I Get To Love You || l.s

chapter 5

Harry picked up the box of baby clothes that arrived the week before and stowed them safely in his wardrobe, out of sight of prying eyes. He looked around his bedroom, smoothing out the fabric of his duvet as he made sure there was nothing embarrassing in view. There wasn’t a chance in hell his guest would make it anywhere near his bedroom, but still, Harry wanted everything to be perfect. He was dreading being judged as it was, and the horrible swirly sickness feeling floating around his body was back in full force.

He pulled off the dirty t-shirt he’d worn to hoover his flat that morning and walked to his drawers, pulling out a soft yellow maternity shirt that he’d bought earlier that week. Liam had called him two days after the fateful day at the set where he’d seen Louis, and broke the news that he’d somehow got in contact with Louis and arranged a meeting. Harry had been beyond livid, ignoring Liam for the following few days, but when Liam had eventually turned up with Harry’s favourite takeaway, he’d calmed down enough to listen to his side of the story.

“You can talk while I eat,” Harry mumbled, filling his plate with as much of the takeaway as he could, leaving Liam just a little of everything. He was eating for two now, and he was most definitely making the most of that fact. “I’m listening. And it better be good.”

“So, the day after you saw Louis on set, I got a weird DM on Twitter,” Liam began, pushing his noodles around his plate, eyes flitting up and down to watch Harry, who was eating eagerly. “It was from this guy, Zayn, saying he was Louis’ best mate, and he needed to arrange something between you and him.”

“You just took the word of a stranger and now he’s coming to my house?!” Harry shrieked, spraying noodles all over the table in his horror. “Liam, I seriously wonder about your sanity at times.”

“Just stop,” Liam said, reaching for a piece of kitchen towel to clean up the table. “I asked for proof that he really knew Louis. He sent me a few old photos of the pair of them, he even sent me a photo of Louis’ driving licence. He seemed legit.”

“Right,” Harry said, spudding a chicken ball on his fork, wondering for a moment if he could fit the whole thing in his mouth at once. “So, you agreed to this nonsense why exactly?”

“Zayn said Louis was heartbroken,” Liam mumbled, making Harry stop mid-chew. It was the last thing he had expected to hear, and suddenly, Harry needed to hear more. “He’s really scared he’s not going to be allowed to be part of this baby’s life. Apparently, he just wanted to talk when he came to the set, and he was really pissed off you just dismissed him.”

“He was the one trying to sell me out!” Harry said emphatically, not wanting to come across as the bad guy. “Please don’t tell me you’re on his side now, Liam-”

“I’m on your side, of course I am,” Liam acquiesced. “But I think he deserves to be heard out. You can ask him about everything, why he was trying to take your picture. He deserves that, at least. Last thing you want is him going to the papers, making out you’re keeping him away from his kid.”

“You think he’d do that?” Harry asked. He hadn’t considered that at all, and the idea of it was petrifying. Harry had spent years cultivating a good public image, and the realisation Louis could undo all of that in seconds was frightening. “Shit-”

“I’m not saying he would,” Liam hurried to say, keen not to panic Harry. “But we don’t really want to give him that opportunity, do we? I think if you just met him, you could sort something out, pacify him for now at least.”