After the End: Book 4

75. That Makes Three

A/N: I added numbers to the chapters to make it more accessible. I went back and did it on all the books. I also finished the detailed chapter by chapter outline to the end completely yesterday!
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Louis POV

That summer hadn't gone to plan. That was an indisputable fact that was repeatedly thrown into my face. It didn't matter what I did. In the end, the universe kept turning at its own pace and I was just along for the ride. The chaos had just followed me into autumn.

That's how I felt walking into Melvins office. I always walked in with a sense of dread now, but walking in on my day off through a mostly empty building just made me want to rip up the carpets like a feral animal.

That feeling was only further perpetuated at the sight of Leroy sitting across from Melvin in the sitting area of his office. I wasn't expecting to see him there, but I couldn't lie and say I was surprised either. Especially not after the phone call I'd endured the previous night.

I even considered turning away and leaving at the sight of him. Becca's voice in my head stopped me.

Just do what you're told.

Melvin mustered the same level of professionalism and cheeriness as always when I walked in. He looked at ease. His smile was smug. He didn't seem to care that I'd just showed up in a messy old T-shirt and paint splattered ripped jeans, which clearly wasn't my usual attire for work.

"Louis!" He declared at my presence. "Lovely that you could join us."

Leroy did not look as though he found my presence lovely. Leroy looked like he wanted to assault me right there in Melvins office. I'd not bothered to consider that he was much larger than I was before, but his threatening look made him seem like a cage fighter by comparison to me now.

I hesitated before walking in the room all the way and standing at the edge of the sofa. Leroy and I were not going to sit together. Not happening.

"It's a pleasure," I lied. "You we're right. I was able to figure things out."

"That's my boy," Melvin cheered.

That's it. Just let Leroy kill me. Please let him kill me right here in this office. Put me out of my misery.

"So, you've met Mr. Waters as you know I've heard," Melvin continued. He looked at Leroy with that same smile of his and Leroy scowled. "But it's obviously come to my attention that it wasn't the loveliest of meetings, and that's why I've brought him in today to try and mediate us all through this... rough patch."

I didn't know it was possible to want to disappear so intensely.

"Rough patch," Leroy repeated with quiet ominence.

"Like I told you Mr. Waters," Melvin chastised as if it weren't a big deal that Leroy looked like he was steaming in place. "Louis is learning. That's his purpose here. He may be an old name in the industry, but he was out of the game for a long time and he's learning the new ropes, albeit slower than preferred."

That was his argument. His intended defense of me was to make me out to be a fucking moron. He'd given me no warning at all, but he'd apparently been talking to Leroy about me, possibly all morning, and his strategy was to tell him I was an incompetent moron.

"He didn't seem like he was just learning when he walked into my office and essentially ended Dakota Huddles career," Leroy sneered. "He seemed quite confident actually."

I shrugged. "I was fully confident in that decision."

Melvin shot daggers at me for that comment.

"Was," he said trying to meet Leroy's eyes instead. "As in past tense. Like I told you Leroy, I already spoke to Louis. He understands that he was wrong to handle things as he did."