Carrots With Ketchup

Part 7

More months went by. That fangirl love for Louis never went away, and I began developing one for Harry. It wasn’t as strong as the feeling for Lou, but it was there nonetheless. This was what I was thinking about when I got the message from El.

“Call Lou,” it said.

“K why? Is something wrong?” I replied.

“Yeah.”

            I didn’t even take the time to ask her what was wrong. I had my phone in hand, Lou’s contact selected, and the call going through before I could blink. I listened as the phone rang and rang. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he answered.

            “Hello?” said a miserable voice on the other line.

            “Lou? What’s wrong? Eleanor said to call you. She said it was an emergency,” I said immediately, panicked.

            “Oh Josée! She left me! Eleanor left me!” He sounded distraught.

            I froze. “Oh my God. Lou, I’m so sorry. I had no idea. When did this happen?”

            “Yesterday. I thought I was going to be okay, but I’m not! Josée, I need to see you. In person.”

            “Okay Lou. I’ll see if I can afford another plane ticket. I’ll start packing now.”

            “No Josée. I got on a plane the moment it happened. I’m in New York.”

            “You’re in New York?” I repeated, surprised.

            “Yeah…Actually I’m…right outside, love.”

            I ran to the door and threw it open. Louis was just finishing the jog down the hall. I hung up my phone and ran to meet him.

            “Oh Lou!” I threw my arms around his neck. He put his arms around my waist and sobbed into my shoulder.

            “Sh, sh,” I comforted him, tears coming to my eyes at his pain. I had never seen him like this. I helped him into the apartment. I shut the door and we sat on the couch together.

            “Lou, it’ll be okay,” I said when he continued to cry.

            “No,” he said, stopping abruptly, “No it won’t.”

            “Lou, you need to go back to her.” I couldn’t believe I’d just said that. “You two were perfect together.”

            “No. She’ll never forgive me this time.”

            I gulped. “What did you do?”

            “It’s more like ‘what did we do’, love.”

            “What do I have to do with this?” I asked, worried.

            “Between the media pressure and how often we talk, she’s beginning to worry that I’m cheating on her with you. I spend more time talking to you than with her these days.”

            “But she knows we’d never do that!”

            He sighed, eyeing the floor. Slowly, he raised his eyes to mine. “The truth is, Josée, I do have feelings for you.”

            Slowly, he began to lean forward.

            “Louis, don’t,” I warned. “I can see what you’re thinking. Don’t do it Louis.”