Totally Awkward Random

12. Monica and Chandler

Louis let him walk away.

Third mistake.

✗ ✗ ✗

Louis raced back to the suite, stumbling along the way, vision blurred with tears. Finally tripping and falling over the uneven path, he was tempted to just stay there, the harshness of the concrete reflecting how he felt, but he heard Harry's words ring in his head again.

I thought we talked about this.

Like Phoebe and Joey remember?

Don't make me answer that Lou.

Louis pulled himself off the ground deciding that no matter how many students had cried here he was not going to be a courtyard crier.

No way.

Not when the phrase was corrupted with memories he'd rather forget. 

Louis charged into his suite and slammed the door, not bothering to check if anyone was home before sinking to the floor leaning all his body weight on the door behind him.

He imagined this is what suffocating felt like, feeling all the oxygen leave your lungs and knowing that no matter how hard you tried you wouldn't be able to get more air.

He was hyperventilating and his vision was starting to go fuzzy.

Suddenly he was wrapped in something heavy, asking - no - begging him to take a deep breathe and listen to the sound of their voice.

It didn't take Louis long to realize he was actually wrapped in three somethings, as his friends eased him out of his panic.

"He doesn't..." Louis stuttered through his sobs.

"...date...he left...I'm Joey," Louis managed still sobbing as he stared at the wall across from him, unable to make eye contact with any of his boys.

"Hey, Louis? Do me a favor?" Liam asked in a soft voice.

"The picture over there, what's it of?" Liam prompted.

"It's the four of us when we first moved in our first year," Louis mumbled after what felt like an eternity of silence.

"Good, what's your favorite part of the picture?" Zayn asked encouraging Louis to speak more.

"I like how it wasn't a posed picture, but it looks like it was," Louis spoke up now looking Zayn in the eye.

"I like how it was something new and scary and we were there for each other just like we always are. And always will be." Niall nudged Louis's shoulder and Louis felt his lips turn up just the slightest.

"He's right Lou. We're always here, and what happened with Harry is painful and just shit, but we love you, and you will be ok, and maybe the pain will never go away but we'll be there to make it hurt less however we can." Zayn rested his head on Louis's shoulder, while Liam gave his arm a reassuring squeeze.

"Thank you guys, but Harry is Harry. He isn't just any other guy, he's my soulmate. And I just let him walk away," Louis squeaked out.

"Soulmates die, Louis. Soulmates cheat. And if the people who lost their soulmates that way can go on, I know you can too, because you're one of the strongest people I've ever met. So," Liam pat Louis' knee "the rest of our day is yours, what do you want to do?"

✗ ✗ ✗

The four of them ended up sitting in the courtyard outside, soaking in the unseasonable warmth, watching a "Best of Ross and Rachel" compilation on Zayn's laptop. Louis knew he needed to move on, he was still taking comfort in things that reminded him of Harry, and right now he was focusing his bitterness into his hatred of how they ended Ross and Rachel's storyline.