Princess » l.s ✔️

The One With All The Smoking

Chapter Sixteen: The One With All The Smoking.

Louis let out a loud, little exaggerated sigh, pushing himself off the wall.

"Where is he?" Liam asked, looking at the older man, then towards the direction Zayn went.

"I'll give him five minutes, if he's not here by then, we're having lunch without him." Louis said, a frown contorting his entire face, lips turned down. He looked at his phone and huffed.

He hadn't been in the best mood, lately. He wasn't sure what is was exactly. Lack of sleep? Stress?

Or maybe it was the fact that Harry had been ignoring him for the past twelve days, and fourteen hours. (He had been counting)

Harry wasn't totally ignoring him, he still picked up Louis' calls, but it was different.
He was so different.

The conversations were short and they were quick, and Harry always had an excuse for the question, 'Do you want to come over?'

Another job interview, sorry.

Oh, I have to take the kids out.

There's this big event... at home, I can't.

I'm sick, maybe later?

I'll make it up to you. See you.

It got to a point where Louis just gave up.

He knew when he wasn't wanted, and he wasn't the type to chase after someone, especially when it was someone who didn't want his company anymore.

Louis Tomlinson definitely would never stoop that low as to go after someone like that, no matter how close he was to the person.

He heard the message loud and clear, Harry didn't need to tell him that he didn't want to be around him anymore.

Although, no matter how much of a big front Louis tried to put, no matter how hard he tried to keep his ego intact and pretend that this wasn't affecting him at all, he couldn't deny that Harry was always on his mind. He couldn't deny that his nights were filled with thoughts of him, every breath he took, every exhale he released. And he missed him.

He truly did miss him, every single part of Harry. He missed his laugh, and his long hair, his eyes that were so, so easy to get lost in.

He longed to see the way they sparkled when he talked about things he loved.

He missed the deep topics they got into at two AM, and the way his eyebrows furrowed cutely, and how he talked even slower.

Louis scoffed at himself, feeling absolutely pathetic.

He pulled out his pack of cigarette, pulling out the last of it along with his lighter.

"Shit, isn't that your second pack, today?" Liam stared at Louis with wide eyes. eyebrows raised high as Louis threw the empty pack in the bin.

He just shrugged, lighting up the cigarette and quickly sucking in the toxic smoke that relieved him of so much.

"Something's bothering you, isn't it?" Liam stood a few feet in front of the lad, hands in his pockets as he looked over his annoyed face.

Louis only scoffed, again. "Since when did you give a fuck?" He grumbled, sighing and blowing out the smoke only for it to whiz into the sky and disperse, polluting the air around them.

Liam hummed. "Well, I guess I care a little. You are my co-worker after all. Or are you my boss..."

"Get to the point." Louis grew irritated quickly, bit by bit. He just wanted to be left to his cigarette, left to dwell on his problems or pretend they weren't there.

"If I let you keep on smoking — which I'm sure you will. If you had twenty in one day, you'd definitely want more — you might just die of cancer right in front me, and I need my paycheck."

Louis rolled his eyes, taking another long, drag.

"It's because of Harry, isn't it?"

Louis almost flinched at the name, not helping the scowl he threw at Liam. He stared at him for a minute, as he licked over his lips, not saying a word. He needed to recollect his thoughts, rearrange his mind before he said anything. "What... What did he tell you?"

Liam shrugged. "Not much. Remember, we're not that close, but, from what he has told me, he seems to be hurting. And by the looks of it, so are you." He shrugged, running a hand through his hair. "Said he feels stupid for thinking there was a thing happening, that you didn't know what you wanted. I didn't quite know what he meant by that, but I'm assuming you do?"

Louis looked hard at his cigarette, watching smoke come out of the tip of it and blowing over it softly. "That's not fair." He told him through his teeth, flicking his cigarette, stepping on the ash that fell from it. "It's not fair, I may not know what I want, but... but I never said there was a thing. I never insinuated there was something! At least... I didn't try to." He started to walk away, but then walked back. "I didn't ask for this! Why does everyone want to point the finger at me? I'm suffering too. My head's been going crazy for-for-fuck," Louis squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head. His shoulder's drooped, feeling completely defeated as he rubbed his temple. "I never meant to hurt him, that's not what I wanted."

"Maybe you should tell that to him."

"The fuck is happening here? Is he okay?" Zayn pointed at Louis who was slowly pacing, fingers in his hair and clearly tugging at it.

The lad stopped, pressed his lips together, and took another drag, feeling the toxins fill his lungs to the brim.

"We were just about to leave." Louis gave Liam one last look and led the way.