Words Unspoken

Chapter 23 - Photo

Kaylee's POV

Two weeks later, I found myself in Louis' grip and being dragged towards his car. He didn't say anything or acknowledge me as he opened the passenger's door and held it open for me. He hardly seemed fazed when I shook my head no and opened the back door instead.

He didn't talk the whole drive back to his house and I didn't pressure him to. I figured he would explain soon when the time was right for himself. When we reached his house, all he said was, "Is that his?" He nodded at the black watch secured tightly around my wrist. I nodded and he sighed. "How long?" he asked. I held up one finger, indicating that I had one hour. He nodded again and got out. I followed closely after him.

He unlocked the door and left it open for me. I watched as he moved slowly, looking like the life and energy was sucked out of him. He mumbled something about getting me a drink, but I shook my head; he looked so fragile that I didn't want to make him have to do anything. But it looked like he either didn't hear me or he didn't care.

The cabinets were pulled open and the sound of things falling over when he rummaged through them filled the air. I sat myself down in an armchair and waited for him to finish and come over. My eyes drifted around the room, taking everything in. It looked so disorganized and different from the last time I was here. Last time it had seemed like everything was put in order to perfection, but clearly this wasn't the case today.

Blankets and pillows were piled messily on top of each other on the couch next to me. Opened wrappers, napkins, and trash littered the floor. Photographs were also strewn across the table. It looked like someone had been living on the couch for the last few weeks in a tornado.

I picked up one of the pictures at random and stared at a younger looking Louis with another boy. The background scene was dark with the moon hidden in the corner, but both boys' smiles lighted up the whole picture. Anyone could see that. Louis set down a tea cup and spoon in the messy table in front of me just as I looked away from the picture and the mess, and dropped onto the mass of blankets and pillows on the couch. He brought his knees up to his chest, absentmindedly stirring his drink with his spoon. He stared off into space.

As rude as it sounded, I flicked my eyes to the watch where time was ticking down and then turned my attention back to him. We sat in silence for a while with me staring into the tea cup he had given me. The tea looked like dirt mixed in with water. Finally, he spoke.

"Harry's back," he said simply. He looked so defeated and sad. I watched him carefully and nodded along, pretending I knew who this Harry was. He didn't speak for another few minutes.

"He's my ex." He was speaking into his lap, but he gave a quick nod in the direction of the pictures on the table. I had no idea where this conversation was going. "God," he set down his cup on the table in front of him all of the sudden. "Why did he have to fucking come back?" He finally looked up at me and I could see the teary gaze he held on me.

"He told me why he left, too, which makes things a hundred times worse. These days I keep wishing that he would've just left things the way he left them." He was in a child's position now, rocking himself back and forth. He was trembling just the slightest. "You know what he told me was his reason for leaving?" He choked on his words. "He left because of Will. Because he got the cops involved in the situation and the people after Will were almost caught because of him. He said that's why he had to leave otherwise they were going to kill him." I reached my hand out to comfort him but when he flinched, I brought my hand back to my side again.

"Kaylee," he said my name so quietly it broke my heart, "he wants me to forgive him. He wants me to take him back."

My palms were sweating from this sudden information that was being thrown at me. He read my mind the minute the question popped into my head. "I know it's not fair to Chance. He keeps asking me if I'm alright and I keep lying to him and I don't want to lie to him but I don't want him to see me like this either. I'm a fucking mess and I-I-" he was crying slightly now. "I can't tell Will this because it's the last thing he needs since Ayden and Natalie are back. Besides, he and I are kind of fighting now, too. And I don't know what I'm supposed to do. The only person I could think of telling this to was you. God, I'm so stupid. I'm sorry."