Forbidden Love [Larry Stylinson]

Chapter 25

I can't believe it, this can't be happening. Harry couldn't mean it.

"You ready mate?" I shake my head to clear my thoughts and look at Niall, who is right in front of me.

"Um, yeah." I say, still dazed.

"The meeting was that bad, huh?" He chuckles, momentarily placing his hand on my back to get me to walk towards the rest of the boys with him.

"Som-something like that." I stutter. To any normal person, I probably look shocked, dazed, confused, out of it, ready to pass out, the lot. On the inside, I feel just that. Everything around me is so loud, it makes me want to collapse. I feel as if my whole world is falling apart around me; my life is a dream now. Well, more like a nightmare. I'm pretty sure Harry has broken up with me, but it hasn't registered in my brain yet. I keep replaying Harry's words in my head. Maybe we should take a break, see how it goes. Does that mean we're still together since he said 'maybe'? I quietly sigh and look out the window of the car. Liam and I are sitting in the back with Niall sitting in between us, and Harry and Zayn are sitting up front, Harry in the driver's seat.

Harry thought it would be a good idea to all go back to our place for the night; I didn't have any say in it because I was just standing in the middle of the the room, alone, like an idiot, after Harry possibly broke up with me. Currently, I keep trying to take small glances at Harry, and each time I do, he looks perfectly fine. I even heard him joking around with Zayn once.

"I'm gonna go change." I say as soon as we get inside Harry and I's house. Skipping steps, I quickly make it to the bedroom. Then, I walk into my closet and put on a pair of sweatpants in place of my jeans. Next, I go to the bathroom to splash my face with cold water. After drying my face, I turn off the bathroom light and start through the bedroom and down the stairs.

Before I can get to the stairs, someone sitting on the bed catches my attention. Harry. I look him up and down as he stands, and realize that he's still wearing my hoodie from this morning.

"Lou, can we talk?" Harry starts. I take a long breath before heading down the stairs.

"Why don't we get the boys' input, yeah?" I say as various emotions such as anger, confusion, and sadness course through my body.

"Please don't do this now, Louis." Harry sighs, throwing his head back before reluctantly trudging down the stairs behind me.

"Niall, Liam, Zayn, please meet Harry and I on the couch, now." I call as I reach the end of the stairs and jump over the back of the couch, landing on the couch cushion; Harry sits at the other end of the couch.

"What's up?" Zayn nonchalantly says as the three boys file in and plop down on the couch.

"Harold can explain this one." I say as I begin to bite my nails.

"So, during the meeting earlier," Harry starts, "they told Louis and I that we should lay low to get rid of everyone's suspicions of us being together, especially after the pictures got leaked."

"We weren't supposed to take it literally." I murmur under my breath.

"What was that? Please, if you have something you wanna say, just say it." Harry snaps.

"They said we should make it look like we're just friends, I don't know why you took it literally." I say, loud enough for Harry to hear this time, and maybe a few neighbors.

"Question." Niall says, raising his hand. "Why are we here? Is this couples therapy?"

"Not now, Niall!" I exclaim. Niall raises his eyebrows as if to say "whatever" before leaning back on the couch, watching the argument unfold in front of him.

"Sorry, Niall, he's just a bit upset right now." Harry apologizes for me.

"Maybe I wouldn't be so agitated if you wouldn't have made it seem like you broke up with me!"

"That's because I did!" Harry exclaims, throwing his hands in the air. Harry's last sentence hangs in the air, and silence is followed after.

"You meant it?" I say in a suddenly small and quiet voice.

"Yes, hon-Louis." Harry corrects himself. As Harry's words start to settle in, I feel sick to my stomach. This is actually happening. It can't be true. I feel light-headed, like the room is spinning around me.

"What do you mean?" I manage to ask with the little breath I have.

"I mean I'm breaking up with you. There's so much stress that comes with not being able to tell people who you're dating, and we don't need that stress. I'm sorry, Louis, but I think it's what has to be done." Harry calmly says with a pang of sadness in his voice. Harry hangs his head down and starts walking up the stairs, presumably to our bedroom. After exchanging glances with Niall, Zayn walks upstairs to Harry, leaving Niall and Liam with me.

"Lou, what are you thinking bud?" Liam gently asks, moving to sit on my right side so that the two of them are sitting on either side of me. Without giving an answer, I fold my arms in front of my chest and take a shaky breath.

"How could he do that? I thought he loved me." I sorrowfully say as tears begin to roll down my face. I bury my head in my hands and sob, and feel Liam begin to rub my back.

"Shhh, you're okay Lou. Harry does love you, he really does. Everything's gonna work out." Niall soothes.

"It's not! We were in love!" I exclaim as I slam my fists onto my knees before letting out more shaky sobs.

"Come here." Niall gently instructs, patting his thighs. I scoot closer to him and rest my head in his lap. Niall gently rubs my shoulder and says the occasional, "shhh" in hopes of calming me down. After God knows how long, my sobs are silenced and I've distracted myself with the rips in Niall's jeans, with my head filled with the green-eyed boy who was once mine.

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