Still The One

“And where are you going Miss Feurey?” My friend, Hailey Johnson, asked from the living room that was currently munching on some popcorn getting ready for a Johnny Depp marathon.

I smiled at her as I fixed my hair by the mirror that hung near our door. My red hair was curled to perfection and I even made sure to wear a nice dress that flaunted my curves. No I wasn’t dressing up to impress Harry. I was dressing up to show others that I am capable of being myself in the weirdest situations. Also, Harry requested I wear something nice so I did.

“I’m going out for dinner Miss Johnson. I can see you’ve got a date with Sir Depp yeah?” Hailey only giggled and threw some popcorn kernels and me which I avoided with grace.

“Whatever Heath. So who’s your hot date?”

I almost laughed out loud. Harry? Hot? Well sure he was good looking but I wouldn’t consider him my type. I shook my head and grabbed my purse on the table.

“For me to know and for you to find out.” I winked while she groaned.

“Fine Heather. Just know that if ever you get hurt I’ll be here to kick his ass!” I smiled at her and nodded.

Hailey was the bestest friend I could ever have. When she found out about my breakup, she told me how stupid he was and that if she ever saw him walking down the streets, she wouldn’t hesitate to kick his balls. I laughed at her when she said that but I could tell she was dead serious. She was a true friend who didn’t use me for reasons beyond my imagination. She was there because she cared and I was fine by that. Hailey bought me three tubs of Ben and Jerry as we watched Nicholas Sparks movies, drowning in our sorrows. Me being dumped and her staying single. For some reason her dates always fail which causes her to remain single. Right now, she’s aiming for Johnny Depp but we all know that it won’t happen.

“I’ll be back before midnight. Don’t burn the flat down alright?” She gasped out loud and turned to me, a feigned hurt expression on her face.

“Hath you no faith?!” I merely laughed and grabbed my red coat from the hanger.

“Knowing you?” She rolled her eyes and plopped back down on the couch.

“Point taken. Enjoy your evening Heath!” I heard her yell as I closed the door. I chuckled to myself and brought the coat closer to me.

I walked down the cold narrow hallway to the elevator at the end of the hall. London nights were awfully cold so I had to make sure I was well prepared. I waited for the elevator to arrive, tapping my heels in the process.

I stepped inside and shivered. I shoved my hands in my coat’s pocket and hummed a song that has been stuck in my head. It was a good song. I enjoyed the trip down the lobby that is until I the elevator music changed into something I despised.

“Hello hello I know it’s been awhile but baby. I got something that I really wanna let you know…”

“Oh fuck off.” I mumbled to no one in particular. This song was from his band of course and I had nothing against the lads but this song in particular made me want to barf. The lyrics, the tune I just… ugh!

“Fucking irritating!” I yelled as the elevator doors opened. A few people peered at me while my cheeks went crimson red. They just had to see my sudden outburst. Great.

I stormed out of the elevator, avoiding their intrusive stares. Once I was out of the lobby I was instantly hit by the cool air mixed with the familiar scent of smoke and fall. I shivered once again and frowned. This feeling brought back a memory I’d rather forget. It felt so real. The air… the night…

“I think that we should break up.”

“Taxi!” I called out, fighting the memory from surfacing. I got inside the cab and told him the venue. I leaned back and let out a shaky breath.

Forget about it Heather. Forget it. I chanted over and over in my head but then this little voice inside my brain won’t let me.

How can you? And that’s when I zoned out.



I stepped out of the vehicle, thanking the man who drove me here. I gazed up at the fountain in the middle of the town square smiling at the marvelous detail engraved.

An angel held a small jar that poured an endless supply of water. That was only the top. The water flowed down into three different sections, all leading to another basin as I’d like to call it. Different engravings were placed on each basin. There were curly patterns and a few geometrical patterns as well. I took in its beauty and sighed, sad that I had to leave it for food.

I brought the coat closer to my body as I strayed away from the fountain, trying to find Harry’s familiar curly mop. It was dark out and the stars shined so bright, illuminating the streets a bit. I glanced at the shops near me, trying to figure out where Harry was.

“Where is he…”I mumbled to myself while I rummaged through my purse to call him. Where was my phone?!

I stood there in the middle of the piazza, looking like an idiot when I heard someone call my name. The voice sounded familiar. I looked up and squinted in the darkness, my eyes trying to adjust. A tall figure was coming closer to me but I couldn’t quite see his face. Curse my eyes. What if he was a rapist? Oh god.

“Heather?” I jumped back into reality once I saw who was talking to me.

His hair was tousled in every direction and his blue eyes were as clear as the day sky. He had a blazer on and a striped shirt, his signature style. I rubbed my forehead with my palms and exhaled, very loudly might I add. I looked up at him and saw him chuckling at my gesture while I just rolled my eyes at him.

“Scared to see me?”

“Oh piss off Lou. I thought you were a rapist!” I exclaimed earning a laugh from him.

“I have a girlfriend Heath.”

“She’s very unlucky.” I mumbled as I gently pushed him, walking to wherever I was supposed to go. Wait. I had no idea. Well fuck.

I heard Louis sigh from behind while I stood there with no sense of direction on where to go. I felt him grasp my shoulder lightly but I shook his hand off. As much as I loved joking around with him, it was better to not get too attached. It’ll be harder to let go and forget about everything.

“What’s wrong Heath?” I turned around and narrowed my eyes at him.

“I don’t have to explain myself now do I?” He ran a hand through his brown hair and nodded his head.

“You’re right. I—“He then stopped short and looked away biting his lip. There was something odd going around here. Louis never finished mid-sentence. In front of me that is. I raised my eyebrow, prodding him to continue but he just shook his head. He went over to me and linked his arm around mine.

“Forget what I said. Let’s go meet up with Harry.” He started to drag me to one of the restaurants when it clicked. I pulled my arm away from him and cocked my hip.

“Wait, so you’re eating with us?” I asked, my voice rising a bit. This was clearly not in the plan. I thought Harry wanted only the two of us to dine. I didn’t know that a wild Louis had to appear.

Louis gave a shaky laugh but didn’t answer my question. Instead, he gently grabbed my arm and walked with me to the restaurant where Harry was supposedly at. A frown was permanently etched on my face as I walked with my four inch heels. If Louis was here then… No. He wouldn’t be here. Harry and Louis were best mates. I bet eating dinner with each other was normal. I was probably the third wheel.

My heels clicked together as I took step after step down the cold stone floor. There were a few puddles which I avoided, careful as to not ruin my shoes. I was silent the whole time we walked to the restaurant, my mind wandering to many places. What were we going to talk about during dinner? Was there some kind of reason why Harry invited me or was it as simple as wanting to catch up? I pursed my lips as these thoughts went all over my head. I let out a groan of frustration which Louis heard loud and clear. He glanced at me his eyebrow hitched.

“Anything the matter?” I scoffed and gestured to my shoes.

“My feet are dying.” I said with a smile on my face. He laughed at my remark and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, for support of course.

“I’ll be there for its funeral.”

“Thanks. My feet appreciate it.”

We continued to joke around, asking each other how we’ve been. We strayed away from the one topic and that was my failed relationship with his band mate. I could tell he made some great effort on avoiding him. He talked about movies, his girlfriend, and his shoes… anything but him. I was glad. His name didn’t even come out of his lips. I have to say, this boy was very considerate.

We stopped in front of this restaurant that was dimly lit and I had to squint to see if it was even open. There were chairs and tables covered with lace outside but no one was occupying them. I turned to Louis who only gave me a comforting smile, rubbing my shoulders. He let go of my shoulders and told the waiter by the booth that we had a reservation. I clutched my purse and looked around feeling a bit queasy. I hope no one was taking pictures of this or I swear to god I am going to hunt them down one by one.

“Heather?” I directed my attention back to Louis who had a worried look on his face. I smiled at him and playfully punched his shoulder.

“I’m fine Lou. Take me to your leader!” I said, trying to be joyous when inside I was shattered. And confused. And scared.

The waiter led the two of us inside the restaurant which was brighter than the outside. The walls were painted red with swirly patterns. Pictures of landscapes hung all around the place giving the “one with nature” vibe. There were only a few people inside the restaurant which was comforting. I never really liked crowded places.

The waiter continued to walk farther inside the restaurant and Louis and I followed. We passed by a few customers who didn’t even look up. They were too engrossed by their food to actually notice us. I’m starting to like society.

To be quite honest, I didn’t know that the restaurant had a second floor so imagine what I felt when the waiter led us to the creaky stairs near the back. My eyes widened in shock as I looked from Lou to the waiter. I caught a glimpse of the second floor from where I was standing and it was awfully dark. I shivered and crossed my arms hoping that I would look braver than I really was.

“This way please.” The waiter mumbled. Actually, since he was British, he could act better as a butler. I almost laughed at the thought of having a posh butler serving us our food but quickly pushed it away.

The waiter went ahead of us, followed by Lou then me. My heels echoed throughout the narrow staircase and to be honest, the sound was a little bit obnoxious. The solid clack against wood practically brought the attention of the whole house to me. I let out a sigh as I followed Louis in front of me who didn’t seem bothered at all by my heels.

When I reached the top of the stairs my jaw dropped. Candles illuminated the dark room and there was only one table in the middle. There were four chairs and I wondered why there would even be four. It was only the three of us. There was a lone vase on top of the table that held a single rose. Harry sat on one of the chairs, looking through his phone. When the butler, I mean waiter, cleared his throat Harry looked up and gave the two of us a brilliant smile.

“You came!” Harry exclaimed standing up to give each of us a hug I suppose.

“Yeah I—“I started but was rudely cut off by Mr. Stripes over here.

“Of course I did boo!” Louis cooed, walking over to Harry giving him a hug. I grimaced at their affection and silently thanked the waiter for bringing us there. It would be rude if I didn’t. I looked back at the two lads who were still hugging and scoffed. The two of them looked at me while I cocked my hip, raising an eyebrow.

“Are we going to eat or am I just going to stand here watching you guys get it on?”

As if on cue, they took a few steps back and awkwardly chuckled at my remark. I rolled my eyes and strutted over to a chair. I took of my coat and wrapped it around the chair revealing a lacey navy blue dress I wore just for the occasion. I sat down on the chair and crossed my legs, placing my chin in my hand as I waited for the lads to occupy the seats in front of me. I looked back to where they stood and they were rooted into place, gawking at me. I narrowed my eyes at them and looked down at my outfit.

“That bad?” I asked, feeling self conscious all of a sudden. The two of them shook their heads and immediately took the seats next to me.

“No, no you look great!” Harry blurted. A tinge of red was evident in his cheeks which caused me to smirk.

“You don’t look too bad yourself Styles.” I replied, winking at him.

“Enough with the flirting! I’d like some food now.” Louis declared with a frown on his face. I laughed and started messing around with my napkin.

“You’re just jealous Lou.” I teased. He rolled his eyes and scoffed but there was an obvious smile on his face.

The waiter came back with the menu and the three of us took our time deciding on what to order. It was a peaceful evening full of food and mindless chatter. Louis kept talking about himself which was no surprise while Harry made his obnoxious remarks regarding the different things we talked about. In all honestly, I was enjoying myself. There wasn’t even a mention of “he-who-must-not-be-named” at the table. Also, I realized how much I missed them despite severing my ties with a certain someone.

I twirled the pasta on my plate and shoved a forkful in my mouth. I was damn hungry and I wasn’t going to let this wonderful food go to waste. We continued to chat aimlessly but I knew something was bothering the two of them. The way Louis checked his watch from time to time and the way Harry kept looking at his phone when silence took over. It bothered me to no extent and that’s when I decided to pry.

“Anything the matter?” I asked to no one in particular. The two of them looked up and gave each other knowing glances. I raised my eyebrow and felt my gut telling me that something bad was going to happen. It was well obvious that they were having a conversation and I was not having any of it.

“No. Everything’s fine!” Louis chirped, making things worse. I could sense how fake his enthusiasm was.

“Right. Harry, what’s going on?” I asked, turning to the curly haired boy who was desperately clutching his phone in his hand.

“I—uh,”

He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes bulging out of its sockets. Louis nearly choked on his meal, his gaze steady on me. Rather, what was behind me? What the hell? I took a deep breath and that’s when my blood went cold. I recognized that scent. I held my breath and tried to elude the memories that came with the fragrance but failed. I remembered how he would hold me in his arms, waiting for me to fall asleep. I remembered how he would hug me out of the blue declaring his love for me all of a sudden. I remembered how much he loved food and how he would always force me to eat with him. I remembered all the good times we had and then all of a sudden it stopped. I remembered that we were over.

My face turned grim as I stared down on my plate. I felt Louis sigh beside me while Harry let out a frustrated groan. I heard his footsteps loud and clear as he came closer and closer to us. I took a few deep breaths, not wanting to turn around. I might end up clawing his face out.

“Heather?” The moment my name slipped out of his lips, I felt like melting. Even after three weeks, his voice still made m feel like a little school girl. It still sounded undeniably sexy and alluring that I couldn’t help but feel sorry for myself. How was I ever going to forget about him when I couldn’t help but get pulled again and again? In short, I was fucked.

I kept my mouth shut and prayed that I wouldn’t have a mental breakdown right then and there. Harry and Louis haven’t said a single word when he came and I was to do the same but it wasn’t helping when the guy who broke your heart decided to touch your shoulder. I felt electricity pulse through my veins at his touch and that’s when I lost it. This feeling… I couldn’t let it take me over. If it did, I don’t know if I could fight the urge to cry and want him back.

“Don’t touch me!” I spat, turning around to give him a deadly glare.

His blue eyes were clouded with hurt and sadness. His hair was a mess and the only good thing about him was his clothes. He had a button down shirt and black jeans. I frowned at him and crossed my arms, not liking his presence one bit. His hand fell limply beside him as he awkwardly ran a shaky hand through his already messed up hair.

“I’m sorry.” He mumbled, avoiding my eyes. I sighed and shook my head. I wasn’t ready for this shit.

I stood up and gathered my things, not making any eye contact with any of the boys. My stomach started to feel queasy and I don’t think eating any more of the food I had would help. I had a feeling they set me up and I wasn’t in the mood to talk to any of them in a long while. I thought this was a meeting for catching up only! No one ever told me that a certain ex of mine would show up.

“Are you leaving?” Harry asked, his green eyes holding me down. I gave him a forced smile and nodded.

“Yes. Thanks for the food but I have to go.” I wouldn’t want to scare you off while I bitch out on Niall.

Louis said nothing. He was just staring down on his lap. I took that as a signal that he was fine with me leaving. With a huff, I grabbed my coat and stood up. I was careful. I didn’t even meet Niall’s eyes as I walked out. I kept my head held high and my back straight. I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me all mopey and what not. I don’t care if he wanted me back. I didn’t.
You are lying. My brain reminded me. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts.

I was about to go down the stairs when I felt someone grab my arm. Once again that familiar scent filled my nostrils and if I weren’t hyperaware of the fact that it was him, I would have swooned. I didn’t swoon. In fact, my blood boiled at the thought of him touching me. My eyes met his and I knew that that was my first mistake. I was lost. I got lost in his eyes and I ended up staring into them for a while.

“Heather, please. Can we talk?” My eyes traveled downward to where his lips were and I was
captivated momentarily. I saw them turn into a grin and that was all it took for me to snap out of it. I angrily shook my head and stared daggers at him.

“No.” I stated firmly, pulling my arm away from his grasp. I went down the stairs in a hurry to get away from him. My heels clicked with every step I took and once again I was annoyed. I was pretty sure my face was contorted into something of disgust as well as hope. Disgust because he had the nerve to show up and want me back and hope because things might be better if I agreed to be his again.

I walked past the other customers with my head down, avoiding their curious stares. I clutched my purse and pushed the doors, going outside. I felt the cool air wrap itself around my body and I shivered. I took a deep breath and walked farther away from the restaurant, hoping that Niall didn’t run after me.

“Heather! Please, hear me out!” I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard his voice. I told myself not to turn around but as if on instinct, I did. I saw him running towards me, panting. My eyes turned to slits when he stopped in front of me. He gasped for air but he looked at me dead in the eye as he took deep breaths.

“What do you want Niall?” I hissed not liking this conversation one bit. I looked around to see if a cab was around.

“I want you.”

I scoffed and turned to look at him.

“Last time I checked, you were the one who dumped me!” I yelled out in frustration. Why now all of a sudden? Why take me back?

He looked down at his feet and ran a hand through his hair. He licked his lips and let out a frustrated sigh.

“I know, I know what I did Heather. I just… I regret it so much. I-I love you Heather. I thought I could handle letting you go but I can’t. Please Heath I—“

“Stop it!” I cried out frustration. “Stop this nonsense Niall! You don’t love me! If you did, you wouldn’t have hurt me three weeks ago! Have you even thought about what I had to go through? God, seeing you with another bird right away broke my heart. I just—“I stopped mid-sentence and took a deep breath. I could feel the tears behind my eyelids and I had to blink them away. All this talking brings back all the feelings I had on that cold night. I most certainly do not want to feel those again.

I was about to scream and yell at him for being a complete arse when I felt my body being wrapped around strong, tender arms. I squirmed under his touch, feeling his hot breath on my neck.

“Stop this Niall.” My protest had no conviction at all as it fell from my lips. His arms were still around me and I couldn’t help but be relaxed. I hated how he would always have this effect on me.

“I don’t want us to stop Heather.” He mumbled, burying his face in my hair. My heart started to beat ten million times faster and I was scared. I bit my lip and gathered all my courage. I lifted my arms and pushed his chest away from me. I could already feel the tears prickling behind my eyes.

“No Niall, I just… I don’t know anymore.” I whispered feeling defenseless. I took a step back away from him but he only took a step forward. “I don’t want to get hurt again.”

“I’ll never hurt you Heather. I—“

“You already did Niall!” I shrieked, causing him to take a step back. I took another deep breath and shook my head. “You already did.” I whispered softly, burying my face in my hands.

I wasn’t ready for this. Fuck Harry Styles and his invitations for a lovely dinner. I did say I won’t fall for Niall again but it felt like I already was. He was doing all these things that I liked and god, I am such an idiot.

I looked up and saw Niall giving me a solemn expression. He looked as if he wanted to comfort me but knew better not to. I sighed and saw a glimpse of a cab coming over us.

“Taxi!” I croaked out, waving my arms hysterically at the driver. The cab stopped in front of us and I was happy that I could finally escape this madness. I rushed to the cab but heard Niall following me as I did so.

“Heather!” I let out a sigh, tired of all of this. All of the confusion and the hurt I experienced. I turned around and saw him looking at me with such hope in his eyes. I licked my lips and closed my eyes. I had to do this. Two words. Spit it out Heather. I took a sharp intake of breath and looked him dead in the eye.

“Goodbye Niall.” I stated and slipped inside the taxi without another glance at the Irish boy who wanted me back.