Labels || H.S. [#Wattys2020]

FIFTY-SEVEN

It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to Reagan, it was just that he didn't know what to say. He had been pacing in his room, back and forth, phone in his hand, for the past hour. Something was amiss, he could feel it. Yet he felt powerless against it.

The boys had been back from shooting for a few days now but Harry had yet to see Reagan. It wasn't until that morning they were most likely to meet again, and even then it was only because it was everyone's first day back in the studio in a while. He didn't like the fact though that they were only going to see each other because it was required. Harry wanted it to be like before so badly.

"Are we going to be late again?" Louis chirped from the other side of Harry's house.

The pair had taken to spending a lot of time together since Louis had hatched his plan, in fact, Louis hadn't gone back to his house in about a week. Not that Harry minded, his house had been too empty for far too long.

"No, I'm ready," Harry said, nervously slipping his phone back into his pocket, hearing Louis' footsteps coming down the hall and closer to him.

Louis conveniently walked in too see Harry guiltily looking up at him and patting his back pant pocket, "Seriously? Again? Grow a pair, Haz. Just call her already."

Harry shook his head, "She's not going to want to talk to me."

"Haven't you two been talking the past few days?"

"Yesterday I literally said 'Nice weather we're having' because we just can't seem to hold a conversation." Harry sighed, "I don't know what happened. We were just....we were doing so well."

"You think it's because you told her you were going to do the whole Hailey thing?"

"But she wanted me to do it. I mean, honestly, would it make sense for her to be offended?"

Louis shook his head, "You still don't understand women, do you?"

"Louis, I just don't think she's that kind of girl. You have met Reagan right?"

"Gee, have I?" Louis asked sarcastically.

Harry ignored him, "I think she's turning back into the Reagan I met, Lou. All this time, all this progress we've made in our relationship...it's like it's all been for nothing."

"Relationship?"

Harry shrugged, "I mean, that's what it is, isn't it. It may not be official, but we have a relationship together. Or, at least, we did."

Louis rolled his eyes, "You're just being dramatic, God. Didn't she come over to your house before we left? That's a pretty big step forward, maybe it just overwhelmed her, mate."

"But..I think she came over to tell me something."

"Did she?"

Harry shook his head, "No, I ended up just talking over her. I blurted out the whole fake girlfriend thing."

"What did she say before you talked over her?"

"She just wanted to talk about what had happened with Lydia."

"Nothing else?"

"Well, maybe about how I told her I loved her." Harry said, almost in a whisper from the embarrassment.

Louis smirked, "And?"

"I assured her that it was okay that she didn't say it back."

"And?"

"And then I told her that I was going public with Hailey."

"And that was it?"

Harry nodded, "Yeah, she left right after I told her."

"Do you think she would have stayed longer?"

Harry shook his head, "No, she said she had to drive Kennedy somewhere."

Louis pulled out his phone, "Why don't we just ask Kennedy what happened?"

"You think she'll tell us?"

"She'll tell me."

Harry looked at him wearily, "You don't fancy Kennedy do you?"

Louis pulled a pained face, "Seriously? She's Lottie's age, you fucking wanker. We're friends, that's it."

Harry felt a little guilty for even saying what he had, but he knew that Kennedy had been infatuated with Louis, and he wasn't a fan of his mate manipulating her feelings to get information.

"Harold, she doesn't even fancy me anymore." Louis said as he typed away.

"No?"

"Nah. She's over it." Louis hit send and looked up at Harry, "You ready to go, or what?"

—✴—

As Harry walked back into the studio for the first time in a while he expected the usual calm to wash over him, but it didn't. His stomach was in knots, and it wasn't just because he was about to see Reagan for the first time since they'd had their last weird encounter.

"Mate!" Liam yelled from down the hall, "I finished that song I was working on."

Harry smiled genuinely, "I can't wait to hear it."

"Couldn't have finished it without you." Liam said, squeezing Harry's shoulder, "We have to go though, Lydia's waiting for us."

"Is um...Reagan here yet?"

Liam shook his head, "Didn't Lydia tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Reagan didn't come in this morning, she went to the airport."

"For what?"

Liam grimaced, realizing that in fact no one had told Harry, "To pick up Hailey."