Mady's POV

I woke up from one of the weirdest dreams I have ever had and sat up in the bed staring around the dark room. I looked down at Niall beside me on his front with his face squashed between the two pillows. I smiled to my self and gently ran my fingers through his hair.

I decided I need some fresh air, so I kissed his forehead and skillfully slipping out of the bed with out making a sound.

I carefully tiptoed down the stairs and walked towards the kitchen. As I crossed in front of the t.v I noticed a lumpy figure sprawled out on the couch. I took a few steps closer to get a better look. Surprisingly with the limited amount of light, I saw Louis was fast asleep on the sofa.

To be honest seeing Louis on the couch broke my heart. I don't know why he would be here unless him and Eleanor's fight at the dinner table escalated when they were alone. I've seen them have plenty of fights, maybe not as bad as this one, but no matter what they always seemed to fit the pieces back together. I had my fingers crossed that they would mend this one as well, but secretly I kind of hope they won't. I know it hurts Louis to be in this kind of relationship, and when he is hurt everyone around him is hurt as well. I can tell Louis is trying to hang on to Eleanor, she is slowly/voluntarily slipping away.

I didn't want to wake him so I tip toed around him and into the kitchen. I opened the fridge just enough for my hand to fit through and grab a bottled water. I turned around and I nearly dropped the bottle. Louis dark figure was sitting straight up on the couch, although I couldn't tell if he was looking at me or in the direction of the TV

"Mady? What are you doing up." his voice was raspy and cracked in a few places.

"I could ask the same with you." I responded as I grabbed him a water too and head over to the couch.

he shrugged, "Couldn't sleep. Now you?"

"Weird dream." I answered placing the open bottle in his hands. He took a sip and then stared straight ahead. "What's the real reason your out here?" I pushed. I already knew the answer, but I just had to hear him confirm it.

Those seven little words struck a major chord in Louis. He covered his mouth with his hand and broke out into tears. His whole body was shaking and he couldn't move. I put the lid on my drink and took his out of his hand to do the same with his bottle. I sat them on the coffee table and pulled the shaking boy into my arms.

He rapped his arms around my waist as I gently rocked us back and forth trying to calm him. His head was on my chest soaking it with tears, but I didn't mind. He just needed someone to hold him and I was glad to be that someone. I whispered sweet nothings in his ear trying to get him to control his breathing. I took quite some time, but it finally got close enough to normal. His grip on me had tightened as I ran my hand over his hair smoothing down the fly-a-ways.

"She cheated." His voice was barely above a whisper.

"With Max." I could him start falling apart in my arms.

"Again."

His voice cracked as he erupted back into tears. I pulled him closer, tighter, and ran my hand over his hair again.

"I'm so sorry," I kissed his forehead, "You don't deserve this." I whispered as I rocked back and forth. I felt his hand tighten into fist around of my shirt.

The last thirty minutes I have been rocking Louis carefully back to sleep. Well, I didn't know I was until I felt his breathing go back to normal and his quiet whimpering stop. I didn't want to move, but I'm sure If we stayed like this all night he would wake up with a neck cramp and Niall would get suspicious about why I was down here and-

Oh wait! Niall! I sure hope he didn't wake up and find me and Louis down here like this.

I looked down at the sleeping figure and I actually smiled. Considering all the tears that were shed within the last hour or so, he actually looked peaceful.

I gently tugged his hands off of my shirt and stood up slowly. I laid him back down placing his head on the fluffiest pillow and spreading the blanket on top of him. I moved the fringe out of his face so I could get a full view at the sleeping beauty in front of me (is it weird that I just called him that, but I mean come on you cant deny it). I placed one last kiss on his forehead and made my way upstairs.

I placed my water down on the floor beside the bed as I crawled back into the covers. I looked at the clock and it said 1:57. I stayed silent staring at the ceiling just thinking.

I sure hope Eleanor leaves soon. I never thought I would say it but it's true. If she is this low to crush Louis like she did tonight, she doesn't deserve to be with him and he deserves someone 1000x better.

I hope he finds that someone soon.

~~~

I woke up before everyone else so I decided to check on Louis and start breakfast. I walked into the living room and saw Louis sitting up on the couch with his head in his hands.

"Morning." I spoke. His head peeked up to see me then his hands dropped to him knees.

"Morning." he repeated back. His voice still sounded a little horse but the water bottle from last night was nearly empty, giving me the idea he had been drinking it.

"You wanna go shower before everyone else wakes?" I ask. I know he needs it, even if he says no I'll make him. He just needs to try to clear his head for the moment.

"Yeah that sounds good." he stood to his feet and walked straight back to the room he was suppose to be staying in.

I let out a sigh and was about to walk to the kitchen, but a folded up piece if paper caught my attention. I picked it up and on the front was written, in pretty neat hand writing, "Louis". I was about to open it when I heard soft feet padding down the hallway.

I turned around and say Danielle walking past me straight to the tea maker. I shoved the note in my pants and walked over to her.

"Good morning to you too." I laughed.

"Sorry. I just really need my morning tea right now," she shrugged, "Good morning." she smiled.

I laughed and walked over to start the eggs and bacon.

"Bacon, egg, and cheese sound good his morning?" I asked Dani. Who was now enjoying a hot steaming cup of tea.

"Totally! is it possible to have pancake sticks too?" she suggested. Those cruelly sound pretty good at the moment as well.

"Of course, only if you help me?" I raised an eyebrow and she laughed nodding her head. She took one last drink before setting the mug on the counter and retrieving the needed ingredients.

Everyone was up and moving by this time. Dani and I had successfully finished making the buffet styled breakfast and had everything later out ready to be devoured.

"Can we start eating?" Niall asked. I laughed an nodded my head. Everyone one filed in to a not-so-orderly line with their plates in hand.

"Where's Lou?" Harry asked.

I shrugged my shoulders, "shower." he nodded his head and went back to filling his plate up.

It's been about thirty minutes since everyone had woke up and Niall was on his third plate (?) while Louis was still in the shower.

"Where is Eleanor?" Perrie looked at me with concern. I didn't really know how the answer this question.

"I guess she is still sleeping." I lied. Perrie nodded and and went back to ratting and talking to Zayn.

Leah tapped me on my arm and lifted her finger up to tell me to lean in closer.

"Where are they really?" she looked at me with sadness in her eyes. I knew of anyone saw through my fibs, she would.

"Lou really is in the shower, I don't know about El."

She nodded, "Can I talk to you about it later?" I nodded and stuffed a piece of bacon in my mouth.

I looked up from my plate and stared straight ahead. Louis was walking down the hallway in a worn out white shirt and gray joggers. He still looked terrible, but not as bad as he did this morning. I hope no one questions it.

"Good morning." I said as I placed a plate in front of the seat beside me. Everyone turned around to look where I was. When they saw him they all welcomed him with a good morning and a smile.

"Good morning." his voice sounded like a robot as he pulled out the chair next to me at sat down with out another word.

He ate in silence, and luckily no one questioned his odd behavior. I leaned over as asked him if he was any better but he just shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, I'm stuffed," Liam said as he leaned back and rubbed a hand over his, now full, stomach "it was delicious, Mady. Kudos to you." he smiled.

"Hey! I helped too." Dani defended her self.

"Really?" Liam asked and looked at me.

"Yep. She was my little helper this morning." I winked at her. She smiled up at her boyfriend as he kissed her head.

I wiped my mouth and stood from the table. "If your done I'll take your plate." I offered.

Liam, Dani, Zayn, and Harry handed me their dirty plates and silverware. I took them to the sink with out dropping anything, luckily.

I heard everyone talking about some of the most random stuff, except Louis. It broke my heart to watch him, or what left of him, sitting there excluding him self from the others.

I saw a hand dip down into the sink to add in the already tall stack of plates. "So what's up with them?"

I looked over to see Leah standing there with her arms crossed.

"They got in a fight because Louis knew Eleanor doesn't have school but when he asked her he found out that she was cheating." I rushed out, all in one breath. Leah looked a little confused but none-the-less shocked. I took a deep breath and explained the whole story slower so she could understand.

By the time I was done I could tell she had tears in her eyes. She told me he wished that this wouldn't have happened or that he could have found out a different way. She was in the middle of saying something, but Harry called for her so she went back to the table.

I resumed with cleaning the dirty dishes when I felt a hand on my back. I turned my head and I saw Niall looking down at me.

"Can we talk?" his voice sounded a little unsure. I nodded my head while putting the plate back in the sink then drying off my hands. Niall took hold of one of em and led me outside.

He sat me down in one of the chairs on the back porch and he took the one across from mine. He kept one of my hands between his massive ones while he looked down, not making eye contact.

"Do you promise to be totally honest about this?" He blurted out.

I was a little shocked, "yes of course."

"Ok, well," it seemed like he was trying to find the right words. "Do you have feelings for him?" To say I was a little taken aback would be an understatement.

When I don't answer he restated it. "Do you have feelings for Louis?"

"Why would you ask that?" I looked down at our sandwiches hands.

"I see the way you look at him, and how he looks at you. Y'all have some sort of connection that we have, or had." he quietly mumbled the last few words.

I thought about his question, and I honestly didn't have an answer. And I'm not just saying that to spare his feelings, but I never really took my feelings for Louis into consideration.

"I just want to know the truth. You won't hurt me, and my feelings won't change. I just want to know what makes you happy." he looked my dead in the eye rubbing his thumbs over my hand.

"I'm not sure." I sigh. "I can't say I don't feel anything because that would be a lie, but I'm not sure how deep my feelings are for him either."

"Because, I just want you to be happy, weather I'm that source or if he is."

"Niall, I am happy with you." I said. And that's not a lie.

"I know, but you don't seem as happy as you use to be. And I don't want there to be any awkward tension between us. So if that means us just being friends for you to be all smile and giggles again then we can do that. If it means us trying to get our relationship back where it use to be, we can try. But like I said I just want you to be happy." I looked in to his eyes and I saw something.

It looked like he knew this was gonna happen. He knew we were going to go down and us having this talk is suppose to help soften the blow.

I put my other hand on top of his, "What do you want Niall?"

He sighed, "For our own sake, friends seem like the best option."

My heart sunk, it didn't shatter it just sunk. I nodded my head. "I think so too."

He looked down at our hands and squeezed them tight before letting go. It was a simple thing to do, but it felt like so much more. Like he was officially letting me go. For the last time. That hurt.

"We probably need to get back in there." He looked towards the house.

"Yeah" my voice came out hardly even a whisper. He walked ahead of me and opened the door for me, and closing it and locking it after.

I went straight back to my room and sat on the bed. I could feel Niall following me just like I expected him to.

He closed the door behind him and turned to me. "What about the sleeping arrangement?"

"We can see what Louis going to do and then just go from there?" I shrugged.

I didn't even notice him walking towards me, till he took my chins between his fingers. "Are you sure your ok with this?"

"I think, it's gonna take some getting use to." I sighed. "Are you?"

He wearily nodded, "I will be. what do you mean it's gonna take some getting use to?"

"Sleeping alone." I felt embarrassed admitting that, so I just looked down at the bed. There was silence in the room. I knew that would sound weird.

"Maybe, one more night wouldn't hurt." I looked over at him and he had his bottom lip between his teeth. I nodded in agreement.

There was more silence until he broke it, "I'm going to go out there."

"Okay, I have to do something's in here then I'll be out." He nodded and then slipped out of the room with out another word.

I sighed as I laid back and sighed. I can finally have feelings toward Louis and not feel guilty. I feel relieved yet at the same time distraught. I felt a sudden prick on my back. I put my hand under my shirt and pulled out the folded piece of paper I took from the couch this morning.

I went and made sure my door was closed and locked before carefully unfolding the note...

A/N

I think I've mentioned this before, but I know some of you are wondering why they have decided to split because everything was going so great. Well I'm sorry, I have my reasons. Keep reading. Trust me, it gets better for all of them. I promise!!

Oh, and don't forget to vote!

(2745 words)