"Maybe It Could Be" Preview For Coming Book (LS)

Preview

The Before: September 17th 2011

(Louis POV)

"—I kissed a girl and I liked it."

The music was so loud, one pretty much had to shout to be heard over it. Zayn, Liam and Niall were all jumping around, living off of the champagne buzz just as much as anyone. Harry, he was too, except he was right by me. His arm brushed against mine and I smiled. I wish I could say I was just as gone as any of them, but I was sober enough to know exactly what I was doing. Before he could move away, I grabbed his hand and laced my fingers through his.

"Lou?" He started, green eyes dilated from the alcohol. Maybe he wasn't as gone as I thought.

"I love you Harry!" I shouted, loud. I was so sick of caring.

He grinned, the champagne taking its hold again. "I love you too!" He shouted, much louder than me. But it was infectious.

One glass.

Two.

Three.

I lost count after five.

The crowd in the bar got smaller, it was well past midnight. There was cake, but more of it ended up on me than anywhere else. When Harry started looking apologetic, I hugged him, something he returned immediately, holding onto me tightly. I smiled as he wrapped his legs around my waist, and I carried him like I'd done when we'd found out we weren't getting kicked off the X Factor. I carried him outside into an alley. I'm not sure what happened. I think I kissed him.

I'd like to say somewhere in my hazy mind, I was considering the consequences. But I wasn't. Cause I was in love.

After the bar closed, or kicked us out, I'm not sure, we all piled in the car. Sitting there with Harry in the backseat, his head on my lap, getting to touch his hair, oh I was drunk on something much stronger than any alcohol in that bar. I kissed his forehead, looking into his eyes. He smiled sleepily, dimples I loved so much on full display. "I wish it was like this always."

I can't forget what I said back.

"Maybe it could be."

Because I was young.

Because I was naive.

Because I was stupid.

Because I was drunk.

Because I was a million things I shouldn't have been.

But more importantly because at that moment, I felt like maybe it could be.

XXX

The Before: September 18th 2011

The next morning I woke up with an absolutely killer headache, awful bedhead and the biggest smile I'd had in a while.

When my phone started ringing, I reached over and answered it without even thinking, hoping it was Harry.

It wasn't.

"You have a flight in an hour."

Simon.

Ah sh-

"Where to?" I asked, stupidly thinking that he was taking time out of his busy day of ruining peoples lives to give me a reminder.

"LA." He replied shortly.

"Why? We don't have any shows there."

"You and I need to have a meeting."

"About what?" I asked, running my other hand through my hair, pacing now.