Save Myself // Larry Stylinson

Chapter 27

Chapter 27: XXVII

Summary:

This is the last chapter.

Thank you all so much for reading along this far, its been a journey getting here and typing the words 'The End' is always the most heart-wrenching part of finishing something....
Notes:

Song inspiration for this chapter... well there were a million songs for the whole story, but in particular:

To A Friend by Alexisonfire... this song in particular is like a really good back and forth between Louis' panicked thoughts (panic holds me like a gun, firm and steadfast, bleak and cold) and Harry's want for him to be better (You shouldn't have to fight alone, it's nobody's battle but your own)

What Now by Rihanna (because literally the words are: I found the one, he changed my life; or was it me that changed and he just happened to come at the right time?)

Also, Matt's song is One More Light by Linkin Park
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

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"Nobody died."

They were the first words that Harry had said in at least 10 minutes. Louis had been sitting on the edge of his bed fighting against the raging nausea in his stomach since Harry began his frantic google search. Somehow, against his very nature, the second that Harry had closed the door to his bedroom Louis had spilled every single detail about what had happened with Matt. He didn't know why he felt compelled, but he was aware that whatever chance he had left with Harry was probably hinging on by a thread. There was no more room for error and there was no more room for the illusion of pride, because he needed Harry and he at least owed it to Harry to be honest.

Of course, that honesty had come with a pretty fucking huge risk. Maybe a person who didn't know Louis as well as Harry did would have balked at the story. Maybe someone who felt a little less confident in Louis' honesty would have assumed that he'd been involved. That had never been an issue with Harry, though. Harry had never made assumptions based on the things he heard about Louis. Harry hadn't even hesitated on the possibility that some of this might have been Louis' fault, that Louis was being less than honest. Harry was a fucking saint. He was calm and rational where Louis was scared and panicked, and said the first thing that had to happen was that they had to find out what damage was done.

Harry had skimmed nearly every article online that might have related to it and the very best words that were out of his mouth were the ones he had just said. Nobody died. Louis wasn't an accomplice to murder and he didn't currently have a murder weapon stashed in his glovebox and that was definitely the second best news of the day.

The best news though? Well, that would have been the fact that Terri was right. Louis somehow hadn't used up his last chance and Harry had still let him into his house. Had still listened to every mistake he made since Matt had marched into the hotel room and dragged him out to his car.

Of course, needing Harry's help was only part of it. Louis couldn't ignore that. He couldn't ignore that there were a million more things that he owed to Harry.

"I think what we should do is go to the police. You didn't actually do anything, Louis, and if you tell them who did...they're not going to go after you. I know you probably don't want to turn in Matt, but he did something really wrong—what if he had killed someone and then stuck a gun in your car? He doesn't care what happens to you, Lou and I'm sorry to say it but you shouldn't care what happens to him. He'll be better off...he can get the help he needs."

Harry was saying a lot of things that were extremely valuable. Things that Louis probably really needed to hear but he couldn't hear them because there was something nagging at the back of his mind. It was throbbing like blood beneath a bruise and he couldn't pay attention to what Harry was saying because it was just pulsing against him, wearing away at him like the ocean at the shoreline. He had to get it out, put it out there in the world so that it would stop eating away at him.