Unexpected Love

Chapter Seven

By the time I got home from work, Eleanor was sitting on the sofa. I could see the laptop screen shining in her face, illuminating her features. She looked up at me when I walked in, giving me a faint smile before looking back at the screen. "El, can we talk?" I asked, putting my bags down and sitting on the sofa across from her.

"What?" she replied, not taking her eyes away from the screen.

"El, please, this is important."

"Fine," she sighed, closing the laptop and putting it down next to her. "What's the matter?"

"I wanted to talk about how you've been acting recently. You've been very snappy, and I'm worried about you."

"You always do this Lou, you never let me just be me!"

"I love you, El, I'm just worried about how things are going." I looked straight at her. Noticing how her eyes flickered as she looked between me and the floor.

"How things are going? You're always working or with your friends. What about me?"

"I'm sorry, El, but you know my job is important. I see you every day, you just don't really talk to me anymore. It's been like this for months and I'm tired of it!" That was the moment I lost my composure. I stood up, walking over to the window, looking out at the dark night. "I need to know what's wrong with us, El."

"Nothing is wrong with me, Louis. It's you. I've tried to ignore it but I'm not happy. Things aren't the same and it's your fault!" She stood up too, throwing her arms in the air. My breathing was getting faster as I could feel the tears beginning to form in my eyes. I blinked them away, trying not to let my emotions get the better of me.

"I have done nothing but try to be the perfect boyfriend for you. I've tried to make you happy. I've tried to be who you need me to be, but it'll never be enough for you! For four years I've always put you first, why can't that be enough for you?" I felt the first tear fall down my cheek.

"I need a break from you, Louis. I need to spend time with people who are good for me. I need time." My heart dropped. Was this it? Was this how we ended?

"I'm good for you, Eleanor. We've always been good for each other," I pleaded, trying to hold her hand to make her stay.

"No, Louis. I need time. I'm going to my parents' house until I can think straight. I'm sorry." She turned her back on me, running up the stairs to collect her things. I collapsed on the floor, letting the tears fall freely down my face. How did we get to this point?

The house was so quiet without Eleanor, and I hated being alone. My days were filled with Shakespeare and poetry, but my nights were filled with dinners alone and staring into the void. I felt so alone. When I told Zayn what happened, he couldn't believe it. He insisted on staying with me for a few days, but I declined, I needed to be by myself. It had been a week since Eleanor left, and Harry had text me every day, making sure that I wasn't doing anything stupid. I was really growing to like the boy, and every time I saw his name flash up on my screen it made me smile, even just for a second. He'd invited me up to party with him at the weekend and meet his friends. I was excited but nervous to see him again, it had been a few weeks and I was worried that he'd take one look at me and regret his decision to be my friend.

It was raining the whole time I drove to Manchester. Zayn asked if I wanted company, but I said no, opting instead to do this alone, just like everything had been recently. When I pulled up to the address he had given me I felt a strange feeling in my chest, I was so nervous that I sat in the car for a few minutes, controlling my breathing and making sure I looked presentable for Harry. I text him to say that I was outside and made my way to the door, careful not to stand in any puddles and ruin my shoes. As I reached the dark blue door, it opened, and there stood the tall, curly haired boy and I couldn't help but smile. He pulled me inside, out of the rain, and I found myself resting my head on his chest, and for the first time in a week I felt calm. He let go of me slightly, taking the time to look in my eyes. A worried expression flashed across his face, his frown lines becoming more and more evident. "Jeez, Lou, you look terrible," he whispered gently, running his hand through his hair. I looked down at the floor, embarrassed that I let Harry see me like this. Instead of saying anything else he took my hand and led me into the main room, where two boys were sat on the sofa, deep in conversation. The taller of the two looked up at us, his eyes darting between me and Harry, waiting for an introduction. "Louis, this is Niall," Harry said, pointing towards the boy with slightly blonde hair. He nodded his head in my direction, flashing me a smile that Harry just shook his head at. "And this," Harry said, pointing at the other boy, "is Liam." Liam stood up and shook my hand, both boys then pulling me in for a group hug. I was a bit taken aback by how forthcoming they were, but I liked that they made me feel comfortable straightaway. Harry had nice friends.

Oh, poor Louis! Time to properly introduce Niall and Liam! Comment your thoughts, and don't forget to vote!