Louis glanced into the mirror one last time, seeing his reflection and the neatly made hair, his perfectly ironed suit and checked if everything was in it's right place. He noticed the suit jacket was a bit loose around his waist when he closed it and the button up crumpled slightly where the fabric wasn't stretching around his body, but he shrugged it off and blamed it on bad quality. When he was relatively sure he looked like he could step outside of the house he left the bedroom and went downstairs where Madison and Mallory were already sitting having breakfast.
"Good morning." He greeted with a smile.
"Morning." Madison greeted back happily.
Louis noticed the frown on Mallory's face as her eyes wandered down his body, but he ignored it and simply kissed her before sitting down as well.
As usual he was happy with a cup of coffee, his plate stayed empty although Mallory constantly suggested to make him something.
"Not even an omelette? Proteins won't harm you." She tried again.
"No, thank you. Rather eat up or you'll be late." Louis smiled and nodded towards the clock.
"Speaking of-" Madison remembered with wide eyes and shot up from her seat running upstairs to pack her backpack.
Mallory sighed and pushed her plate away, taking her time lifting her head until her eyes rested on his face.
"You didn't eat when you came home yesterday." She noted.
"I ate at work." Louis said.
"And what did you eat?" Mallory asked expectantly. Louis kept quiet and dropped his gaze. "Louis." She sighed.
"I just wasn't hungry." Louis said quietly.
"Lou, you need to eat. One proper meal a day, that's all I'm asking for. Please." Mallory pleaded.
"I do." Louis justified weakly.
"No, you don't. One meal won't hurt, you won't gain weight because of it, please."
"But what if I do?" Louis asked in not more than a whisper.
"Then you're still perfect." Mallory said. "Why? Why are you starting with this again? You were doing so great, you had a normal eating rhythm and you could see you didn't gain weight, why are you getting into old habits again, Louis? Please tell me so I can help you." She begged.
"Nothing changed." Louis muttered, pushing away the guilt that accompanied him for weeks now because he was keeping such a huge thing from her.
"Why are you doing this?" Mallory stood up, disappointment, anger and frustration dragging every of her words. "I'm trying to help you, be there for you and you're lying to my face! You know what? Just...do whatever you want."
"Mal..." Louis said weakly. "Please, don't do this." He croaked out. "Please, don't be mad at me as well. I can't-"
"I'm not mad at you, Louis! I'm helpless because you aren't honest with me and starving yourself for whatever reason again! I can't see you like this another time! We went through this so many times already and-...I just can't do this anymore." Her voice cracked at the last sentence and she shook her head defeated when a single tear rolled down her cheek.
"I'm sorry." Louis croaked out and his face crumbled. "I'm so sorry you have to go through this because of me. I know I'm just a burden and you deserve so much better. I'll try, okay? I'll try to be better so you don't have to worry anymore."
"I don't want you to do this for me, Louis!" Mallory exclaimed. "You know you are not a burden to me, it was my decision to stay and I wouldn't change my mind. I don't expect you to be fine, just...talk to me, or to Dr. Simmons. Don't think about me and put yourself down, you know it's not like that, but think about Madison. She needs her dad."
"I know..." Louis choked out. "I'm sorry."
"Lou..." Mallory's face softened and she rounded the table to step in front of him. He turned on his chair and dropped his head against her chest and she held him close with unshed tears burning in her eyes as she ran her fingertips through his hair. "Whatever it is that's haunting you right now, it'll be fine, yeah? We will get through this as always. You're so strong and perfect. It will be fine." She whispered.
Louis just shook his head unable to say anything, otherwise he'd break down and he didn't have the energy to do so. So he kept quiet and sorted his emotions, letting her caress his head and listened to her heartbeat. Eventually, when he was sure he wouldn't break down he slightly lifted his head and searched for her eyes as she looked down at him.
"I love you. I love you so much." He croaked out with a slight desperation in his voice.
"I love you too, baby." Mallory whispered with a small smile on her face. "I need to run now, yeah?" She said softly after a short while of just looking at each other. "Please call me if you're not feeling good or you want to talk." She added and he nodded.
"Are we okay?" He asked with a glimmer of fear in his eyes.
"Of course we are." Mallory smiled and leaned down to kiss him. "We always are."
"Okay." Louis breathed out.
With a final kiss he let go of her and shortly after he heard the front door when she left the house to go to work. Louis slumped back in his chair staring at the empty plate on his table and just as he wanted to get up ignoring the empty feeling in his stomach Madison came downstairs and stopped in the doorway looking at him questioningly.
"What?" Louis asked.
"Are you not hungry?" She asked.
"No, I'm not. I have coffee though." Louis held up his mug, but Madison just grimaced.
"You can't compare coffee to breakfast." She noted.
"Yes, I can. It's an adult thing." Louis contradicted.
"I don't think so." Madison shrugged. "Can I choose what we eat later?" She wondered.
"Sure. I'll order whatever you want when you get to the office." Louis said nonchalantly as he downed the rest of his coffee and got up.
"And then I can play video games, right?" Madison checked excitedly, but Louis' eyes widened when he realised what that would mean.
"Uh, well about that..." He said slowly and Madison stopped when they were about to leave the table to look at him suspiciously.
"What?" She pressed.
"You see, uncle Ni has a lot to do lately and they're behind with the testing and stuff so I'm afraid you can't go up to them and play." Louis found a quick excuse.
A cold shiver ran down his spine just at the thought of Madison meeting Harry and possibly becoming a target or worse, getting along with him just to get used by him because he wanted to inflict Louis maximum pain. He knew Harry and Zayn weren't done with him yet and if they'd know about Maddie they had it easy to ruin his life even more- he was sure of it- but all he could do was keeping her from actually meeting them in the office when he couldn't ban her to get there at all, having no other opportunity when Mallory had to work longer and they didn't want Madison to stay home alone.
"But I won't disturb them, I promise dad!" Madison pleaded with big eyes.
"I said no, Maddie." Louis said with a quirked eyebrow and suppressed sighing out relieved when Madison pouted but nodded in understanding.
"Do you even have time for me today?" She asked.
"Of course, darling." Louis smiled and gently pushed her towards the hallway because they were late already. "I have a few calls, but you have to do your homework anyway and when you're done I'm sure I am as well and then we can play something, hm?"
"Fine." Madison grumbled, not content with the thought of having to do homework after school and not being allowed to play video games as usual.
When Louis arrived in the underground parking lot of the office building after dropping Madison off at school he exited his Jaguar F-Type and locked it as he distanced himself heading to the elevator without looking back.
He hated that car. Not because it wasn't fancy or fast- it was- but because he didn't see a point spending ninety thousand pounds on a car it's job it was to get him from one place to another, but as usual with such situations Madison talked into him until he gave in and bought the stupid car and now everyone thought he was just one of those nouveau riche assholes who had to distinguish themselves with material things because they couldn't convince with what they themselves were equipped with. He liked to think he was indeed convincing with what he had, but that wasn't the point.
He just wanted to be left alone, live a life in peace and didn't want to stand out- which was basically impossible with such a car and the fact that it was a dark red metallic that immediately gained attention- which could be blamed on Madison as well when she insisted on that colour- when as soon as he drove through a busy street eyes were on him and he just wanted to disappear.
The elevator doors opened and he stepped inside crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at his car that was standing lonely but shiny in the parking lot.
"Stupid car." He muttered just before the doors closed.
A soft song was filling up the small room from the speaker in the upper corner, just loud enough for the human ear to hear and Louis instantly relaxed and leaned against the rail dropping his head against the mirror and closing his eyes. He was tired because he hasn't slept at all last night, the coffee in his stomach felt heavy because he hasn't eaten either and his usual headache was announcing itself as so often.
Normally when he was starting to work that early in the morning the elevator brought him straight to his floor when most employees of the building didn't start their work day before half past eight, but today it stopped on the ground floor with a 'ding' and Louis opened his eyes and straightened his posture.
He didn't pay attention to who entered the lift, but he sucked in a sharp breath when the person almost ran into him having his head lowered not noticing him until now and it snapped up, their eyes locked.
"Oh." Harry mumbled with wide eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."
Louis swallowed thickly and took a subtle step back, his shoulder hitting the wall.
"It's fine." He mumbled and made himself smaller out of reflex.
Harry looked at him with a slight caution before he stepped to the side leaning against a wall without taking his eyes off him, but what made his stomach turn was when Louis glanced around the metal cabin and towards the door, clearly searching for a way out, but his eyes widened just the tiniest bit in fear when the doors closed and he was trapped with him.
He couldn't put a finger on it, but every time their paths crossed and Louis turned all stiff and alert as if he had to fear for his life it did something to Harry. And not in a good way. It was like tiny needles were ingressing in his chest and no matter in what good mood he was, it dropped every single time within a second seeing him so cautious and...scared. Yes, he was aware that Louis was scared of him. And he knew he needed to try everything to take this fear from him when it caused him physical pain seeing him so fearful around him.
"Do you always start working this early?" He asked randomly and saw how Louis flinched in surprise, his eyes shot up, but he dropped them again almost instantly.
"Uh, y-yes." Louis pressed out, cursing himself for stuttering on just a simple word with three letters. But then he even added to his stupidity. "And you?"
"You'd know if I did, seeing as I always arrive after you." Harry chuckled slightly to break the ice, but by Louis' looks he either realised just now or didn't want to continue their awkward conversation. Maybe it was both.
"Oh. Right." He muttered and looked around once more to see how long it took until he could escape the situation, but they only passed the sixth floor.
Harry sighed quietly and shook his head to himself. He had such a big mouth in basically every occasion, but as soon as he stood in front of Louis and wanted to talk to him, wanted to ask him to forget the past or clear everything up, speaking out the long overdue apology he had already pathetically and cowardly left on his voice mail eleven years ago, he couldn't. He didn't know why- was it because he was scared of a rejection, that Louis wouldn't forgive him or that he actually didn't care and just hated him? But now he inhaled a deep breath and took a heart.
"Do you have many meetings today?" He asked and Louis furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
"Why?" He simply asked.
"If you are free, can we talk? I'd like to clear a few things up." Harry said with a slight shaking in his voice and clammy hands.
Louis' eyes widened once more and a cold shudder ran down his spine, every alarm clock in his body perked up and his throat tightened.
"Uh, I..." He gulped. "I- I can't. I have uh...I'm packed with meetings a-and..." He stammered quickly. "I can't." He repeated.
"Please." Harry sighed. "I know you don't want to talk to me and..." He paused to take another intake of air. "Please, can we at least have one proper conversation?"
"I don't get why." Louis frowned when he gathered himself so far that he didn't feel like he was close to a panic attack anymore just at the thought of being in a room alone with Harry on purpose and not because of a situation he didn't have an impact on like right now.
"You know why." Harry stated.
"No, I don't. I told you it's fine. I don't care and I don't want to hear anything about the past." Louis said irritated and glanced at the display that was hanging above the doors. Floor eleven.
"But I want to apologise." Harry tried once more.
The elevator announced their arrival and Louis would've sighed out a relieved breath if he wouldn't be distracted by the mixture of surprise and sudden anger that flashed through him.
"And I don't want to hear it." He muttered without looking at him before he squeezed himself through the slowly opening doors and crossed the entrance area with quick steps leaving Harry standing there with slumped shoulders and a terrible feeling of guilt in his guts.
With a deep sigh and his eyes still glued to Louis' back who just disappeared behind the corner he stepped out of the elevator as well and slid his card through the time stamp device that captured every employee's arrival and departure to automatically calculate their working hours before he climbed up the stairs to his office to start his working day already in a bad mood.
He hated that- since he saw Louis here for the first time- the past and what happened to him bugged him so deeply and it seemed like he couldn't think of anything else what didn't make his life exactly easier. And what was even worse that he couldn't talk to his best friend either, Zayn would either laugh at him or never talk to him again and he didn't want to throw away such a long friendship with something he put effort in for in vain.
When he entered the office Niall was sitting at his desk typing something on his computer while sipping on his coffee as he glanced up and his face darkened slightly. Harry still plastered a smile on his face.
"Good morning." He said in the nicest voice he could put on.
"Morning." Niall greeted back, not even thinking of returning the gesture.
Harry suppressed another sigh as he trudged to his desk and placed his bag next to it, turning on his computer.
"Hey." He turned around suprised when he heard Niall's voice behind him who was glaring at him after glancing around to room to check if they were really alone. "Why are you here? What are your intentions?"
"None." Harry said truthfully. "I didn't know you're working here when I applied and I certainly didn't know this is Louis' company. I just needed a job."
Niall observed him with the same stone cold expression as always, not quite believing him. The last thing he wanted on his first day back at work after being sick for almost two weeks was to rack his brain in the early morning hours, but he had to take the opportunity when him and Harry were alone for once.
"I'm just telling you this once. This is not highschool anymore, you are a nobody here, and if I find out you're planning something, if I hear you talking bad to or about him, if you try the littlest thing or act out just once I'm gonna beat your ass and I'm dead serious." He said without moving a muscle on his face. "Leave him alone."
"I won't try anything." Harry said slightly taken aback by Niall's forwardness. "As I said I just want to do my job. I would never harm him in any way again."
"Sure." Niall huffed sarcastically. "Because you were always such an angel."
"I changed." Harry held his gaze despite feeling the urge to avert his eyes.
"People like you never change." Niall muttered.
"I did. I will prove it." Harry said confidently.
"We'll see." Niall leaned back in his chair and observed him once more. "It will never change anything and I will never forget what you did, but if you want a future here then you better make an effort to be at least halfway decent."
"I'm really sorry." Harry said shamefully.
"Save it." Niall mumbled and turned back to his work, ending the conversation with that.
Louis was halfway through with working through the sales figures of last month, being stressed out of his mind, troubled and tired when there was a knock on his door.
"Come in." He mumbled without looking up trying to concentrate on the numbers in front of him.
"You should take a break, mate." Niall said as he entered the office and saw Louis' posture he knew too well.
"I don't have time for a break." Louis sighed, but looked up from the document and at his best friend cautiously, not quite knowing where they stood after their fight- or better since Niall was pissed at him.
"Rest your eyes. I can literally see they're burning and it does no good to your head." Niall said knowingly and sat down in front of his desk.
"I know." Louis mumbled. "What's up?"
"Just wanted to ask if you want to go out for lunch." Niall shrugged.
"Oh?" Louis said surprised. "Maddie's coming over after school and we wanted to order something, but we can go out as well." He suggested.
"Yeah, sure." Niall nodded. "Look, I'm sorry for how I reacted. I don't want to fight with you or shit, I just want to look out for you."
"I know." Louis sighed. "You don't have to apologise, I get it. I'm sorry for deciding this above your head."
"It's alright, I guess. I told him I beat him up if he tries anything." Niall shrugged.
"You didn't." Louis breathed out surprised.
"I did. And I will do it." Niall said seriously.
"I don't doubt that for a second." Louis said with an amused curl of his lips. "Thank you for always having my back."
"Stop that now, or I'm going to start crying right here and will never leave you again." Niall said and Louis actually started laughing holding his hands up.
"Okay, okay. I didn't say anything." He said.
"I sure hope so." Niall said with a fake glare and got up. "See you at lunch and take breaks in between." He reminded and left the office after Louis dismissed him with a wave of his hand and an eye roll.
He tried to concentrate on his work, but every time he thought he was back on track the conversation from this morning with Harry, his talk with Mallory and the worry about Madison meeting him was waltzing through his head like a hurricane and he couldn't get a single productive thing done. When he thought back to what Harry asked him to he got goosebumps all over his skin despite him getting hot flashes in uncertainty of what he had planned when he wanted to talk to him.
Did he really want to apologise? Louis highly doubted that when he never felt the need before to do so.
But how should he have done that anyway? He could've found a way, Louis was sure of it.
While he was searching for answers to his tons of questions Harry's mood didn't lift throughout the day and he couldn't hide it from Zayn when they were out for an early lunch in their break when Zayn had an internal meeting with his team during the usual lunch break.
"Why are you so moody today?" He asked when they left the Imbiss to go back to the office.
"Just couldn't sleep and now I'm tired." Harry huffed.
"Are you sure?" Zayn checked.
"Yeah..." Harry muttered, but Zayn wasn't convinced and eyed him suspiciously when he noticed his tone.
"You know you can tell me anything, right?" He said and Harry scoffed.
"Yes, sure." He murmured sarcastically.
"Okay..." Zayn stopped and looked at him seriously. "What the fuck is your problem? What did I do?"
"Nothing, it's just...I don't want to talk about it, okay?" Harry sighed. "But it has nothing to do with you."
"If you say so." Zayn said unconvinced, but let it slide, biting his tongue to not start an argument about Harry's reaction just now.
"Yes." Harry mumbled and they continued their way mostly in silence until they reached the elevator.
The doors were just about to close as Harry pressed the button for their floor when someone called for them to keep the doors open and Zayn quickly put his foot between them just in time so they opened again.
A girl stepped inside panting heavily and clutching her light yellow and pink backpack that was hanging from her shoulders, her chestnut hair that was almost reaching her waist in two ponytails on each side of her head that was adorned with a light blue hairband the same colour as her eyes that were shining up at them.
"Phew, that was close. Thank you." She chirped with a wide smile and picked on her skirt that was part of the school uniform she was wearing abstinently.
"No worries. Which floor do you need to go?" Harry smiled at her and she turned towards the control panel.
"Oh, it's pressed already." She shrugged and pointed to the floor just as the doors closed once more.
"But you're not one of those super smart kids who secretly work for a gaming company like in those movies, right?" Zayn asked with a chuckle and she looked at him funnily before a huge grin broke out on her face.
"Sorry, it's top secret." She said, her eyes twinkling mischievously.
"Oh, cheeky." Zayn laughed with wide eyes and glanced at Harry who stifled a laughter.
"Thanks." The girl said confidently. "I'm just visiting my dad, but I've to do homework which is boring, but thankfully it's only Maths and a bit of English so it's alright, I guess." She blabbered and the men chuckled.
"Sounds like a pretty relaxed day." Harry said, finding her and her personality entirely endearing.
"It would be more relaxed if I was allowed to play video games, but my dad said no so I have to listen." She shrugged. "Maybe I can persuade him when I tell him I got my science test results."
"I'm sure you can, you seem pretty confident." Zayn smiled.
"Thanks." She grinned.
"And what are the results?" Harry wondered curiously.
"I got full score." She said proudly.
"I'm sure your dad will be thrilled about that and very proud of you." Zayn said softly, his tough facade dropping automatically at the lovely girl who was so outgoing and spirited he just couldn't stop smiling at her.
"He always is." She nodded grinning widely as the elevator came to a halt. "Oh. That was fun. See ya." She waved at them as she quickly exited the metal cabin and gasped excitedly when she saw Louis leaning against the reception desk with his elbows propped up, not noticing Harry and Zayn stepping out behind her as well.
"Dad! We were just talking about you!" She shouted and Louis turned to her, a finger on his lips to silence her because he was on the phone that only came to view now, but froze in his movement when he took sight of Harry and Zayn staring at him as if he was from another planet and all colour drained from his face.
His eyes snapped down to Maddie who approached him now grinning, not noticing the many kinds of different facial expressions in this small area. He swallowed thickly, gathering himself in front of his daughter so she didn't note anything and pulled his phone off his ear to mute it quickly.
"Go to my office. I'll be there in a minute, darling." He grabbed her face, squished her cheeks with one hand and gave her a quick kiss what made her giggle and she pushed his face away, trotting to his office and waving at Naomi when she passed her who greeted her with a chuckle.
He didn't dare turning to the two men just yet, especially when he felt their gazes on him clearly, so he put the phone back to his ear, finishing his call and when he was done he couldn't help himself as he glanced at them once more before spinning around and disappearing in the hallway to his office leaving them standing there with a thousand questions.
He couldn't imagine anything more disturbing than that, but soon he had to deal with another situation that was worse. A million times worse.
Harry and Zayn still stood on the same spot without moving trying to process what they just found out when they heard the elevator ringing again, the doors opened. Harry was first to react and turned around out of reflex, just wanting to make a step aside when he froze and stared at the woman in front of him.
He'd always recognise her- even after decades. Her chestnut hair that fell down in perfect waves, her blue eyes that turned into a light green towards the middle and her striking facial features. She was still as beautiful as eleven years ago when he last saw her, maybe even more now.
"Mallory?" He asked surprised and her head snapped over to him in a flash of light, not noticing him until now and her gaze hardened, pure hatred flared up in her eyes.
"Harry." She spat. "What the hell are you doing here?" Then she looked at Zayn and if her looks could kill, he would be laying on the floor not taking a single breath anymore.
Serious question: should I even continue this story? Is there anyone who even reads it?