The Wrong Woman

“Harry, what’s going on?” Maddie spoke again when it became clear nobody was going to answer her first question.

“Nothing.” I said clearing my throat and taking a step back from Felicity. “We were just talking… Felicity’s stressed about work and I was-“

“We were just-“ Felicity interrupted.

“I was just trying to make her feel better.”

Maddie stared at us with an unconvinced expression.

“Every time I turn my back, you guys are always together.” She said.

“We’re friends.” I said as I climbed the stairs and reached out to her.

“Don’t touch me!” She screamed before spinning around and walking away. I chased her down the hall and into her bedroom where she slammed the door. I caught it in time, so it didn’t slam, but she still pushed the door in a bid to shut it.

“Maddie, let me in.” I said.

“No, get out.”

I placed my foot in the door and forced it open, until she gave up and let me in. I closed the door before turning to face her.

“Can you please calm down?” I asked.

“Why should I calm down?” She yelled.

“Shhh.” I said. “Do you want your Dad to hear us?”

“I don’t care! Louis keeps telling me that you’re a cheater and he’s right!”

“We weren’t doing anything!” I protested. “What did you see or hear that was so bad?”

I didn’t know how much she had heard of the conversation and I couldn’t help but almost hold my breath for her answer.

“She was all over you.” Maddie said.

“So what? She’s just finished a bottle of wine so she’s all over the place.” I said feeling slightly relieved that she had not heard our conversation.

Maddie crossed her arms and I could see she was clutching her mobile phone. She followed my gaze and instantly hid it behind her back.

“Give me the phone Maddie.” I said, a wave of anger now washing over me.

“No.” She said. “Not until you tell me the truth.”

“I’ve told you the truth.” I said. “We’re just friends…”

It only took her one moment to be off guard when I took the chance to grab the phone from her.

“Give it back!” She cried but I held it above her head and pushed her away with my free hand. I glanced at the last message on the screen to see it was from Louis.

You should teach him a lesson

“What is he telling you?” I asked angrily. “He wants you to teach me a lesson, huh?”

“Harry, give me the phone.” She said and I promptly threw it across the room, where it fell behind her bed. Maddie scrambled to grab it and ended up in a crying heap on the floor.

“He’s always telling me that you’re on with Felicity… maybe he’s right.” She sobbed.

I sighed before taking her hands and pulling her up, only for her to shove me back.

“Leave me alone.”

“You want me to go?” I said.

“Yes!”

“Fine!” I spat out.

I left her standing there, crying her eyes out and headed straight for the front door. Luckily I didn’t bump into Campbell or Felicity on the way out as I jumped into my car and raced home. I needed a break- from everyone.

X

Saturday and Sunday were spent in a blur of beer and smoke. I crashed at Zayn’s house and by Monday I was still there ranting and raving to anyone who would listen to me. All my rage was directed at one person.

Louis Tomlinson.

Zayn was on his way out to work when he paused to regard me sprawled on his couch.

“Are you going to work or what?” He smirked.

“Hmph.” I mumbled with my face buried in the cushion.

I wasn’t going back there. Campbell could find another flunky to do his dirty work. But I was going to confront that asshole who kept putting ideas into Maddie’s head.

By three o’clock that afternoon I was making my way through the school grounds directly towards Louis’ classroom. I had glanced in the mirror before I left Zayn’s house, so I knew my hair was all over the place, my eyes were bleary and bloodshot and I knew I probably stunk like a brewery. But that was the least of my problems. The bell suddenly rang and I waited as all the students spilled out of the classroom. Once the last person had walked out, I strode over and pushed the door open.

Louis stood at his desk, a pair of glasses perched on his nose as he studied a piece of paper. He suddenly looked up, surprised at first before a smile came to his lips.

“Well, well, well.” He said slowly. “And to what do I owe this surprise visit?”

“You just need to back off.” I told him.

“Back off?” He said amused.

“You need to back off… Maddie’s just a kid and I think it’s sick the way you’ve been hanging off her-“

“More sick than what you have been doing to her?” He chuckled. “You’re fucking Felicity on the side… so cheating on your girlfriend isn’t sick?”

“That’s bullshit.”

“Is it?” Louis said. “I know more than you think…”

I frowned as he placed the piece of paper down and walked to the front of his desk. He crossed his arms and leaning back on the desk with the same shit eating grin he’d had since I had walked in.

“Do you think me turning up was just a co-incidence?”

I didn’t answer his question, allowing him to continue,

“I wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for Felicity… I followed her all the way out here. She never knew though, I was going to surprise her… but then before I knew it, she hooked up with Campbell and I knew I didn’t have a chance. My teacher’s salary would never match what Campbell could give her. But when I met Maddie… well let’s just say I didn’t really care about Felicity that much anymore. Oh I followed her every now and then… but that soon stopped.”

“You sick fuck.” I said.

“So thanks Harry. If it wasn’t for you chasing Felicity… I would have never had the chance to move in on Maddie.”

My hands clenched at my sides and without thinking I stepped forward to strike him when the door suddenly opened and Maddie rushed in.

“Harry!” She called and I turned to look at her when I felt something smash into my nose. As the pain ripped through me, I looked up to see Louis standing over me nursing his right hand.

“Louis what are you doing?” Maddie cried.

“I was just defending myself.” Louis said grimly. “And maybe I was defending you. He’s a liar and a cheater and you still want to be with him?”

“What has he been doing to you?” I asked, ignoring the blood streaming from my nose.

“What are you talking about?” Maddie asked innocently.

“Have you fucked him?”

“Harry!”

“You won’t let me touch you, but you’d let someone like him fuck you?” I asked, my voice now rising. I could see Louis smirking from the corner of my eye, but my attention was now on her.

“Harry, let’s go.” Maddie said nervously, taking me by the arm and leading me outside. I touched my bloody nose and paused for a moment as Maddie wiped it away with a tissue.

“What are you doing here anyway?” She asked.

“I wanted to talk to your boyfriend.”

“He’s my teacher, not my boyfriend.” Maddie responded quietly.

“I don’t even want to know what he’s been teaching you.” I said darkly.

As we walked to the car I could not help but think about what Louis had confessed to me. It would be so easy to tell Campbell everything I had just learnt, but what position did that put Felicity in? Who knows what Campbell would do to her if he found out that Louis was her ex and that she had kept it all a secret from him. I had to keep my mouth shut… for now at least.

Maddie sat in the driver’s seat of my car and I begrudgingly sat in the passenger seat, neither of us making the first move to break the silence.

“We’ve gotta figure out what we’re doing otherwise… let’s just end it now.” I finally said.

“I know there’s a lot you’re not telling me Harry.” Maddie said softly, staring straight ahead.

“And I don’t know if I can be with someone who lies to me.”

“And you think I can?” I asked pointedly. This argument could go on and on and I knew we were both wrong. We had both lied to each other and now everything was coming to a head.

“Maybe we’ve both been lying to each other.” Maddie said.

“You said it, not me.”

“So it’s true then? You have been cheating on me?”

“Maddie…” I said.

“I loved you Harry, I really did.”

“You don’t know what love is.”

“Yes I do… I know it makes you do crazy things… things you can’t even explain.”

Her steely blue eyed gaze was totally at odds with her sweet face and I found myself lost in my thoughts as I stared at her profile.

“And that scares me Harry, it really does.” She added softly.

Notes

As the story closes, do you have any predictions for the ending? :)