. I nod to myself and throw my backpack into the trunk, closing it. I look over at Taylor and see her staring at me with devil eyes. I shrug at her and get into the driver’s seat.

As I start the engine I realize that Louis is turned almost completely in his seat so that he’s not facing me. He has his earphones in and music is blaring. I pick up a few lyrics.

“She can’t see the way your eyes,

Light up when you smile,

She never noticed how you stop and stare,

Whenever she walks by.”

I pull onto the road and try to think of the song. Louis begins to sing to himself and I listen.

“And you can’t see me wanting you,

The way you want her,

But you are everything to me;

“And I just wanna show you,

She don’t even know you,

She’s never gonna love you like I want to,

And you just see right through me,

But if you only knew me,

We could be a beautiful, miracle,

Instead I’m just invisible.”

He stops singing and I watch a tear slide down his cheek. I quickly turn my attention back to the road. What’s up with him? All she did was- oh. Taylor called him gay. Niall was right; that is a soft spot for him. I chew on my bottom lip. Should I say something?

“Malik,” Louis takes his earphones out and turns to me. “You can drop me off here if you want.”

“We’re five blocks from your house,” I say. He nods and sniffles.

“I know,” He hiccups. “I just don’t want to bother you anymore.”

“Look,” I turn to him. “Louis, I’m dropping you off in front of your house. Seriously, it’s no big deal. I want to drop you off in front of your house.”

Louis nods and turns back to face the window. The rest of the car ride is silent and the tension could be cut with a knife. When I finally pull to a stop in front of his house Louis doesn’t hesitate to jump out of my car and slam the door shut. I sigh and get out of my car just as he makes it to his front door.

“Lou, wait,” I call out after him. Louis takes a deep breath and turns. The tears are now fully streaming down his face.

“What?” He asks, his voice cracking.

“Can I come inside?” I ask. I don’t know what I’m doing, I just know that I need to find out what’s going through his mind. I need to know.

“Do whatever the hell you want, Malik,” He says before opening his door. He leaves it open, I’m assuming for me, and I take the keys out of the ignition before following him inside. I hear footsteps upstairs and I close the door before following the noises.

I’ve been inside Louis’s house once before. A few days after Niall and Harry first got together they had a ‘party’ for everyone at Louis’s house. Louis had seemed fine with it. Then I found out I could go and I could get rid of Taylor for the night. The door to Louis’s bedroom is closed and I knock.

“Lou?”

“Go away, Malik,” He growls. I sigh. Why does he always call me that? Zayn isn’t good enough for him or something? Jesus, Zayn, stop being difficult. This isn’t about you. I mentally slap myself into a coma.

“Louis, please,” I whisper. I try the doorknob and it gives way beneath me. I walk into Louis’s room and see him laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

“What do you want?” He sighs and closes his eyes, most likely blinking back more tears.

“If this is about what Taylor said-” I start but he cuts me off.

“Don’t pretend like you care,” He says. Louis’s blue eyes move to lock onto mine and I’m frozen in place. There’s so much hurt and sadness in them that I can’t help but feel my throat begin to close up and tears well up in my own. “Tomlingay was your nickname for me from ninth to eleventh grade.”

“I’m sorry,” I whisper.

“No, you’re not,” Louis scoffs. “Don’t pretend to be. I’m just the gay kid, right? Go back to-”

“You’re more than that,” I answer before I can stop myself.

“What?” Louis looks at me, his eyes now filled to the brim with confusion. I chew on my bottom lip.

Shit.