Prolouge

"So I've been nominated for an Oscar," Louis says carefully. If he's called to gloat, Liam doesn't care; proper phone etiquette be damned, he will hang up.

He will.

"I know," Liam says. "Everyone knows that."

"Right," Louis says. "I didn't know if you," he cuts himself off, and if Liam didn't know better by now, he'd say Lou was nervous.

"Didn't know if I what?" Liam asks. "If I was awake lately? If I'd blanked it all out? If I'd turned off the internet and lived like a hermit to avoid your name?"

"I was going to say, if you remembered me," Louis says, worry and bitter and so, so familiar.

"It was a divorce, Lou, not a head injury," Liam laughs. "Of course I remember you."