and back again.

"What's her name again? Emily?" Jamie, a member of the One Direction security team, asked Harry.
"Ella!" Harry corrected him loudly.
"I know, I know," Jamie chuckled as he scribbled something on the pages of his notebook, "I was joking!"
Harry rolled his eyes, "You're such a comedian, James."
"You make it too easy." Jamie teased.
Harry lifted a banana from a bowl of fruit in the center of the nearby coffee table. It was Thursday, two nights before he would see Ella again, and he couldn't argue with the fact that his nerves were at an all-time high. Jamie had already gotten him with the same wrong-name joke twice that day but he couldn't help it, he was too anxious to see her.
Harry peeled the banana slowly, broke a piece off, and shoved it in his mouth as he fell onto the sofa and reached for his phone. No new messages. Not surprising, as it was only two thirty in Indiana and Ella was still at work.
"Hey, mate," Louis greeted Harry as he joined him in the small parlour room, "sound check in fifteen."
"I'm building up my energy." Harry joked, lifting his banana.
Harry could feel Louis' eyes on him as he found a seat on top of the coffee table. He'd known Louis long enough to read his silence.
"Spit it out, Louis."
"I just want to make sure that you're... um, sure."
Harry narrowed his eyes at his friend, "Sure of what exactly?"
"This Ella thing."
Harry stared at is hands.
"I just mean that I don't want you to get hurt," Louis continued when Harry didn't answer, "Some people are good at pretending. I just want you to be sure that this isn't some kind of publicity stunt."
Harry pressed his lips into a thin line as he processed Louis' words. Coming from a lot of people, that kind of statement would have pissed him off. Coming from most people, even. But coming from Louis, it came from a place of genuine concern. Louis always had his back. He knew that he had to be careful. People were always pretending around them and Louis was right, some people were really good at it.
"She's different." Harry said simply.
"She has a boyfriend." Louis said softly.
"I know that."
"So -"
"I don't know, Louis," Harry raised his voice as he stood from the sofa. He paced back and forth in the small room, very aware of Louis and Jamie staring at him as he did, and ran his hands through his overgrown hair. "I haven't got a damn clue! But she's different, okay? And if it takes a while for her to realize that this isn't some kind of game for me, then I can wait. And if she never realizes that and stays with him for the rest of her life, then I can accept that, too."
"Can you?" Louis asked.
"What choice do I have?" Harry's voice cracked as he spoke. Even he couldn't believe the words spewing from his lips. He'd known Ella for all of a few weeks, but it felt like so much more. "What's worse, Louis? Forgetting about her now because I might not have her forever? Or having it hurt like hell but always having those memories?"
Now it was Louis' turn to keep quiet.
"What if it was Eleanor?"
Louis inhaled and exhaled loudly, and stood from the coffee table, "We'll figure out some kind of diversion for Saturday night." He announced, "Me and the lads will go out so you and Ella can have the hotel to yourselves; we'll take the paps with us."
Harry breathed a sigh of relief, "Thanks, Lou."

***

INCOMING TEXT MESSAGE: GEM
Hiiiii Harry.

REPLY: Hiiiiii Gem.

INCOMING TEXT MESSAGE: GEM
How was Seattle?

REPLY: Great! How is Mum?

INCOMING TEXT MESSAGE: GEM
Good. She and Robin are out to dinner tonight. Excited for Chicago?

REPLY: Did Louis call you?

INCOMING TEXT MESSAGE: GEM
Liam. They're just looking out for you, Harry.

REPLY: I know that. But she's different, Gem. I really believe that.

INCOMING TEXT MESSAGE: GEM
That's all I needed to hear. Love you little brother.

Notes

a short one but these are important too!

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