***Louis Tomlinson ***
Monday, August 13th, 2012 – North London, England

Abby drove me to her place after we left Harry at the café. I was a bit worried about him. He’d said he was just tired but he seemed upset about something. I wondered if he was just sad from having seen the guys at the recording studio that morning. Then again, he’d seemed fine during lunch. Maybe it had just taken some time for the sadness to catch up to him. I figured a nap would do him some good.

Abby and I watched a movie, and then when it was over we sat in the kitchen and had some tea. Somehow, we got on the topic of my family, and I told her everything that had happened with them since I’d come out. She had known I wasn’t on speaking terms with them, but never knew why, and it felt good to get it off my chest. I had never wanted to talk about it before, but Abby just made it okay. She listened and understood, and I had tears in my eyes as I told the story, the pain from that still lingering, as I was sure it always would. Abby reached across the table and squeezed my hand, letting me talk it all out. Finally, when I finished, I had to take a deep breath to calm myself down. Abby walked around the table and pulled me to my feet, embracing me in a hug. Then, out of nowhere, she tilted her head up and her lips moved towards mine. I jumped back just in time.

“Whoa!” I exclaimed. “Abby, what – ?” I asked. She knew about the no kissing rule, but we weren’t even in public. I didn’t understand.

“I’m sorry,” she said, and her eyes watered. “I just felt really close to you, and I – I wanted to show you that. I’m sorry, Louis.” She covered her face with her hands. I sympathized and wrapped my arms around her.

“It’s okay,” I told her, realizing that Harry had been right after all – Abby was in love with me. I hugged her for a minute, trying to figure out how to explain to her I wasn’t interested, and how in the world I hadn’t made that clear to her before. “It’s just – I mean, Abby, I’m gay,” I reminded her as I let go.

“I know,” she nodded and sniffled. “I know that, I just, sometimes I wish you weren’t. We connect, Loubers.”

“I know we do,” I agreed. “You’ve been a really good friend, Abby, and I want you in my life, contract or not. I just need you to respect that I’m with Harry.”

“I will,” she promised, nodding. “I’m so sorry.”

“Shh,” I whispered, and hugged her again.

Abby took me home after that, and it was kind of an awkward drive. I knew the next time I saw her it would be all blown over and she would bounce back like she always did, but it was still a weird situation. Aside from that, I had to worry about how Harry would handle this. For starters, not only had I not trusted Harry’s instincts, now I had to tell him he’d been right, and my stubbornness didn’t like that. I just hoped he wouldn’t be angry with me or Abby – she just got caught up in the moment and nothing ended up happening. Plus, Harry trusted me; it would be okay. It had to be.

I said goodbye to Abby when she pulled up in front of my house, got out of her car, and walked inside. I stepped into the kitchen and gasped at the sight I found as my heart fell out of my chest.

Notes

Seriously Abby??!