Stripped

Chapter 24: The Truth

Chapter 24: The Truth (Louis's P.O.V.)

I moved over next to Ann as she cried. Harry looked at her sadly as I tried to comfort her. There was definitely something wrong and she wasn't telling us.

"It's okay, Ann," I tried to sooth her as I put an arm around her shoulder.

Harry said forward on the couch as she continued to cry.

"It's okay, Ann," he said calmly, "You know you can talk to us."

I looked from him and back to the crying girl that was now trying to bury herself in my chest. She shook her head, "I can't."

I leaned down and whispered softly, "You know we won't judge you for anything."

She just shook her head again, "Yes, you will. The whole thing in my fault. If it weren't for me, we wouldn't be in this mess."

Her tears fell harder as she tried to hide herself further into the folds of my shirt. I just wrapped my arms around her. There wasn't really anything else I could do at this point. But Harry was determined.

"Ann," Harry asked, "What do you think is your fault?"

The only response that he received was another shook of her head which I relayed to him. This didn't discourage him.

He sighed, "You can trust us. You do know that right?"

This time she nodded her head yes, but said nothing to go with it.

I sighed, "I'm sorry we caused all this commotion. We really only came over to ask you guys a question."

Ann sniffled a little as she looked up at me through her teary eyes. Her voice cracked, "What was the question?"

"We only wanted to ask who that guy from Starbucks was earlier."

Her eyes darted away for a moment before she asked, "Why?"

I noticed her sudden change in tone and replied, "Because he gave Harry and me a weird feeling."

"And we saw him talking to Taylor at her job not long after we first saw him," Harry added.

I could see the tears threatening to spill from her eyes again. Whoever this guys was, he definitely had something to do with whatever was bothering Ann and Taylor. This didn't sit well with me.

She just continued to stare back at me, lost for what to say to us. She had no idea how to respond.

"Who is he, Ann?" I asked softly.

She looked down as a few more tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I guess there's no way around this is there?" she hiccupped. "Taylor's going to kill me for this later, but...." She paused for a moment as more tears fell from her eyes, "I can't take this anymore."

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