Louis' POV

“So you really like this one?” I hold up the ring between my index finger and my thumb looking at it into the light.

“Yeah, do you like it?” Zayn asks me.

“It's nice.” I tell him moving the ring around watching the reflections it creates. “You think Eleanor will like it?” I put the ring down and turn to him.

“I'm sure she will. Did she tell you what kind of ring she wants?” He asks leaning back on the couch.

“No, I mean she has another ring that's an oval shaped and she seems to really like that one so I think this vintage style oval diamond will work.” I pick the ring back up and feel it burning a hole in my hand. I tightly grasp it but the feeling doesn't go away.

“Hey, are you okay mate?” Zayn must be studying me.

“Yeah, I'm fine.” I lie.

“No you're not. What's going on?” He averts all of his attention to me and I just can't keep everything a secret anymore.

“It's Kate.” I mutter out.

“I knew it. What happened between you two? I could just feel something between you two.” He gets my attention. “You have to have felt it, everyone felt it.” He answers my silent admissions.

“I don't know. I met her on the plane and it's like I haven't been able to get her out of my mind. We just clicked. Everything flowed, nothing was hard to navigate. She's just different.” I put the ring back down and lean back on the couch rubbing my face with my hands.

“So you're just going to propose to Eleanor, hoping these feelings go away?” The question I've been dreading.

“I don't know. I don't know what to do. I kissed her.” I actually feel better saying out loud.

“You kissed Kate?” His eyes wide with my surprise confession.

“Twice. I don't know what came over me, we were just talking about everything and it was like my body just took over.”

“She kiss you back?”

“It was amazing. Then I kissed her again and it was just intense. She drove me home and asked that we never see each other again because I'm with Eleanor though.” I look away, almost ashamed of the things I just admitted to Zayn.

“You ever felt those things with El?”

I shake my head no and swallow, finally admitting the truth.

“I don't know if you should get married Louis.” He rests his chin on his arm. “If you haven't even gotten engaged and feel like this what's going to happen if you do get married? You're going to regret this forever.” He shakes his head.

“I just don't know if I'm ready to break Eleanor's heart. I don't know what's happening with Kate.” I'm just confused.

“Well you break her heart now, or you break it later when she finds all this stuff out and your married with kids or something.”

“Ms Porter?” I bellow. A short, older woman comes shuffling in the living room.

“Yes Mr. Tomlinson?” She asks.

“I'll take this one.” I hold up the ring I've chosen for Eleanor and she nods.

“I'll just start the paperwork!” She smiles cheerfully and disappears back into the dinning room to start a write up.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Zayn asks timidly.

“I fear the unknown Zayn. I'm content with Eleanor. I can live with content.” I inform.

“You never want intense? You never want the thrill?” He pesters.

“What if she doesn't want me?” I finally look at his face.

“What if she does?”

-----------------------------------

I stuff the ring in the box and put it in one of my VANs that I never wear anymore. She'll never check in a stinky pair of shoes. Eleanor was mad when she came home the day we went to the park. Beyond mad.

She yelled at me for what felt like hours. She told me she was embarrassed about how I acted at the park. I don't blame her. She accused me of lying to her about knowing Kate. Said she didn't even know Kate but she didn't like her because Kate had played along with it.

I tried as hard as I could to not put any blame on Kate. She was trying to stay out of it. She had nothing to be guilty of. But it didn't matter. Eleanor was livid.

I tried to explain that I met Kate at the hospital when we went a few weeks ago, but she didn't believe me. She said that a real woman would chose not to be around a man who is in a relationship. And Kate had said over and over again she didn't want to come between us, she tried so hard not to disrupt my relationship.

This was a Louis problem.

Eleanor forbid me to see Kate ever again.

She deleted her phone number from my phone.

She blocked her on my twitter.

She erased every memory on my phone that Kate and Olivia had ever existed.

I knew this was my fault.

I tried not to show that I was hurt.

I tried to agree with her about everything.

But I was angry at Eleanor.

And I couldn't forget about Kate or the way she made me feel.

I have two weeks left to propose to Eleanor. And I have no plan. I still don't know if I want to.

She's been cold and distant. Angry. Not the Eleanor I used to know.

Things are slow when you don't have to record. When you don't have to tour, when you don't have things to design, approve, sign. Life can get boring. I sit here twiddling my thumbs doing nothing but nothing. My phone buzzing distracts me for a minute.

Unrecognized number. If another fan got my number again I'm going to be pissed. I'm tired of changing it.

“Hello?” I answer, holding the phone out from my ear just in case of a fan.

“Is this Mr. Tomlinson?” A woman's voice speaks out, it sounds familiar but I can't put my finger on it.

“I'm so sorry to bother you, I stole your number from Kate.” My breath stops at the mere mention of her name. “I'm Dottie, head nurse from the children's hospital. I'm sorry, I know it's not right but I also know she wouldn't call you herself. It's about Olivia. Her cancer has spread and it doesn't look good for her. I wouldn't call you unless I needed to but I'm concerned about Kate. She spends every waking hour here with Olivia, I've finally got her convinced to go home for a little bit and I'm just worried about her being alone. I'm sure you're busy but could you please go check on her?”

I've been pacing back and forth at her admission. Olivia is sick?

“I'll be right there.” I don't even hesitate. I hang up the phone and practically run downstairs, scribbling a note to Eleanor that I went out with friends, don't know when I'll be back.

Notes

So I didn't update last night...I got no new votes so here I am this morning!

Last chapter was difficult, trust me, I know.

But we're back to Louis. And engagement rings? And he's off to Kate's house? What do you think will happen now? Thoughts on Eleanor's reaction to Kate?

Thank you to everyone whose read, voted, and subscribed! Love ya'll!!

xoxoxox