Carmen's POV

"Do you want me to wait?" Harry asks as he puts the car in park.

"No, that's fine."

"You sure?"

I nod. "Liam and I will find a way back."

"I don't mind," he insists. I smile at him and lean over the centre console to kiss him.

"I know. Don't worry about it," I assure him. He sighs and I kiss him once more, letting my lips linger a little longer this time. "I'll call you later."

"I'll be at my house."

"Okay."

He smiles as I step out of the car, swinging it shut and starting towards the field. Liam told me he was close to the main entrance so I walk through and look to either side, thankful that I took one of Harry's hoodies with me. It's surprisingly cool for the beginning of April. I've seen some tourists walking around in shorts and t-shirts, but for those of us from here this is like winter.

When I spot Liam he hasn't noticed me yet, leaning forward on with his elbows on his knees, his hands cupped over his nose and mouth. He doesn't look good. It's not until I'm at the steps that lead to the bleachers he's on that he even moves.

"Liam?" I call, walking towards him on the cheap-looking metal. He looks over at me and attempts a smile, but it looks like more of a grimace. He faces forward again as I sit down next to him, the cold instantly seeping through my jeans. Instead of drilling him with questions I just sit with him, waiting for him to tell me himself. We've been friends long enough for us to understand the other, and while my relationship with Harry has tested the strength of our friendship I know now that he's my best friend. Whatever he needs, that's what I'm here for.

"Remember when you came home with me for Christmas?" he asks finally.

"Last year, yeah."

"My sister had just had a baby." He smiles slightly and stares blankly at the field. "That was fun."

"Yeah."

Liam rakes his hands through his short hair and I can tell whatever's on his mind is causing him turmoil. He doesn't get like this often; sure, things bother Liam, but he deals with them and then moves on with his life. But this is different and I can see it by the lack of colour in his cheeks and the dark circles under his eyes.

"Liam, what happened?" I slide my hand over Liam's back and he hangs his head low.

"Me and...Tal and I are-"

"You're still seeing her?" That's a surprise; he told me months ago that they were officially done with their little arrangement. "I thought-"

"We weren't," he says quietly. "Aren't. But...a while ago I was out at a bar with Niall and she was there with some friends. We..."

Oh. "You went home with her." He shakes his head. "Then what?"

"I went home with someone else."

"Well...that's not so bad," I assure him. Sleeping with someone to get over someone else isn't unheard of. I don't think it's exactly the best way to try and move on but it's not the end of the world.

"I didn't...it's happened before."

"Is she..." He nods again. At the beginning of his relationship with Talia he told me that he made a little mistake. He saw someone he's known for a while, a girl he dated in high school or something. They ended up hooking up and Liam felt horrible, but he wasn't exclusive with Talia yet so they managed to move past it. Now I guess he was with her again. "You slept with Rachel again?"

"Talia saw me with her." He laughs dryly and shakes his head. "I knew she would see me leave and I...I wanted to make her jealous, I guess."

"You want to get back together with Tal?"

"I did, but it's not going to matter anymore."

"You guys aren't together, who cares? She'll be fine, she got over it the last time."

"It's different this time, and you know exactly how last time went. She barely got past that, no way in hell is she going to get past this." He takes a deep, shaky breath and I can tell he's close to crying.

"You're freaking me out, Liam. What's going on, what's wrong?" I ask, spinning so I'm facing him. I place my other hand on his forearm and he takes a deep breath. "Liam, it's me. Talk to me."

"Rachel's pregnant," he says, finally looking at me. My eyes go wide and Liam slowly looks at the field again. Pregnant...with a baby.

"Holy fuck," I mutter, looking away as well. My mind is reeling trying to wrap itself around that statement. "Is umm...is she keeping it? The baby, I mean."

"She said she wants to, yeah."

"And you're...what are you going to do?"

"Do I have a choice? There's going to be a kid out there that's half me, I can't be that guy that abandons his kid because he was to fucking scared to man up."

"Okay." I slide my arms around him and pull him against me. "Okay."

Liam cries quietly against my shoulder for a few minutes while I rock him back and forth. I can't imagine how terrified he is right now; he probably feels like his entire world is falling apart and all I can try to do is hold him together. He's not even with this girl and now he's going to be involved with her for at least the next eighteen years. On top of navigating how the hell to be a parent at twenty-one, now he's going to have to work through a messy relationship with Rachel.

When he stops crying he decides he needs to walk, so that's what we do. It's quiet for the first few minutes and I link my arm through his, leaning my head against his shoulder.

"It's going to be okay," I tell him.

"That's really hard to believe right now."

"I know." I hug his arm tighter. "But I'm going to be here to help and we're going to figure it out. Whatever happens, you're going to be fine. If that means...if you become a father, you'll be amazing at that."

"I'm not ready," he says.

"I don't think anyone ever is. That doesn't mean you won't be a kickass Dad."

When I look up at him he gives me a tiny smile; that's something at least. This is a messy situation and I know he's confused, heartbroken over Talia and feeling burdened by this thing with Rachel. But it's Liam and Liam is an amazing person. He'll get through it.

"Have you talked about it? With Rachel, I mean?" I ask.

"A little. We met up a few days ago so she could tell me about it and she basically said that she doesn't expect anything from me," he explains. "She said I can be as involved as I want and if I can't do this, if I really don't want to be a part of their lives then I can walk away."

"Could you do that?"

"No, you know I couldn't."

"So, what did you tell her?"

"I was too surprised to say much." We stop at a crosswalk and he pushes the button to change the lights. "She gave me her number and told me when her next appointment is."

"When is it?"

"Tomorrow. It's her first...I can't remember what she called it, but she'll be able to hear the baby's heartbeat," he tells me as we walk across the street. "She said she really wants me there."

"Are you going to go?"

"I guess. I don't know, I haven't thought about it. I've been going in circles just thinking about the baby part."

"Liam." I tug him to a stop on the sidewalk and take both his hands. "Whatever you want to do, I'm with you, okay? One hundred percent, whatever you need me for I'm going to be here. I promise."

He suddenly wraps his arms tight around me, nodding his head as he hugs me. Liam is one of the most important people in my life and if he's going through the fire, then I'm right there with him.

By the time we get back to the house my hands are freezing and my feet are sore. My Toms aren't exactly good for walking long distances and Liam ended up carrying me on his back for the last four blocks. But we both kept laughing too much and it took longer than it would have if I'd just walked. When he stumbles through the door, still carrying me, my smile drains because Harry is standing in the kitchen with only a towel around his waist, leaning casually against the counter with his arms folded over his chest. The muscles in his arms seem so much bigger than before..how did I not notice that he got so muscular?

"You two look happy," he says, smiling at me. I slide down from Liam's back and kick my shoes off my feet. "Did you walk back?"

"Don't sound so horrified." I roll my eyes and walk over to him, letting my eyes graze over his torso. He tucks me under his arm and kisses my forehead.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah." His finger rests under my chin to lift my gaze to his.

"Is that all you're going to tell me?"

"Yep." Harry sighs and I lift myself on my toes to kiss him. It's no secret that he doesn't like it when I keep things from him, but there's a best friend privilege here that precedes the boyfriend one.

"Sorry I stole her, mate," Liam says, taking a piece of pizza from the box on the table.

"I can spare a few minutes here and there," Harry says. He taps my nose and links his fingers with mine. "Ivy is coming here tonight if you want to stay here instead. Lou said she's bringing a bunch of movies."

"That sounds fun. Liam, you want to join us?"

He shrugs. "Maybe."

"The more the merrier," Harry sings. He starts pulling my towards the stairs and I look to Liam for any signs he needs me to stay. The smile he gives me is genuine and I take that as an okay for me to go with Harry. Once in his bedroom I flop onto his bed to massage my feet.

"Do you have my joggers at your place?" he asks, shuffling through his drawers.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Damn. I need to stop leaving all my shit there."

"I agree, it's way more laundry for me."

Harry laughs and looks for something else to wear while I gawk at him. When you look at Harry it really isn't hard to believe that he was such a ladies' man. I haven't asked him about his past a lot because the idea of Harry dating other girls makes me want to throw up, but I know enough from hearing people talk about him, about us. It's no surprise that he had girls coming at him from all sides.

His phone starts vibrating somewhere in his tangled mess of sheets, so while he fishes through his closet I search for it for him. The number isn't saved to his phone, so I decide to answer it myself.

"Hello?"

"Harry?"

"No..." Harry turns around with his eyebrows pulled together. "Who's this?"

"Baby, give me the phone," Harry says, rushing over to me. I push his hand away. "Carmen, please-"

"It's Nicole, who's this?"

"Carmen," I tell her in a clipped tone. "What the hell are you doing calling Harry?"

"Hang up," Harry begs. He reaches for the phone again and the look on his face makes my stomach turn nervously. "Baby, please give me the phone."

"I've been trying to reach him," she says. "I have his...wait, he didn't tell you, did he?"

"Tell me what?" I almost whisper, looking up at Harry with misty eyes. He tugs at his hair and shakes his head profusely.

"I didn't realize you two got back together," Nicole mutters. "I'm sorry, Carmen. Ask Harry, okay? I won't bother him anymore."

With that she hangs up. The phone feels like a brick in my hand and Harry finally snatches it away from me. When he realizes the line is already dead he basically throws it across the room and then he gets on his knees between my legs, taking my hands tightly in his. I don't know what just happened but...I feel like I might throw up.

Notes

i skipped a harry :/ this one was kinda of important tho...so it had to be done. the next one will be from him.

what do you think is going to happen??