Don't Let Me Go

Visit to Louis

I start to head home after driving Jameson back and all I can think of is how much I want to heal her. I just met her and in the few hours I spent with her, I've already seen a lot of the pain in her life. No, I don't understand how it feels, but I can see the torture and anguish she faces daily. My heart has never wanted to give someone else hope as much as when I met her. I can tell that her life's events have caused a once happy and pure girl to change into a girl who can't trust anyone and doesn't even know what it's like to say what she feels without being beaten for it.

These thoughts raced through my head as I passed the familiar buildings and streets of town. The town where dreams seem to die for just about everyone.

The stars stood high in the sky as I drove under them. The moon's glow shone into my windshield, and everything around me appeared peaceful. There weren't many cars on the road, just me really. I liked nights like this.

All of a sudden I decided not to go home right away. It seemed like a good night to pay a good pal of mine a visit.

2600 Maple Street, Louis' house. I knocked on the door and a tired Louis rubbed his eyes and opened the door.

"Good morning mate," I joked.

"Harry, what a surprise!" He smiled and went in for a hug.

"May I come in?" I asked.

"Yeah sure, just ignore the mess," he guided me through a bunch of papers scattered on the floor.

"I've been looking for some picture for days, if you're wondering why it's so messy in here," he rubs his neck and gestures to the clutter around him.

"I don't mind the mess, just wanted to see a friend and maybe go out for dinner or something. Sorry I didn't call before hand, it was a spur-of-the-moment thing," I put my hands in my jacket pockets.

"Yeah I'm up for anything to get away from this clutter for a bit," he laughs.

"Let's go then," I smile.

Louis changes into a new shirt and we get into my car and head to a restaurant that Louis guides me to, saying it has "the best food he's ever had".

We get a table and take a look at our individual menus.

"How's it going, mate?" Louis asks.

"It's alright, how about you?"

"Well, I'm getting a new phone after someone stole my last one," Louis looks over his menu more intently then anyone I've ever seen.

"What? How'd it get stolen? And do you know who stole it?" From the way Louis was looking at his menu, I could tell that this phone stealing clearly pissed him off.

"It was on my lap at a party and this girl I was talking to started to take a bunch of silly photos, and then put it back on my lap, and the next moment, it was gone! All my pictures, videos and contacts went with it!" he put his menu down and took a sip of water.

"Sorry about that, mate," I didn't really know how to respond.

"So, tell me something that's happened to you recently, since I just went on about my phone business," he looks up at me.

"Hmm, I don't really know," I say. I didn't know if I should tell him about Jameson.

"No seriously, you gotta come up with one thing at the least," he truly wanted to know at least something that's gone on recently. Should I tell him about her?

"Well uh, I got some ice cream earlier?" I half laugh while saying this, making me almost say "isn't it funny how boring my life is?" just to get him to stop asking.

"How's your mum?" he folds his arms on the table and puts his lips in a straight line while keeping eye contact. A waiter walks by with food for a nearby table. Not many people were at this restaurant I noticed.

"She's alright," Except for the fact that Gemma is playing the quiet game with her and making my mum feel like the worst mother ever.

"How's your family?" I ask.

"Lottie's good, Phoebe, Charlotte, Georgia, Fizzy, both sets of twins, all of them are good," he nods and drinks more water.

"Any girlfriends right now?" I was curious.

"No, after El and I broke up I haven't really been looking," he looks at the table and takes a deep breath.

"What about you?" he now looks up to ask me this.

"Nope," I say.

The waiter takes our orders and the food was delivered shortly after. We ate particularly quietly, small talk here and there. We got the check, payed, and headed out.

When I parked my car outside of Louis' apartment, Louis said something that completely took me by surprise.

"Harry, I was going to wait to tell you this, but I was scared that you'd find out on your own and you'd have no one to talk to about it, but I'm with you and I need to tell you. I'm so sorry to tell you this Harry, but Liam isn't doing too good and I think you should pay him a visit before it's too late," Louis put his hand on my bicep.

My heart dropped. Liam's dying?

"How long... Has he known of this?" I was so shocked, then angry that no one told me sooner.

"A couple of months, he didn't want to worry you unless he knew for sure that this is the case," Louis teared up a bit, but me, I felt like punching a wall.

"Louis I know you mean well but I really have to go now," I felt like an ass but didn't want to say anything bad in the midst of my emotions.

"Okay, it was nice seeing you Harry," he looked at me a moment longer and shut the door, leaving me alone in my car.

I immediately pulled out and went home. I wanted to lie in bed and realize just what the hell is going on, soak it in just so I can understand. I ran in, locked the door to the house and went directly to my room, shutting the door and letting some of my emotions come pouring out in the tears that rolled down my cheeks.