Just Hold On // L.T. ✓

3

~‪What do you do when a chapter ends?‬,

‪Do you close the book and never read it again?‬~

"Do you want some water?" Simon asked, as Louis analyzed his office and him. Simon was tall, with prominent features, wearing a suit that matched the vibe he was giving off - power.

"I would like to know why I was kidnapped." Louis said, his voice cracking throughout.

Simon got a water bottle out of the mini fridge next to his desk. "Because I wasn't sure how cooperative you'd be if I just asked you to a meeting. You're on vacation, after all."

"Why me?" Louis asked next, trying to prioritize his questions in his head.

"Because, you need money and I need someone like you. Someone I can form from scratch."

"To do what?" He asked, taking the water bottle with his shaky arm.

"Whatever I want. Listen, if you agree, you'll stay in New York for a couple of months. You'll start training in my gym for whatever I wish, and I'll give your family a loan." Louis' head was spinning with all of this information - his family needed money, but this sounded like some cultish stuff. Louis didn't want to join a cult - he just wanted to write plays and see them acted out on a stage.

"How long?" Louis asked. "I need an estimate."

Simon sighed, pulled a parfait out of his mini fridge and handing it to Louis. "Can't say. Depends on how well you do in training, and when I need a man for a job."

"What if I say no?"

"I drop you back at your crappy hotel, and we forget this ever happened. Maybe I give you fifty bucks for your troubles."

"I need more time. I can't just decide this on a whim." He said, ripping the top off of the parfait. "This is serious."

"I understand. That's why I brought you here. I have some filing that needs to be done, and you can do that, mull it over, and I'll pay you two hundred bucks at the end of the day if you do that well."

"Fine." Louis said, grabbing the spoon Simon offered him before sitting back at his desk.

Simon got right back to work, and Louis quickly devoured the yogurt. He thought of his mom. Would she want him to engage in illegal activity to help out their family? Most likely not, but Louis knew that this would provide them a lot of money in a short amount of time. That way, his mum could stop worrying about getting back to work, and taking out a loan from the bank without being able to pay it back anytime soon.

It was simple - Louis didn't really have much to think about. He was a family man, and he had to help out his family. Simple as that.

---

"I'm giving you the key to this apartment. I own it. No need to pay rent or anything on it, or utilities. You can just stay there whenever you're in New York. Two bedrooms. The master, and a little office or something. Maybe a guest bedroom. It's pretty nice. Got a nice balcony with a view. Let me walk you out." Simon helped Louis off of the floor - he had made his decision hours ago, but had stayed to help with the filing. Simon had bought him lunch, and now it was five o'clock. Time to go home. "I'll pay for a cab to take you to your hotel and then to the apartment. Here's your money."

The weary Louis remained silent, taking the money. He just let Simon ramble on and on, since he had no mind to talk. He said goodbye as Simon stuffed him into a cab, and he didn't really think much as he packed up his suitcase back at the hotel and then returned to the cab.

The only thing he wanted to do was call his mom.

So the second he climbed the three flights of stairs up to the small apartment, he flopped on the comfortable bed, and called Jay. It was very late at night for them there, but he knew that she would pick up. "What's wrong, Boo Bear?" Jay answered the phone.

"I joined a cult for money." He blurted out, taking off his shoes.

"Louis, stop joking around." Jay said, sounding as tired as he did.

Louis hung up his jacket on a hook in the closet. "I'm serious, mum. It may not be a cult, but I did get hired by this guy to do a job for a lot of money."

"Louis William Tomlinson, this is the kind of things that happen in America. Us British people go over there on holiday, and then we get hired by gangs! Louis, what were you thinking?"

"It's not a gang. He's a businessman. And he gave me an apartment to stay in while I train, and he's sending money to your bank account in the morning. All I have to do is go through with the job, and I'll get more money at the end." Louis kicked his suitcase over to the bathroom, taking his toothbrush out.

Jay sighed, realizing that she didn't have the strength to argue with her ornery son. "The second you're in over your head, Louis, you have to leave."

"I know that, mum." He said, mouth full of toothpaste. "I'm not an idiot."

Jay sighed. "I'm really tired, Louis. Let's talk in the morning."

"Okay. Love you."

"Love you too, Boo Bear."