BROKEN-HEARTED (SHORT STORY)
There were sweet red roses decorating the chairs and white clothes covering the table. Everyone was here and laughing just as I remembered.
“Mel! I haven’t seen you in a while!” Liam calls out as soon as he sees me. Liam’s decked out in a nice suit with beautiful Danielle by his side. They’ve been together for so long now, I’ve heard that they’re engaged.
“Mel, hey!” Niall says as he and the rest of the boys approach me. Niall was also dressed up nicely, his hair was no longer bleached as I remember but it was a nice shade of deep brown.
“Where have you been hiding, Mel?” Zayn still had stubble on his chin as he came over hand in hand with Perrie.
“Hey guys.” I said back, putting on my best smile. Just seeing them caused so many memories to flash back. “I moved to the US for a while to write songs for other artists, but I’m back now.”
“No fair, you’re our special song writer!” Liam pouts, forever the sweet one. I laugh as they continue to banter on, being with the gang was never a quiet moment, and I missed this. As they talked, I smoothed out my light pale blue dress, nervous about talking to him again. I had watched the ceremony and the sight of him in his suit with his hair gelled back caused butterflies to be released in my stomach.
“I didn’t think you’d come.” I glanced up from my dress to see Harry with his mass of curls and signature dimple.
“Hey Haz.” He smiles sadly and gives me a small hug. “Louis told me that he invited you but I didn’t think you’d come. After all you moved all the way across the pond to avoid us.”
“I wasn’t avoiding you guys!” I said quickly. That was partially a lie, there was an opportunity that came up in the US but I did take it so that I wouldn’t have the bare seeing him again. “I just…
“You don’t have to explain, Mel.” Harry says, if possible his voice had gotten deeper. He was still beautiful as always. “Have you spoken to the married couple yet?”
I bit my lip and gave Harry a slight hesitant smile. “What do you think, Haz?”
I couldn’t approach him, even though what we had was in the past, it still hurt. I had met One Direction when I was 19 and they were 18-21 years old. They were starting their third album and I was the new rising songwriter that Simon discovered. I had gotten along so well with the boys, especially Harry and Louis. It was like I was the secret addition band member. But things got complicated when I started to feel attracted to Louis, he was still dating Eleanor at the time and he loved her. We were close, but she was his girlfriend after all and he didn’t want to hurt her. I continued to work with them for 3 more years, but those 3 years were painful. I’d see them together all the time and Eleanor was brought up multiple times in conversation. So when an offer came up to work in Simon’s company in the US, I took it. I left.
Now I’m back but at 23 years old, I’m still the same as I was when I was 19 and working with One Direction. I still love him.
“Mel.”
I stared at those laughing blue eyes while trying to burn this last image of him into my memory. I gave him a smile and leaned forward to give him a hug. “Congratulations, Louis. I wish you and Eleanor an eternity of happiness.”
“Thank you so much, Mel.” Louis says back as we pull away and he goes on to greet the other wedding guests.
“Good job.” Harry mumbles as he stands by me while I feel my eyes water. Harry gives me a comforting hand on the shoulder, squeezing slightly as my tears slowly trailed down my cheeks. I shouldn’t be crying at a wedding but during this beautiful celebration, I couldn’t help but feel that pain of my first love getting married to another girl.
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