Vanilla, Cherries, and Cigarettes

Chapter 2

Louis - 2021 - pt. 2

"So you kept my jumper?" Harry said loudly and abruptly, looking Louis dead in the eye and completely ignoring Liam's opinion. Panic struck Louis. He knew that everyone saw him pull it out when he was outside so he couldn't say no. Well, he could but no one would believe him.

"We should talk about the plan?" Niall said, trying to cut the tension.

"I don't care what we do." Harry wanted to keep poking at Louis' heart instead apparently.

"Of course you don't," Louis scoffed under his breath.

"What does that mean?" Harry asked, successfully offended.

"Niall, what do you want to do?" Liam interrupted, attempting to defuse the bomb that was about to go off. Niall didn't have a chance to answer.

"I'm just saying, of course, you don't care. Never did." Louis said, sitting up and leaning forward to see better past Liam and Niall.

"Never cared? You really think that I never cared?"

"I know you never cared. If you cared you wouldn't have left it like that!" Louis raised his voice slightly.

"That's not true and you know it!"

"Seriously? Then why'd you leave it like that? Huh?" Louis asked, wanting nothing but an answer.

"I- Louis-"

"You can't even give me that." He scoffed, trying not to tear up, "It's like you never even loved me."

"Of course I-"

"I don't believe that anymore. You didn't. And you can have the jumper back if you want it so badly." He started to pull it out of the bag.

"No, you keep it. You seem to need it more than I do." Harry let out a small sarcastic snort.

"I don't need it. It's just a stupid shirt. Take it." Louis tossed it to him, the smell passing under his nose for a split second. That's when the first tear fell.

"Oh, well if it's stupid, it definitely belongs with you," Harry said and pushed it harshly into Louis' chest, reaching across Niall and Liam.

"Really?!" Louis shouted and laughed with disbelief as he stuffed it into the bag angrily and stood up. He took a few steps towards the exit.

"Yeah. You're stupid if you really think that I never cared- if you think I never loved you."

Louis stopped, not yet turning around, and spoke quietly, "You didn't." He walked a few more steps and put his hand on the door handle.

"Walk away again. Go ahead. Typical Louis." He froze at Harry's words, visibly tensing.

"I'm not the one who walked away." Louis turned slowly to face him. "You did."

"No, you did. You gave up and you left me. You can't possibly think that I was the one who left. You left, Louis."

"I didn't leave you, Harry!" Louis inhaled sharply at Harry's name leaving his mouth for the first time in a long time. It felt foreign and familiar at the same time. Both wrong and right. Louis didn't like that feeling. "You... you can't leave someone if they don't love you."

"Will you quit it with that?! I always loved you. Louis, I still fucking love you! I never stopped and you act like I hate you and it kills me. It kills me that you could even think that for a second. You're an idiot if you really believe yourself. If you believe the stupid things you tell yourself about me not caring or not loving you! Do you know how much I miss you? I didn't sleep for days and then I was always sleeping. It was so hard to fix myself after you. I don't sleep anymore, I just lay in bed and watch the sun and the moon chase each other. Because I can't do anything without you."