harry

I found her in the same place my mind longed for her at, the same place my heart leaped forward into her hands and the same place all our secrets spilled.

The willow tree.

After chasing Lola four blocks, the darkness of the night overwhelming and the moon kissing our skin, I finally found her here siting on that extended branch with the night in her hair. She was steady now, her chest rising and lowering with a easy pace. I exhaled loudly to get her attention, and light headlights beaming on the darkest of roads her eyes shot through me like bright stars. I swallow, feeling that burning tingle of the broken skin against my lip. My eyes ached and my bones screamed to rest, but I just stood there and watched her.

"I've made a mess, haven't I?" Lola quakes.

"We both have." I sigh.

Lola's eyes move to the sky, letting her wandering soul dwell into the stars and moon above her to escape reality. She exhales a cold breath, steady and deep.

"Will you always be here?" She questions.

"Always."

"You don't think I'm a bad person, do you?" She asks and I hear the break in her voice as she does, making sadness bubble inside me.

"Of course I don't." I take a step forward, crunching the ground beneath my boots. "You are just a universe full of exploding stars, you feel too much Lola and sometimes that can burn the others around you. You're not a bad person, you're a passionate person and you were giving all that love and passion to the wrong person."

"What I did was wrong though." Lola lowers her head.

"Perhaps," I shrug. "But has he always been perfect?"

The universe goes quiet and the world around us listens to the beat of our hearts, she lets her eyes look upon the moon again and as she inhales in illuminated light she feels okay again. Memories will always flood her mind, for years to come she will regret these thoughts but this moment right now will continue to let her know of the light inside her that will always guide her home.

"Come on." I stay, stepping forward. "Let's go home."

She stood in only a tee and underpants by her closest, make up wiped from her face and lips no longer a rosy pink shade. I turn my body and remove my shirt and jeans, feeling her hot gaze seeping into my soul. I sigh as I turn, running my fingers through the short strands of my hair.

"You've always looked beautiful with no clothes." Lola comments and I feel a red burn my cheeks.

"I could say the same thing about you."

Moments pass in silence as we stare into each other's eyes, a wondrous universe building around us.

"Are you sure you want to stay the night? I mean my parents are away for a few d-"

"Of course I do."

Lola smiles. "Okay."

"Okay."

I sit down and roll to one side of her bed before pulling the duvet for me, then letting it slide down the mattress for her to enter. She was steady with her steps, taking each one cautiously before lowering herself down and letting her body finally relax into the cool sheets. Lola sighs in relief, closing her eyes as she rests her head against the soft pillow.

As I lay my body down, the lamp goes out and darkness takes over the bedroom. Only the moon shining against the window illuminates our tired bodies, shadowing any harm from us for now.

"I'm sorry Louis hurt you." Lola whispers.

"I'll survive."

"Can you hold me?" Lola whispers into the air, I almost don't hear her but once the words register my heart thumps.

She rolls to her side and on cue I move to the back of her, resting my head into the crook of her neck and wrapping my arm around her tired frame. She sighs in relief as I kiss her skin gently, and soon we drift off to sleep together with nothing but peace and passion in our souls.

***

The sun beaming against my face tickles my drying skin, a hard focus on my face as my eyes peel open. There's an odd sound in the downstairs living room, a loud thud as if a body had come crashing down. For a moment I see no bother, lazing against the beds pillow as my mind comprehends the reality I was in. I hear the thud again, only louder and jump up from bed swearing under my breath.

"I want everything! Everything you have of mine!" His screams were hoarse and throaty, anger lacing each letter.

My heart thuds louder with each step I take down the stairs, slipping the tee I grabbed over my body as I do.

It's a mess, broken glass shattered at her fuming feet and anger plastered over each line in his head. Subsequently Louis had returned to Lola's home to tear the earth beneath her feet, ripping through each layer she had. I storm into the room with my temper rising, noticing how alone Louis was and how marvellous those blue and purple bruises looked on his skin. Swollen blue eyes find me and I can't help but feel responsible for the aftermath of this; the tired colour under her eyes and throbbing heart made a nasty feeling rise in my throat.

"Louis just get out, I'll have someone drop your stuff to you tomorrow." Lola turns her body around and faces his piercing eyes. "We're over okay. Get out."

"You thought I didn't know? That you've been whoring around for months." Eyes fall to her, then me – blackening. "It wasn't just you, she's been with others too."

I step forward, my frame was at least three inches taller than his and that made me feel powerful. Morning glory and all I glared down the man stood against the white wall, voice oddly calm and clear for this time of morning.

"Get out."

I'm met with a snicker, urging me closer.

"Who do you think you are?" His voice is lacing a slow burn, something that seeps from his fingertips and onto her skin.

Louis lunges forward and I ready myself for another fight, although agony still seeped down my bones I would protect Lola at any costs. But my soul shatters seconds later and my strength is questioned as she falls to the ground.

Her body had slid to the left, moving in front of me with intent on her features to stop this fight. But Louis reacted too soon and swiped her face instead of mine, letting the back of his hand burn down against the pale skin under her eye. I look upon her shattered body on the ground, clenching the hot skin with both hands.

I growl as my body urges forward but her shriek stops me in my tracks. "Don't!" She looks upon Louis' guilty features, her own turning violent. "Just get out Louis, now."

He obeys and exits the home in moments, relief floods me.

Lola looks to me with sad eyes, tears brimming the blue before getting up and charging towards the bathroom. I try, but fail to succeed in aiding her.

I pace back and forth in front of the door, trying so hard to compose my anger. Sobs are heard and my fists clench tighter with each passing second, a infuriating thud against my chest as I continue to move my body.

Almost an hour passes and the door unlocks, a broken hearted girl emerging.

In that moment I wanted so badly to hold her, to kiss her pale hearted lips and let my affections rid away the pain inflicted; bruised under-eyes with aching bones.

She leans against the doorframe, eyeballing my movements.

"Are you angry?" She questions.

"Of course."

"What are you going to do?" She seemed almost scared with that question, almost broken with her words.

"Nothing you don't want me to." I state factually, sensing a calm in her eyes as I speak.

I noticed Lola's timid expression as I calmly touch her face, so delicate in my affections she has to close her eyes to feel it. Lola hadn't been nurtured, she'd carried herself and put herself back together for all these years but now she could rest.

I was determined to make her feel safe.

"Get undressed." Her eyes open wide. "I'm going to run you a bath."

Her skin was soft under the dampness of a sponge, closing her eyes as I let the bubbles form down her freckled back and over her spine and shoulders. I felt every inch of her body, letting delicate touches lull her tired bones into a serenity. I hummed along to a song she had put on earlier, the tune played into our ears through her iPod dock by the door. It was a lovely ballad I noticed she would always pick out of habit, something in the song and lyrics intrigued her.

Water drips down the curve of her spine and with it her head, dark hair flowing down her back with her wet lashes kissing the tops of her cheeks. I admired her; beauty in all her blemished skin and freckled cheeks. She hums into the steamy air as I massage her scalp with shampoo, letting that vanilla scent seep into my skin.

I stood with a towel once finished, wrapping it around her small frame and hugging her warm. Intimate in the touches I left on her skin, frowning with her bitten lips and bruised eye.

"He's never going to hurt you again." I whisper as I bring her closer, feeling the small of her body weigh down on me. "I won't let anyone hurt you again."

She just sighs, breathing in a welcoming new sense of security and affection.

***

Hi everyone! I did struggle a little bit with this chapter but I hope it turned out okay.

Pretty excited Louis and Lola finally broke up!

Votes and comments are really appreciated. Thanks guys.

-A