Cancellation? Vacation!

T H I R T E E N

Louis has an arm wrapped around Harry's shoulder when they step foot into the house again. They are surprised, however, when the whole group is standing at the entrance.

Zayn is the first one that says something and he steps forward, holding something in his hand that looks like a passport. "So is it true then?"

Harry blinks a few times, not understanding what his friend is talking about. "Is what true?"

"Were you even in a real relationship? Who is this man next to you, if his name is not Sam?"

Harry's whole body suddenly freezes and he doesn't know what to say. He's so stunned that he's actually frozen, suddenly a statue that isn't even moved by a raging storm.

After a few seconds, he manages to utter, "I-I can explain..."

Niall shakes his head. "You could have told us, you know that right? Whatever made you have to lie, we would have understood..." His voice is so soft, almost like a whisper. It makes the severity of the situation even more clear because Niall is normally so loud.

Louis is also suddenly exceptionally silent at his side, probably unsure about what to do too.

Harry's hands are shaking as he points toward the living room. "Maybe we should sit down for this."

Liam nods. "Yeah, I would like to know who you brought on your trip, who is clearly not the person that you claimed to be your boyfriend going by the name Sam because his passport says Louis Tomlinson."

Harry closes his eyes. They should've hidden Louis' personal objects better. Or well, maybe they shouldn't even have done everything in the first place. Harry should've come clean at the beginning.

The group walks toward the large dining table, and the only sound that is heard is their shuffling feet and their breathing.

When they're all seated, Harry runs a hand through his hair before speaking.

"I want to start off by saying that I'm sorry..." He looks down, embarrassed about what he's going to confess. "I know it was wrong, but you're all in happy relationships... I didn't want to force you to have less fun with your girlfriends by talking more with me, but I also didn't want to be the seventh wheel."

Liam shakes his head. "Just tell us, Harry. We already figured out why you lied, but we don't know what you lied about. We deserve the truth." His eyes aren't holding anger, which makes Harry feel somewhat relieved. Instead, the brown eyes show curiosity and compassion.

Liam always manages to catch their emotions in a blink of an eye and when he senses that something is wrong, he never hesitates to step in. It's like he has a sixth sense.

Harry closes his eyes, blinking away the water that has reached the surface of his eye. "I did have a boyfriend and his name was Sam. We were together until the trip and then he suddenly decided to break up with me." He opens his eyes again, and when he does, he's met with the sympathetic eyes of his friends.

"I was, as you can probably imagine, really torn because of the news and also embarrassed. I had been talking loads and loads about my ex and you were just about to meet him, but then he broke up with me! On the day of the trip!" He chuckles, but the sound doesn't contain any humor. "I figured that you would probably tell me that I had been lying about a fake boyfriend and I was scared to face you."

Zayn slowly shakes his head. "We would never have called you a liar, H. We have known you forever and we know that you're trustworthy and loyal... Well, until now I guess..."

The silence is incredibly loud when those words leave Zayn's mouth and even though Harry knows it's true, the words still sting.

"I know... I know you would believe me... I was just not in the right state of mind, but I know that's not an excuse." Harry nods while saying those words, agreeing with what Zayn just said.