After the End: Book 4

44. The Victory

Louis POV

Everybody acted like I was crazy when I announced over breakfast that I'd be leaving with Harry in tow within the hour. Even Harry looked squeamish, although he didn't say anything to counter it.

"I thought you were going to hang around a bit," Naomi piped up.

"Louis what the hell do you not understand about the word resting?" Lottie chastised me with the same flair that our mum would bring.

I found their complaints to be a bit trivial in the face of a new day. I'd woken up with a determination to move forward from the previous night. I wasn't going to act like I was somehow disabled by my feelings. It was a one time thing. I was fine.

It was actually Harry who came to my defense, although he wasn't entirely helpful in his revelations.

"It's because I have a rehearsal to be at this afternoon right?" He'd asked. He kept his voice light, but I could see the anxiety in his eyes from the concept. He'd been nibbling on the corner of a piece of toast for a long time.

"You're going to work today Louis? Are you kidding me?" Phoebe had snapped.

"You wanna tell Melvin I need a another day off?" I'd asked with a scoff. "Be my guest."

There'd been more arguments. It had seemed tense, but eventually everyone was resigned to it. I clarified that Naomi could get the kids home herself and it was settled.

Lottie had somewhere to be. She hadn't planned on staying the night until I'd collapsed, so she was actually in a bit of a hurry to get out the door. She still made a point of cornering me on her way out.

"You're kind of a mess," she informed me. "I know I don't normally say this, but please call me if you need something Lou."

For once, I agreed. I had faith that maybe Lottie was more than I'd thought. She had more to offer than she'd been letting on before. She kissed my cheek like she always did, and said her goodbyes to the girls. She even made a point of nodding at Harry on her way out, and he'd not scowled as obviously as he would normally. I hadn't heard him call her a devil related insult since sometime the previous day. The almost peace made me smile.

By the time Harry and I had loaded ourselves and some of his assorted belongings into the car it was later than I'd hoped. We'd still be making okay time, but it was enough to make me feel a little edgy. I avoided that thought. Giving space to that thought was not conducive when the moving on from the previous night thing.

We listened to the radio in silence for the first chunk of the drive. Harry hummed, and stared out the window, bouncing his knee nervously for the majority of the time. I'd expected him to take a nap because that's what he normally did on car rides, but it looked more like his mind was reeling.

I figured he was probably pretty fixated on the previous night. He'd tried to avoid me. He was frazzled, and now we were going back to work. The last time we'd been in London, he'd been a mess and we'd barely been speaking. This was far beyond normal.

He didn't bring up any of those things when he did finally turn down the radio to speak. Instead, he said "Hey correct me if I'm wrong, but did you drunkenly call my mum a gutter whore the other night, or did I imagine that?"

I glanced his way with raised eyebrows. He was smirking as if remembering it fondly. It had definitely happened. We both knew that. I was fairly certain I'd done it twice.

"I think you imagined that," I lied. I didn't even try to sound convincing.

"Good to know." Harry smirked knowingly.