*Kathryn's POV*
I called Louis as soon as my shift ended and he answered with a soft hello.
"Are you alright?" I asked him, "You sound different."
"No- yeah, I'm fine. I'll... I'll be there to pick you up." And then he hung up on me.
I sighed as I folded my arms, trying to warm up in the freezing cold weather. I was stood under a flickering yellow street light, desperately waiting for Louis. There was some melting snow around me, and the only bright side was that it wasn't currently snowing. After a couple of minutes, Louis' car stopped in front of me.
I ran up to it and got in. Thankfully it was very warm in his car.
"How did the homework go?" I asked him.
There was no response.
"Hello? Louis?"
"Oh, sorry?" He questioned.
"How did the homework go?" I repeated.
"F-fine, I guess." He answered, "How... was work?"
"Same as always." I replied.
He nodded awkwardly, which caused me to sigh.
"Are you sure you're okay, Lou? You're acting weird."
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just... doing a lot of thinking." He answered.
"About...?"
"I'll- I'll tell you when we get home." He answered. For some reason, he looked scared. I was simply confused.
I looked out the window as silence filled the air. I glanced over at Louis to find him looking at me, and his breath hitched in response.
He was so cute.
Once we got home, I looked to him. I was expecting him to tell me what was wrong but he just avoided my gaze and mumbled something about taking a shower.
"Wait- Louis!" I went after him to his room and he was sat on his bed.
"You can tell me anything, remember?"
"No... I can't." He answered.
"Yeah you can." I smiled at him, assuring him that it was okay.
He nodded and mumbled something quietly.
"Hm?"
"I like you, okay?"
I could feel my heart squeeze. I was sure I heard him wrong.
"You what?"
"I like you."
"You like me?"
"Jesus Christ Kathryn, I don't wanna have to say it again." He muttered, as if he was ashamed of it.
"You don't like me.." I began.
I was sure I liked him as well, but I wasn't ready to admit it to myself. I wasn't ready to get into a relationship or anything, I was terrified.
"I do, Kathryn. Okay? I'm sorry if you don't like hearing that but I do."
He paused, waiting for me to respond. When I didn't, he continued speaking.
"I like the way you laugh and smile, I like how you try to be so nice to everyone, I like how strong you are, and I like the way you talk. You're amazing."
Suddenly, I felt tears running down my cheeks.
Why was this happening?
"Wh-what's wrong?!" He spoke, "You don't feel the same way?"
"Louis- I- I don't know." I replied, "I'm not- not sure how I feel about this..."
"It's okay if you don't feel the same way-"
"It's not that." I sniffed, interrupting him.
Why did he have to ruin everything?
"Why are you crying?" He asked.
"I just..."
"You just what, Kathryn?" He looked deeply into my eyes, as if he was trying to figure me out.
"You're ruining everything."
"What?"
"Our friendship is so great Louis." I spoke.
"I'm sorry." He answered, "I never should've said anything."
He said down next to me, wiping his eyes.
He walked past me in silence with his pajamas in hand, leaving to take his shower.
I stared at his bedroom wall, not knowing what to do.
Without thinking, I grabbed my phone and bolted out the front door.
I began to walk out in the pitch black. I didn't know where I was going, I just wanted to go somewhere to think.
I began to think about what was going to happen with me and Louis.
We could have technically went out, because we both had feelings for each other.
But what if that ruined everything? I knew that I was terrible in relationships. But then again, Danny and Louis were very different people. So, comparing my relationship with Danny and a potential relationship with Louis didn't make sense. And I was a different person as well. I wasn't as weak as I was then.
However, all of that didn't make me any less afraid. Danny had changed me. I was scared to be in a relationship. I was scared to have to rely on someone like that. I was scared to accept love because you have no possible way to know how much they really love you.
When I was with Danny, I obviously loved him way more than he loved me. I wasn't able to tell this until he left me.
So, what if right now Louis didn't like me as much as I liked him?
My thoughts were interrupted by tires screeching. I looked up to see a car backing up to my location.
I silently prayed it wasn't Louis, I couldn't tell in the surrounding darkness.
"Kathryn? Why the hell are you walking around at 1 am?"
I smiled in relief at Harry's concerned features.
"I.. don't know." I replied honestly.
"Get in here!" He exclaimed, "You must be freezing."
I wasn't, because I was covered in a giant grey wool sweater. I got in anyways.
"Should I drive you back to Louis'?" He questioned.
"No!" I yelled too urgently.
"Why not?"
"A lot of stuff happened." I replied.
He looked at me with a smirk on his face.
"Such as...?"
"He likes me." I told him.
"Not a surprise." He answered, "Don't you like him too?"
I didn't reply at first because I myself didn't know the answer.
"I- I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"Yep." I replied.
Harry was silent for a while before he finally mumbled,
"Well that's a problem, isn't it?"
"Yeah. I don't know what to do."
"You wanna.. come over and talk about it?" He asked.
"Sure."
Harry soon drove us to his house and parked in his driveway.
"You don't know if you like him?"
Harry asked me as we sat on his couch.
I nodded, as he went on.
"I think you do. I know it's rude of me to assume your feelings, I've just always seen that with you two."
I could feel my cheeks redden as he finished. He's always seen it with us? What did that mean?
"See? You're blushing!" He exclaimed, "Maybe you just don't want to admit it to yourself."
"Okay, so maybe I do like him. What then?" I questioned.
"What do you mean? If you both like each other, there's no reason not to go out with him."
"The last relationship I was in was really bad, so I'm afraid to be in a new one." I explained, "So there is a reason."
"What is there to be afraid of? Louis is sweet. What could he possible do to hurt you?"
"He could lie, cheat,-"
"Come on Kathryn, this is Louis we're talking about here." Harry interrupted me.
I glared at him as I replied, "I guess you don't know him like I do."
He raised his eyebrows at my negative response, as if he was t expecting it.
"Don't you trust him?"
"What?"
"Don't you trust Louis?"
I didn't say anything, knowing my answer already.
"After being his friend for all this time, all the shit he's gone through for you with Jessica, and the sorority, and you don't trust him?"
"He's let you stay in his house because he saw you suffering, and he cared about you. Hell- he barely even talks to Niall anymore. You're everything to him. There's no doubt in my mind he trusts you."
"I do trust him."
"What was that?"
"I trust Louis." I repeated.
"Okay, so if you trust him, and you like him, then what's the problem?"
"I -"
"Didn't you see how nice he treated Jessica, even when she was a bitch to him? I can swear to you Kathryn, that he won't try to hurt you." Harry interjected.
"Why do you care so much?" I questioned him.
"Louis is one of my best mates. Even though we got into that stupid fight over you, I still care about him." Harry chuckled, "He really likes you, Kathryn. And if I can't have you, then he should."