"You've lost weight," Louis remarked, looking me up and down.

I wasn't expecting this. "Umm, yeah, I think so," I said, a bit thrown. "Not on purpose though."

He didn't say anything, but eyed me for a moment, those piercing blue eyes staring through to my soul.

"How are you about all this? I mean, really?" he asked.

I looked away uncomfortably. "What do you mean?" I stalled. I wished I hadn't drunk so much. I needed to think clearly and it was proving difficult with the copious amounts of Prosecco, wine and Champagne I had consumed.

"How do you feel about Harry?"

"It doesn't matter," I sighed. "It's over."

"But you were willing to give him a second chance," Louis pressed.

"I said that at the time," I admitted. "But the more I think about it, the more stupid and embarrassed I feel."

"Why?"

"He fųcked someone else!" I practically shouted, and my legs wobbled unsteadily.

Shįt, I was drunk.

"Alright, keep your knickers on," Louis said, and took another drag of his cigarette.

"I don't have that problem," I snapped. "It's the rest of the world that seems unable to resist temptation."

He inclined his head. "True."

"I can't forgive him," I said, breathing deeply and leaning back against the wall. It was cold against my back, even through the fabric of my dress. I shivered.

"So why did you say you would try?" he asked.

"Everyone says stuff in the heat of the moment," I shrugged. "I said how I felt at the time."

"So if he turned up now and begged you for forgiveness you'd turn him down?" Louis flicked some ash into the gutter.

"Yes," I said, immediately. "But he isn't going to."

"No," Louis sighed. He took another drag.

"Why isn't he?" I asked, feeling my insides start to tremble.

Louis held his breath for a second, looking at me, and then let it out, blowing a trail of smoke into the air.

"Harry's going through it at the moment."

"It? What do you mean? Going through what?" I asked.

"There's been some shıt going on lately, and it's affected him pretty badly."

"This is the stuff to do with you?" I clarified, and he nodded.

"I shouldn't even be telling you this," he said, shifting his gaze to the back door of the club. There was no one there. He stubbed his cigarette out on the wall and threw the butt on the ground.

"Telling me what?" My heart was hammering.

"Harry's... a bit lost at the moment. He's worried. Scared."

"Of what?" I asked. I couldn't take my eyes off Louis.

"Everything's just up in the air. Uncertain. He doesn't know how to deal with it."

"You're not making any sense," I said, bluntly. "What's up in the air?"

Louis' phone vibrated in his pocket, and he pulled it out and stared at it for a moment. He tapped away on it quickly, before putting it back in his pocket. "Sorry," he said. "I have to be reachable at the moment."

He looked over at me with affection and concern in his eyes, and his expression brought my already wrought emotions to the surface. I felt my lip tremble, and I crossed my arms over my body and looked away, fighting back tears.

"Oh... hey... don't get upset," he said, softly, and it was all it took to break me.

Tears spilled down my cheeks and I put my hands over my face. I didn't want him to see me cry, especially not over Harry. Louis closed the gap between us and put one arm around me and squeezed my shoulder.

"I wish you two would work it out," he sighed.

"We can't," I sobbed. "He doesn't want to, and I don't want to. There's too much hurt. Too much history."

"All the more reason to give it a try."

"Would you forgive a girl who had a one night stand behind your back?" I asked, looking at him through my tears.

He sighed again. "No, probably not."

"See? You know it can't be fixed," I sniffed.

"He was really drunk," Louis offered. "And not himself."

"How do you know? Were you there?"

"Well, no, but he told me afterwards. And I believe him."

"No matter how drunk I was, I would never have slept with anyone else while I was with him," I choked.

Louis pulled me into a tight hug, and I cried into his chest. "I know," he murmured. "I know."

He released me after a minute and reached into his pocket for another cigarette. I wiped my face while he lit it, and leaned against the wall next to him.

"Have I got make up all down my face?" I asked, once I'd got myself under control.

He peered at me closely. "No. Surprisingly not."

"Well that's something," I muttered.

"You're not the first girl I've seen cry over Harry Styles," he teased.

"Great," I said sarcastically. "That makes me feel so much better."

He grinned. "Sorry. I'm no good with tears. I never know what to say."

"Louis Tomlinson, lost for words?" I said in mock disbelief. "That's a first."

"Tell me about it," he said, turning his face away from me and blowing smoke in the other direction. "It's happening more and more lately."

"Now that I refuse to believe," I said.

"This world needs more Tommo sass, right?" he winked.

My knees wobbled, and not because of the alcohol.

"Hey - I tweeted you that!" I said, breaking into a grin.

"Duh. That's why I just said it."

"Alright, sorry," I said sarcastically. "I didn't think you'd remember."

"Yeah, course I do. Harry went ape over it. It was fuckıng hilarious." He chuckled.

I laughed too. "Yeah, I know. He bøllocked me on the phone over it, too."

"Yeah, we all heard."

We giggled gleefully.

"No one has ever given him shįt like you did, you know," Louis grinned. "It was so funny to watch. He's so used to girls falling over themselves for him, but you just sassed him constantly and left him hanging."

"I never meant to," I said. "I just never believed he would be as bothered about me as I was about him. It was sort of a defence mechanism I suppose."

"Well it worked."

I pulled a face. "Yeah, really well," I said, my voice loaded with sarcasm. "So well that I'm standing out here, crying over him because he couldn't stay faithful."

"He took a lot of shıt over it, if it's any consolation."

"From who?"

"Me. Niall. Liam. His mum. Gemma. Karen -"

"Karen?" I echoed in disbelief. "Karen hates me."

"Well she probably does after you ruined her skirt," he grinned, and I blushed. "But up until then, she thought you were alright. You were good for Harry, anyone could see that. And he needs you more than ever right now."

"Well tough," I said, harshly. "He should have thought of that before he stuck his dīçk up some Portuguese slut."

Louis smirked and blew another smoke ring. "Hell hath no fury."

"Sorry," I apologised, and suddenly felt another wave of tears coming.

"Oh no - don't cry. I like it better when you're sassy. I understand sassy." He looked uncomfortable.

"Sorry," I said again, turning away and pressing my lips together, trying to swallow the lump in my throat.

"Fuckįng hell - I had no idea you were this cut up about it still," he said, as I managed to blink the tears away.

"I'll be alright," I said. I took a deep breath and turned back to face him, and plastered a smile on my face.

"You won't be on the market for long," he said, kindly, looking into my eyes. "Beautiful girl like you - you'll get snapped up. Find a guy who treats you right. Don't settle for anything but the best."

I felt my heart skip a beat at his words, and before I knew what I was doing I leaned towards him and softly kissed him on the lips.

He pulled back immediately, his eyes wide. "Fuckįng hell - I didn't mean me."

"I know," I said in horror. What the hell was I thinking?

"Over the line," he said. "There's a bro code, y'know?"

"I know," I said again, staring at the ground. My face was burning.

He put his cigarette to his lips again, and pulled his phone out of his pocket. It was vibrating. "Timing," he muttered. I barely heard him. My heart was hammering and my blood was pounding in my ears. What the hell had I just done? Of all the stupid, embarrassing, idiotic moves I had ever pulled in my life, that had just topped the bill.

"I'm so sorry," I said, looking up at him in shame. He glanced up at me from his phone. "Don't tell Harry," I begged, my voice breaking.

He pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and smiled. "Tell Harry what?"

"That I just kissed you!" I wailed. "Please - he can't know... I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me, I'm such an idiot, I'm sorry..."

"Woah, woah, I know what you meant," he said, putting his hand on my shoulder. "It's fine. I mean, it's forgotten already. We're cool."

"I wasn't thinking straight," I sobbed.

He shrugged. "I am officially your favourite now, though. And I always knew you had the hots for me. Understandable that you can't resist me."

"Don't!" I wailed, covering my face with my hands. "I'm mortified."

He chuckled. "Thanks."

"No, I don't mean like that," I cried, pulling my hands away again.

"I know, I'm just messing with you! Chill."

"You won't tell Harry, will you?" I sniffed, my bottom lip wobbling.

"Are you joking? He'd kill me. Of course I won't tell him. Anyway, I'm the last person you should be getting involved with right now."

"What do you mean?" I mumbled, wiping my tears away.

Louis paused, flicking ash into the gutter again and staring thoughtfully down at his feet.

"I've got baggage."

"Haven't we all," I muttered.

His silence captured my attention and I looked up to see him looking at me. He started twice to say something, and stopped both times.

"What is it?" I murmured.

He took one long drag of his cigarette and exhaled loudly, forming a cloud of smoke between us.

"I'm going to be a dad, Jess."