An Eye for an Eye **LT**

Chapter 25

Louis' POV-

While I was at work, I texted Cecilia a few time to make sure she was ok, and each time, she responded promptly until she told me she had made it back to my apartment safely. I don't know what I expected to happen, but I guess maybe something like a repeat of the other night, and perhaps her getting shot. And I really didn't want to figure out how to handle that even though I still felt like I didn't know her ridiculously well.

I guess perhaps she had come to mean something to me, and I just didn't fully realize it.

I was very happy when I finally had been able to clock out and get back to the apartment. I didn't have long before I needed to drive back to the club, but I wanted to see for myself that Cecilia had made it back. Plus, I assumed she'd probably want to go with me.

When I opened the door, this time I really did think I was in the wrong apartment. Looking around, there were so many unfamiliar things, like a tapestry and some plants. My place literally looked like a catalog...and I wasn't sure how I felt about it.

"Cecilia..?" I called slowly, closing the door behind me.

"Yeah?" she walked in cheerily, wearing the blue dress again and running a comb through her dirty blonde hair.

"What the fuck did you do to my apartment?" I was still looking around, realizing I had seen this stuff at her place.

"Do you like it?" she beamed.

My eyes flickered back to her, and I saw just how happy she looked...even though this really wasn't my taste. Letting her grab her stuff didn't mean redecorating my whole home. It meant bringing her clothes and whatever else girls need over and hiding it away in a drawer. 

But it felt like I hadn't seen her smile in awhile-at least not like this-and really I didn't want to take that away from her. So I decided just to fake it.

"It looks...like a photo from a magazine..." I was being careful not to sound sarcastic.

"I'm glad you like it" she grinned. "It took me hours, but I felt proud about how it turned out"

"You should" I gave her a weak smile.

"How was work?" she asked.

I shrugged. "It was fine. I need to find a better job, though"

"I need to find a job, too" she glanced sideways.

"Have you thought about places you might want to work?" I asked, walking past her while ripping off my shirt.

I wanted to change out of my clothes, since there was cleaning solution and sticky beer on them from my shift.

"I was going to ask about working with you" she was following behind me.

"At the Outfield?" I crinkled my nose.

She nodded.

"I don't think you want to work there" I told her, tossing my shirt to the bed since we were now in the bedroom. "The food industry is tough"

"Well, I also thought it would be nice to...you know" she paused.

"To what?" I asked, unbuttoning my red skinny jeans and pulling them off my legs.

"To work with you" she finished.

"You don't want to work with me" I shut it down quickly.

"Why not?" she tilted her head.

"I get angry while I work" I reached up into my closet and pulled out a Blink-182 shirt and a pair of black skinny jeans that had holes in the knees.