The Secrets We Keep

As much as Louis wanted to stay, the time had come for him to leave. The weight of their unspoken emotions hung heavily in the air as he pulled back slightly, his hands still resting on Maria's waist. Her fingers clung tightly to the lapels of his jacket, her tear-filled eyes silently pleading for just a little more time.

"I have to go," Louis said softly, his voice cracking just enough to reveal how much he didn't want to.

Maria nodded, but her grip didn't loosen. "I know," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "I just... I'm going to miss you so much."

Louis cupped her face gently in his hands, his thumbs brushing away the tears that streamed down her cheeks. "Hey, none of that," he murmured, his forehead pressing softly against hers. "It's not goodbye, yeah? I'll see you soon."

Maria sniffled, nodding again as she fought to believe his words.

Leaning in, Louis kissed her one last time. It was a soft kiss, but it carried everything he couldn't put into words—his longing, his promises, and his deep reluctance to leave her behind. The moment stretched between them, their lips moving slowly, as if trying to freeze time.

When they finally pulled apart, Louis let out a shaky breath and stepped back, though his gaze never wavered from hers. "You'll be okay," he said quietly, as much to convince himself as her.

Maria nodded, wrapping her arms around herself as though trying to keep from falling apart. "Take care of yourself, Louis."

A faint smile tugged at his lips, though it lacked its usual playfulness, dulled by the weight of leaving her. "You too, love."

He reached for his suitcase and opened the door, the cold air rushing in and making everything feel achingly real. Louis hesitated for a moment, turning back to look at her one last time.

"I'll see you around," he said, his voice low but filled with meaning.

Maria nodded again, biting her lip to keep from crying any harder.

Louis stepped into the hallway, the door closing softly behind him. As he walked down the corridor, his heart felt heavier with every step, his mind urging him to turn around. But he kept moving, gripping the handle of his suitcase tightly.

You'll see her in the middle of Christmas, he reminded himself. It's only a couple of days. She doesn't know yet, but you'll be back before she even has the chance to miss you too much.

The thought of returning to her gave him a small sense of comfort, a quiet reassurance that this wasn't the end of their time together. Even as he left, his mind lingered on Maria, her tearful goodbye etched into his heart, making the promise of his return all the more important.

As the door closed behind Louis, Maria stood frozen for a long moment, staring at the empty space where he had just been. Her chest felt tight, her heart unbearably heavy, and the tears she'd been holding back all evening threatened to spill over. Slowly, she walked back to the couch and sank into it, the weight of her emotions finally crashing down on her.

The room was eerily quiet now, the echoes of his voice and their shared laughter still lingering in the air like ghosts of the moments they'd just shared. She wrapped her arms around herself, letting the first tear slip down her cheek. Before she knew it, they were falling freely, each one carrying the overwhelming ache she couldn't hold in any longer.

Maria had never felt this way before—not for any other guy she'd dated, not even for her ex-fiancé, and certainly not for Niall. With Louis, it was different. He made her feel alive in a way that was impossible to explain. The way he looked at her, the way he held her, the softness in his voice when he spoke to her—it all made her feel seen, cherished, like she was the only person in the world who mattered to him.

She pressed her trembling hands to her face, tears streaming down her cheeks as the memory of his lips on hers came rushing back. She thought of the way he'd kissed her so deeply, the way his arms had wrapped around her so tightly, as if he couldn't bear to let go. Her heart clenched painfully at the thought of him being so far away, even if only for a few days.

Why does it hurt this much? she thought, the question echoing in her mind. Why does missing him feel so unbearable?

Maria didn't know how to make sense of what she was feeling. Niall was her boyfriend—someone she cared about deeply—but Louis... Louis was something else entirely. He made her feel things she didn't know she was capable of feeling, a dizzying spark of excitement and longing that no one else had ever stirred in her.

As she sat there, sobbing quietly into her hands, a painful, undeniable truth settled in her heart: she loved Louis. Deeply, wholly, and irrevocably. And that realization terrified her.

"I love him," she whispered to the empty room, her voice breaking under the weight of her emotions. "I love him so much."

The words shattered her all over again, and the tears came harder, soaking into the pillow she clutched tightly to her chest. She tried to steady her breathing, but nothing could ease the ache that had taken root in her chest.

For the first time in her life, Maria understood what it truly meant to fall in love—messy, complicated, overwhelming love. The kind that turned your world upside down and made you feel things you never thought possible.

And for Maria, that love had a name: Louis.