Dance With Me {A One Direction Fan Fiction}

Chapter 26

Liam's P.O.V.

I eventually found Claire sitting on a park bench crying her eyes out. I opened my mouth to say something when my phone vibrated in my pocket.

From: Isabelle

Harry's here. He's a mess. Calm her down, bring her back, then he can fix it.

I sent a quick reply and walked up to Claire. Her petite body was racking with sobs, her shoulders quivering.

"Claire," I said softly.

She lifted her head from her hands and looked behind her at me. Her face was red and streaked in tears, eyes red and puffy and behind them, I could see how much pain she was in.

"Liam," she whispered hoarsely.

I didn't speak, walking around and next to her and opening my arms. Her bottom lip quivered and fresh tears cascaded from her eyes as she collapsed onto me, sobbing everything she had onto my shoulder.

"Shhh, it's OK," I said rubbing circles on her back to calm her down. Her sobs soon turned into gasps, and now she was softly whimpering and wiping her eyes. "Come on," I said taking her hand and standing up.

"Where are we going?" she sniffled. "I can't go home. Not when all his stuff is there. Not when he's there."

"Relax, I'm taking you to my flat OK?" I said beginning to walk back.

She nodded and we walked in silence. When we finally got back to my flat, I opened the door, not knowing what to expect.

"Claire."

Harry stood up from the sofa and walked over to her. He truly was a mess. His curly hair was all over the place, his clothes weren't lying on him right, and his eyes were red-rimmed and puffy.

"Claire," he said again taking her hand in his. She yanked it out of his grasp and I could tell she was trying to hold herself together. She wasn't going to break down in front of him. "Let me explain."

"That's all I ever let you do!" she spat at him. "You explain your way out of everything and I'm sick of it! What am I supposed to think when I see you on TV or on Twitter every week with another girl huh? There's always some excuse and I always take the excuse! Well not this time! You aren't going to be able to explain your way out of this one Harry Styles!"

"Claire please! Please listen!" Harry begged her.

"No!" she screamed at him as a tear escaped and fell down her cheek. She turned to leave but Harry grabbed her wrist, forcing her to turn back to him. "Let go of me," she said in a low tone.

"Not unless you promise to sit and listen to me," he negotiated.

There was a tense silence as Isabelle and I stood watching Harry and Claire stare each other down. The silence carried out, the clock ticking the whole time. Cars were heard rushing by and a few drunk yells. After what felt like an hour, Claire's head finally nodded slowly and Harry let out a breath of relief and sat her down across from him on the couch. Isabelle and I took the adjacent one and I pulled her close to me by her waist. She rested her head on my shoulder as we sat and listened to Harry's explanation.

"After I got off the plane," Harry began. "Grimmy called. He wanted me to go out with him. I kept telling him I didn't want to, but he wouldn't take no for an answer."

"He wouldn't or you wouldn't?" Claire cut in.

"Anyway," I probed Harry before he could reply.

"Anyway, I only meant to stay for like half an hour, but after Grimmy and I had a few shots, everything was blurred and I couldn't even tell you what day it was. I was so wasted I didn't even know what I was doing...and as soon as I woke up sober...I came looking for you."