Half a heart

Chapter 9

_Face down_

_Wet cheeks_

_Clenched teeth._

_Small room_

_Dark space_

_No sound._

_Sudden steps_

_Slamming doors_

_Heart pounds._

Louis jerked awake and sat up in bed, sweating. It's thirty minutes past eight and he's at least thankful it's not any earlier like normal. He slowly climbed out of bed, still trying to get his breathing back to normal.

He almost wishes he couldn't dream. Actually, he just wishes he couldn't have nightmares because if he couldn't dream he couldn't be with Harry while he was asleep.

In the shower he soaped up his body and hair then let the almost too hot water cascade over him. Out of the shower he towelled off and pulled on a pair of black boxers. He wondered out to the kitchen, bowled a bowl down, grabbed the cereal, and poured some into the dish with milk. It was a reminder that he was a shit cook. Most mornings he would wake up craving a delicious breakfast like Anne used to make when he would stay at their house or arrive early to pick up Harry for school.

After he ate, Louis went back to his bedroom and pulled on a pair of black sweatpants with a teal t-shirt and a pair of black TOMS. He slipped his phone and wallet into the front pocket of the sweats then grabbed his keys as he walked out the door of his flat.

By the time he pulled up to the bakery it was nine thirty and people were filing into Little Cups. He walked in and went straight to the counter and sat down on one of the open stools, most other opting for the tables and chairs or booths.

"Morning love." Anne greeted spotting him as she came out from the kitchen.

"Morning." Louis replied with a tight smile, still feeling a little shaken from his nightmare.

Anne didn't say anything more as she picked up a cup and filled it with hot water after adding the bag of tea she knew Louis favoured.

"Thanks." He muttered accepting the steaming beverage from her.

"Come on." Anne sighed motioning for him to follow her.

Louis picked up the cup of tea and followed Anne through the kitchen and into her office where she shut the door.

"What's bugging you?" She questioned sitting down behind her desk.

"Just a bad dream." Louis replied looking down at his drink.

"Want to talk about it?" Anne asked crossing her arms on top of the desk.

Louis shook his head no. He definitely didn't want to talk about the nightmare, especially not to Anne.

"Alright, well... It was just a dream Louis, it's not real whatever it is and if it was about something that happened in the past, well it's done with, that's why it's the past. We can't go back and change the things we did in hopes that maybe whatever happened back then wouldn't happen. Even if we could, it would mess everything up in the future." Anne said gently.

"I'm not sure how it could mess anything up, everything is already messed up." Louis muttered looking up at her.

"That may be so, but it can be fixed. Look at it this way, if whatever happened in the past hadn't happened, you might not even have the chance in the future to fix it because something else might've happened that took away your chance." Anne responded.