Niall dropped the ring, and tears spilled from his eyes. He felt stupid, he was stupid. How could he do that? He should have waited longer. He lost the love of his life.

Niall sunk down onto his knees, and just stared at the ring on the ground. Before it was beautiful, and now it was just an object that drove his boyfriend away. He didn't want to stare at it, but he made no move to put it away. He didn't register his door opening, or the frantic shouts of his name coming from the person who just walked inside his room. He felt numb inside, he really did mess up this time.

Louis wrapped his arms around the shaking boy, and pure worry was etched across his face. His gut was right, and for once he wish it wasn't. He rubbed his back, and made a shushing sound in his ear. He brought the boy closer, and held him in his arms as he sobbed. Niall reached up, and fisted Louis' tee-shirt in his hands; gripping on it like his life depended on it.

Harry was gone, and it was really his fault this time. Why did he think it would be okay to give him a promise ring three months into their relationship? Why did he think he could hold someone down, when they didn't want to be held down in the first place? Niall felt stupid, he felt hollow, he felt nothing.

--

The party soon ended, but Louis or Niall didn't leave the room to say goodbye. Louis continued to hold Niall, and the pain in his chest never eased up. Louis could almost feel his heartbreak, and he wondered how Harry felt. Louis couldn't understand why Harry didn't accept the ring, the boy talked about Niall 24/7. He was in love with Niall. That's why Louis didn't understand. Harry talked about the dreams, and the plans he had for the future, and Niall was in a lot of them. Louis' own heart broke when Niall wouldn't answer him. He just stared at the wall in front of him as tears spilled down his cheeks.

Not much longer after the party ended, the other lads walked in smiling, - until they saw their friend wrapped in Louis' embrace.

"What happened?" They immediately questioned.

"I messed up." Niall muttered, and Louis' eyes snapped to him in surprise. It was the first time he had spoken in the past hour.

"What do you mean? Where is Harry?" Liam questioned, and instantly regretted it when Niall started sobbing again.

The 2 boys gasped as realization hit them.

Niall suddenly shot up, and grabbed the ring, fumbling with it as his hands shook frantically. "I-I tried to g-g-give this to him, and he left, and I'm so st-t-tupid. I drove him away." Niall took in a deep breath as he found it harder to breathe. "I was moving to fast, and he wasn't ready. This is my fault he left me, why do I always m-mess t-t-things up?!" He sobbed, and dropped the ring again. He put his hand to his chest, and tried taking deep breaths as his lungs started to burn from lack of oxygen. The room spun, and he closed his eyes shut.

"He's having a panic attack. Niall, you need to calm down. Now." Liam demanded. "Give him space." He continued. The boys backed up, and watched in horror as their best friend broke down.

"Take in deep breaths. Put your head in your hands, and take in a deep breath. Good, now hold it. And exhale." Liam said in a soothing voice.

After repeating a few times, Niall's breathing finally came normal. The boys circled around him, and they each held onto Niall.

"Everything will be okay, Ni. We will be here for you. Always." Zayn whispered into his hair.

--

Harry quickly packed his bags, stuffing as much as he could. He angrily wiped the tears off his face, and groaned in frustration. He wanted to punch something; he wanted to punch himself. His mother watched him from the doorway, and her heart sunken.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" She questioned as her son continued to pack his belongings. He nodded quickly, and grabbed a suitcase from his closet.

"How can I face my friends after what I done? How can I face Niall? He bought me a promise ring, and I chickened out! I ruined it, mum." His voice cracked at the end, and he fell to his bed crying. Anne made a move to approach her son, but he shot back up and started packing again.

"Why don't you apologize, and tell him you messed up? You can get him back." His mum pleaded. Harry shook his head, and grabbed his train ticket.

"I'm going to stay with dad for awhile. I already made up my mind. I won't be gone forever. I'll come back soon...maybe. Maybe in a couple years, when I am ready to face them."

"Harry, I think you are making a rash decision. Breakups happen all the time...Why are you running from this?"

Harry sighed, and turned his back to her. "You don't understand, mum. This isn't like the other break ups. Niall is different from the other guys I dated...Will you just give me a minute alone, please?" He pleaded, and turned back to his mum. His eyes were bloodshot, and his cheeks were blotchy.

Anne nodded, before turning away, closing the door behind her. She leaned against the door, and listened to her sons heartbreaking cries. She wished she could do something to help him. She hated seeing her baby boy like this. She pushed herself away from the door, and let her son have his moment.

--

Harry stood at the train station, waiting for his train to arrive. He was leaving, he was really doing this. Nobody was going to stop him.

He was ready to board his train, when a voice stopped him.

"Wait!" Someone shouted. He turned around with only one person in mind. But this wasn't like the fairy tails, Niall wasn't going to magically show up and stop him and beg for him back.

"You dropped your ticket." The man said. Harry grabbed the ticket from his outstretched hand, and thanked him before boarding.

This was it. He was actually leaving. Harry sat in his seat, and stared out the big window. He wasn't coming back this time. At least, not anytime soon. He was turning his back on everyone, and he was leaving. He shut off his phone without saying goodbye, he didn't look over his shoulder, and he didn't turn around. He was going to do this. He needed too.

--

Liam and Louis left to go to Anne's, and demand an explanation. Only to their disappointment, Harry had left. He was gone, and not coming back. They shared a look with eachother, and Louis decided he would break the news to Niall, seeing as he was closer to the lad.

They weren't gone long, much to Niall's surprise. He didn't fire questions at them though; he honestly didn't want to know.

"Well?" Zayn pried. Louis sighed, and sat next to Niall, wrapping his arm around the boy's shoulders.

"Harry...He...He left. He took a train to his fathers."

Niall gasped, and adverted his gaze to the floor. He drove away Harry that much? Harry really moved out because of a promise ring?

"I'm so sorry...I'm sorry." Niall chanted, the guilt washing over him again.

"Ni, you didn't do anything wrong. Don't even blame yourself. It is not your fault you wanted to take a step farther into the relationship." Liam scolded him; the other boys agreeing with him.

Zayn suddenly laughed, and pulled his boyfriend closer. "I told Liam I wanted to marry him when we were only 3 weeks into the relationship. I was actually surprised when he didn't freak out and leave me. We've been together almost 2 years now."

Liam smiled at the memory, and nodded. "See? So, don't blame yourself. Harry is just scared. Give him some time, and I am sure he will run back to you."

Niall smiled a little, and nodded his head. But he knew Harry wasn't coming back. He knew Harry would never be his again. He knew he lost him forever.

--

Heartbreaks are truly a painful thing, Harry realized. He told himself in the beginning of the relationship he wouldn't get attached to Niall, but he did. He didn't take the relationship slow like he planned too, and he fell pretty hard. He felt guilty for leaving, and he even was starting to hate himself. Niall was his longest relationship. Pretty sad, isn't it? Three months they were together. Three months of pure bliss of happiness with Niall, and he goes and ruins it because he was scared. But he is only 17! He has the right to be scared of that kind of commitment.

"I did the right thing." He mumbled to himself.

Harry was in a cab, going to his fathers house. He hasn't seen his father since his parents divorce, a little over 4 years. But his father was pretty excited when Harry called and asked to stay with him for a while. He was more then happy.

He pulled up to his fathers house, and seen his father, and his girlfriend standing on the porch with big smiles plastered on their faces. Harry sucked in a deep breath, and exhaled.

"This is it. Time to start a new life."

--

One chapter left. Are you sad? I know I am. But this isn't the end! The sequel will be posted shortly after this is finished. :)

Are you ready to see the Title and Description?!

"Tainted

Three years. It's been three years since Harry walked out on everyone. Three years since Niall fell into depression. Three years since Niall was tainted.

He is no longer innocent, he drinks, and cusses like no tomorrow. His love for Harry is still there, and he can't move on. It's true what they say, "First loves can fuck you up."

But he's back. Three years later and he comes back, and Niall is in a crazy boat ride."