change. (harry styles)

Chapter Sixty.

Chapter 60.

Ella's POV

I sent Anne a text to make sure everything was okay, telling her to be careful and make sure she was safe, though I know her and Gemma needed alone time, before I got settled in at Louis'. He laid my bag down before getting up to shower and I quietly went through it, putting my clothes in a drawer in the guest bedroom and laying my toiletries on top of the set of drawers.

But as I was about to slide my bag under the bed, something had caught my eye.

The envelope Louis had given me on Christmas laid at the bottom of the bag. Did this mean I could open it now?

I set it to the side and stared at it until Louis appeared into the guest bedroom again, his chest bare and black joggers covering his legs.

He sat beside me, kissing my cheek and wrapping an arm around me.

"I sent Zayn to watch Anne's house for the night, and then him Liam, and Niall will rotate out until everything's settled," he said and I nodded in relief.

"Gemma seemed so much less damaged than you'd expect her to be." I said honestly.

"Yeah, she's strong. But not good at hiding emotions, so what you saw is definitely what she was feeling." He replied, "I'm surprised you got her out of there, Jay can be cruel."

"He may be cruel, but he's not very clever," i murmured and Louis agreed, before noticing the letter laying in front of me that I had forced myself to wait to open it.

"Can I open this now?" I quietly murmured to him, and his face slightly altered before he nodded, scooting himself to sit in front of me as I leaned against the headboard and opened the envelope.

In it was a letter, a short one, and I was scared to read the words on the paper, but I needed to know what it said.

I love you. And not in a friendly way, although I think we're great friends. And not in a misplaced affection, puppy-dog way, although I'm sure that's what you'll call it. I'm in love with you. You are the definition of everything I have ever looked for in another human being. I've been in love with you since I met you in that coffee shop. You were with Harry then, you may be reading this and still be with him, but I just couldn't hold it in anymore by the time you're reading this.
And I know that you think of me as just a friend, and crossing that line is the furthest thing from an option you would ever consider, but I had to say it. And I know this will probably ruin our friendship but I just had to say it, because I've never felt this way before, and I don't care.
And if bringing this to light means we can't hang out anymore, then that hurts me. But I just, I couldn't allow another day to go by without just getting it out there, regardless of the outcome. I'm sorry, Ella, I'm sorry that I love you.

Tears welled up in my eyes and I looked up at the boy in front of me, the paper still grasped in my fingertips. I didn't know how to react, how to think, or what to even say.

He..loves me?

Louis wouldn't meet my gaze, twiddling his thumbs as his head stayed dropped, his bottom lip in between his teeth.

"Louis..." I breathed, and he didn't move. I moved myself closer to him, taking his face in my hands and tilting his chin up to look at me.

I knew what I said next could affect us, so I tried to process and collect my thoughts before I opened my mouth to speak.

But he had beaten me to it, "I shouldn't have given you the letter, you were so overwhelmed and I'm sorry, I just, I couldn't keep it in any longer."