Rain | Harry Styles

1.9

'can i kiss you or not? 'cause i'm not really sure right now of what you want.'

(like to be you - shawn mendes ft. julia michaels)

-

"I figured you'd be out here," rustling sounded from beside me, the low rasp of his voice startling me momentarily.

"Did you?" I asked rhetorically, glancing between him and the stars. I'd returned to the very spot I'd been in with him only months ago - the grass beneath my skin, the cool night air whipping at it.

"Why do you never wear a coat, Ana Grace?" he murmured, eyes flickering to the goosebumps arising on my bare skin - my arms entirely exposed by my thin shirt. 

"Finish the story," I didn't answer his question, my eyes flicking from a star which held the typical small spherical form to another group which seemed to imitate a peculiar shape of some kind, "Why did you get so drunk the other night?"

Harry exhaled deeply, "I went to see Louis."

"I know."

"And he was talking - typical Louis manner, and so-"

I frowned, "how do you know what to class as a 'typical Louis manner'?"

"I knew Louis a long time ago, Ana," he breathed, and my frown deepened as I turned to my side, now looking at him. My eyes met his - the sparkle prominent as ever in the darkness - I studied the green irises that bored into mine; a deep olive green, hints of blue, and spirals of gold. He was always so captivating - it often led me to forget my reason to speak.

"What?" was all I could muster, tearing my gaze from his, his lip dragged between his teeth.

"I know - knew, Louis," he said quietly, and I sat up.

"Harry, what do you mean 'you knew' Louis?" I pressed, raising an eyebrow. 

He brought his hands over his face, exhaling deeply into his palms before dragging them to the outer perimeter of his face, sitting up too, now.

"Right - listen to me," he groaned, "seriously, this isn't as bad as you're thinking it is."

I scoffed, looking away. Harry and Louis knew each other before? Before Caleb - before everything?

"Back where I grew up, Louis grew up there, too," he began hesitantly, "we were mates - really good mates, actually - our mums were, too. They'd both got divorces, and when his mum talked about wanting to pack up and move over here to the States - my mum decided she wanted to as well."

"You guys came here together?" I asked.

Harry nodded, "We must've been about ten. We were bloody inseparable," he chuckled humorlessly, "he helped me through everything with my dad - all of that shitty aftermath. Louis was my best friend."

I frowned, "But what about Caleb?"

"Caleb and I were best mates, too. Louis, Caleb and I were all best mates; for years, we were," he answered solemnly, his fingers drumming nervously on his knee the way they often did.

"What happened?" I pressed quietly - unable to possess louder volume - I was too astounded.

"Louis got jealous - thought I preferred Caleb, or some shit," he ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back from his face, "started hanging out with Sadie and Jake, and whoever those other minions were," I bit my lip, "and you know the rest of what they did to him."

"Why would he do all that?" I sighed, hugging my knees to my chest. 

Harry pursed his lips together, "Louis isn't himself when he's with them - or, he wasn't." he sighed, "That's Louis Tomlinson, now."