• • •

Nick and I couldn't stop smiling the entire weekend.

Our coach took us out to dinner before our flight back home, and then we said our goodbyes once we separated at the airport. We wouldn't be seeing her for a couple of months since Nick and I were taking a short break before we had to start training again over the summer.

"Are you going home or to mine?" I asked him as I texted Brandon that we had just left the airport.

"Yours. I slept the entire time so I'm not really tired." He replied, giving the taxi driver my address.

"Me too." I sighed happily before chuckling in disbelief. "I can't believe we beat France."

"I know. They were really fucking good this year." Nick agreed, and I nodded.

The ride back to my place was filled with us talking about our win, and soon we were in front of my building.

Nick paid the driver before I could, and we walked into the building after grabbing our belongings.

"Did you call your grandma yet?" Nick reminded me as he pressed the button for the elevator.

"Not yet. It's one in the morning in Italy so I'll call her tomorrow." I answered, letting Nick hit my floor button after we got inside.

"How's she doing?" He asked warily.

"Better. My aunt has been staying with her." I sighed, trying not to worry about Nonna too much so I don't stress myself out.

"That's good." He threw his arm around my shoulder and we stepped out of the elevator once the doors opened on my floor.

"I have to shower really quick. Can you see if Riley's home?" I asked as I pulled out my key and unlocked the door to my apartment.

"Yes ma'am." He set his bag down once we got inside and walked back out. I left the door unlocked just in case he came back, and I walked into my bedroom. Brandon said he was on his way home from his girlfriend's, so I did as I said and took a quick shower just to wash the airport off of me.

Nick wasn't back when I got out so I assumed Riley was home and he was with her. Once I was dressed in a pair of sweats and t-shirt, I let my hair air-dry around my shoulders and went to Riley's.

Just as I walked down to the floor below me and walked out into the hall, I got a text from Nick.

- at Louis'

- I'm dying watching them panic

I shake my head at the drama Queen and knock on Louis' door.

-here

I look up from my phone and see Riley smiling scarily wide, pulling me into a tight hug.

"Maddie!" She greeted unusually loud. "Congratulations on first place."

"Thank you." I smiled, still confused as to what was happening. She didn't let me go at all. Instead, she pushed me out into the hall and closed the door behind her. "What is going on?"

The expression her face revealed she was nervous. "I love you. You know that, right?"

"Yes?"

"Good. Now, don't freak out when I tell you this, but..." she trailed off, smiling guiltily.

"What did you do?" I asked in a sigh, eyeing her hands as she fidgeted with her nails. This was fun.

"What if I told you your ex was behind that door?" She squeezed her eyes shut, peaking to see my reaction.

What put her off was the fact that I started laughing, but not for the reason she was probably thinking - which was denial.

"Riley...I'm not an idiot." I say through laughter, reaching up to wipe my eyes from the tears that formed.

"What?" She chuckled nervously.

"You think Zayn and I don't follow each other on Instagram? The guy has been posting Toronto nonstop." I snorted, crossing my arms over my chest.

Sure, I wasn't expecting for them to move out here, but I can't really do anything about it. It didn't really freak me out as much as it should have. I mean, it's been three years since Harry and I broke up. Why should I hang onto it?

Riley let out the deepest breath and the color rushed back to her face. "Are you serious? How long have you known?"

"Maybe three days. I'm surprised he hasn't said anything to you guys. I commented on his post saying welcome back." I chuckled, shaking my head.

"That fucker. No wonder he was laughing quietly to himself the entire time. Harry has been freaking out about you seeing him." She stated, completely astonished at my reaction. "You're not mad?"

"Not really. It's been years, Riley. I got over it." I shrugged. "Now are we going inside or not?"

She stared at me for a good couple of seconds before mumbling "I guess so" and opening the door back up.

We both stepped inside and I heard shuffling around along with some whispers. Zayn and Nick were both leaning against the kitchen counter, watching whatever was happening in the living room blocked by the wall.

I walked over to them and Zayn pulled me into a hug, nodding towards the living room. I lean next to him on the counter and try not to laugh as Louis and Harry had yet to acknowledge my presence. They were silently bickering about something, their backs to us.

As loudly as I could, I cleared my throat, which made them stop and turn around.

I'll admit, actually seeing him face to face kind of hit me a little roughly, but I sucked it up and smiled. "Hi."

Harry continued to stare at me in shock, while Louis grabbed a pillow and shoved it against Harry's face as if I didn't already see him.

"Maddie, you're back!" Louis says feigning excitement to hide his guilt, jumping up from the couch and hugging me.

"She already knew, Louis." Riley scoffed, shaking her head as she continued to process the information.

Louis pulled back from my embrace and looked at me in disbelief. "How?"

"I posted a picture of Harry and I at downtown Toronto and she saw it." Zayn answered nonchalantly while Harry stood up straight and looked a little lost as he walked over to the rest of us.

Zayn looked over at his best friend as he held in a laugh. "What? You think just because you and Maddie broke up, I won't keep in contact with her?"

Harry glared at him and stood a few feet away from everyone, his eyes flickering to me, not knowing what to do.

"Hi." I greeted, stepping away from the crowd next to the counter. I didn't know if I should hug him or not, not wanting to make things more awkward than he was.

"Hey." He breathed, still not seeming to believe that I wasn't freaking out. "Congratulations."

"Thank you." I smiled at him, taking in his appearance. His hair was a few inches above his shoulders, and he had definitely gotten more tattoos to cover his left arm. He has also been working out more, given by the size of his arms compared to the last time I saw him. "You look great."

Taken back by my compliment, he stares at me with wide eyes. "Thanks. So do you."

"What did I tell you, mate? You had nothing to worry about." Zayn smirked, patting Harry's cheek.

"Whatever." He grumbled, shoving Zayn's hand away lightly.

"Did you guys eat yet?" Louis cut in, looking at Nick and I.

"Nope. I wasn't about to eat that shit they served on the plane." Nick gagged.

"Ew. Don't bring that up." I grimaced, trying not to remember the smell that took over the plane for an hour.

"Should we order something?" Riley asked, still not seeming over the entire situation.

"Nick and I were thinking of picking up Subway, if you guys want." I shrug and walk past everyone, throwing myself down on the couch.

"That does sound good." Riley agreed, walking up to the couch and starting to massage my back.

"Oh, god. That feels good." I sighed into the cushion, closing my eyes and resting for a minute while her hands worked their magic on my shoulders.

"Easy there. Don't go stealing my girlfriend." Louis scolded.

"Bitch, you wouldn't be together if it weren't for me." I scoffed jokingly, lifting my head to see him standing next to my head.

"Touché." He nodded, squinting his eyes at me and walking away.

"Whoever wants Subway, write down your order so I can go get them." Nick spoke from behind the couch.

"Might at well slap my ass while you're down there." I tell Riley in a snicker when her hands were down to the bottom of my spine.

I squealed when her hand came in contact with my butt, sitting up and glaring at her as I rubbed the spot. "I was kidding."

"I wasn't." She winked, standing up with me.

"Hey, Riley." Harry called, seeming a lot more calm and at ease than a few minutes ago. "Since Madison isn't upset that I'm here, does that mean you're gonna be nicer to me?"

Riley glared at him and flipped him off, making me shake my head and push her hand down.

"She has no choice." I answered for her, patting the top of her head and walking over to Nick.

"Alright. I have Louis, Zayn, and Riley's orders. Harry, do you want?" He asked, looking at the list of the subs in his hand.

"No, thank you." He declined politely, sitting down on the spot I was just laying in on the couch.

"Are you sure?" I asked for confirmation, furrowing my brows. "It's on us so I'd rethink that decision."

His lips lifting into a shy grin. "Okay, fine. Thank you."

I smiled in response before standing besides Nick, who looked at down at me. "Ready?"

"Yup. I'm starving." I sighed, lifting my shirt up and revealing my noisy stomach. "Shut up. You'll get you're food."

Nick chuckled and shook his head before throwing his arm around my shoulder. "We shall be back!"

After we left, we went back to my place so I could grab my keys and wallet and so he could also grab his bags for when I take him home later, before going down to my car.

The ride to subway was fairly short since it was around the corner, but it was long enough for Nick to spark a conversation I felt coming.

"Are you sure you're okay with all of this?" He asked, worry clear in his voice.

"Yes, Nick. I don't care that he moved back here."

"I don't believe you."

"Well you are gonna have to" was my reply to that, but he was still skeptical.

"So you're telling me after everything that happened after he left, you are fine with seeing him every single day knowing that he has no idea?"

That question shut me up, a frown now on my face. Of course I thought about it when I found out the was here, but there was honestly nothing I could do to change the past. I wasn't mad at Harry for leaving because it was out of his control.

After he left is a whole other story. I was mad for a while, but I knew I had to get over it. I couldn't be mad at him for something he had no idea about, so I guess that's why I wasn't exactly upset with him being here.

I can't dwell on the past because it's exactly that: the past.

"Exactly my point." Nick spoke against my silence.

"Why should I be upset with him about something that was not his fault?" I asked, not expecting a straight answer as I pulled into the parking lot.

"I'm not saying you should be upset with him. I'm just saying that you should be careful because I know that eventually it's all gonna catch up to you. You're gonna realize that this is real; Harry is here and you are going to see him often knowing something he doesn't, and it's going to eat you alive."

Ouch. Might as well throw a brick at my chest.

As much as I didn't want to admit it, he was right. I may be fine with Harry here, and I may not be mad at him for leaving, but a part of me deep down is still upset that he wasn't there when I needed him the most. And now I have to look at his face, which was a reminder of everything I went through those three months after his departure.

But it's not his fault.

"You think I should tell him." I read between the lines of his words, my eyes now watering as I put the car in park and just stared ahead of me.

"He deserves to know, Mads." He answered softly, reaching up and wiping away the tear that fell down my cheek.

"I know." I whispered, feeling terrified and sick. Suddenly I was no longer hungry.

"I know you do." He smiled sadly when I turned to look at him.

"He's going to hate me so much, Nick." I whispered, unable to stop the tears from falling now as the realizing finally hit me.

"He won't. I promise you, he won't." He assured me, running his hands through my damp hair.

My hands started to shake as I reached up and covered my face, trying my best to stop crying so we can get our damn food and go home.

"Why did I think I'd be okay?" I mumbled into my hands before running them down my face with a sigh. "I'm stupid."

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with admitting you aren't okay."

"I don't think I can go back there tonight." I spoke quietly, leaning my head back against the seat and closing my eyes.

"You don't have to. I'll just tell them you had a headache when I drop off their food and we can go hangout at my place." He suggested, reaching over and turning the car off for me. "Sounds good?"

I nodded, faintly smiling and grabbing the key from him while he grinned and opened the door.

"Great! Now let's go get some food."

• • •