After The End: Book 1

12. Inescapable Past Lives

Naomis POV

I knew that Louis was waiting for me. I sat in my car in his parking garage and watched the minutes tick by. I couldn't move. I couldn't even unbuckle my seat belt. I was petrified.

Louis was probably laughing with his friends. I didn't know much, but based on his texts, Harry had insisted on getting the band back together for his birthday. It was a stark contrast to the Harry that I'd last seen, curled up in the dark but I was willing to accept his turn around as a good thing. I knew Louis missed those days. I was excited for him to see them again.

That happiness only made it harder for me to go up there and ruin it for him. I wanted him to savor the happy and the reminiscences of it all. I wanted to give him the opportunity to feel alive again.

Another minute clicked on the clock. My knuckles were turning white as i clutched the steering wheel. I needed to let go.

I took a deep breath, and then another. I released my fists, first letting my hands drape over the leather of the wheel before withdrawing them into myself. I could do this. It would all be okay.

What had Harry told me? Be bold? I could be bold. I was totally bold. I unbuckled my seat belt.

I recognized the parking garage well. I had spent a lot of time navigating it over the precluding weeks where I'd spent every day at Louis. Still, I walked sluggishly and timid as I made my way up the line of cars to the stairs.

I knew the elevator code and I could easily buzz my way up to Louis flat, but I wanted to take my time. I wasn't in a rush to be bold. I entered the stairwell and began my climb, stopping at each landing to catch my breath. At this rate, maybe Louis friends would be winding down when I arrived.

Harry's POV

They wanted to kill us. That much was obvious. I was an identified problem, and Louis was going to need to be eliminated to keep it all nice and quiet. What a mess I had created.

Jade was still hovering just before me, but Evan and Marcus were closed in on either side primed for what I assumed was the eventual killing. Behind me, I couldn't see him, but I knew Louis was only a few feet back. He was breathing raggedly. Sometimes he would attempt to speak but in his panicked and inebriated thoughts, the words kept getting lost.

I was still tipsy but by the second, I could feel my thoughts sobering. My eyes were flashing from one face to another trying to sort out an exit plan that didn't exist. I had backed the both of us into a corner.

I looked back to Jade. "If you touch Louis, I'll scream. There are other people in this house. They will hear me."

Jade rolled her eyes. "You don't even like him."

I kept my glare on her and pulled out an angrier voice. I wasn't ever intimidating but I could try to be. I'd only ever won a single fight and I didn't like my chances when it was me against multiple bigger men. "Correction. If you touch him again, I'll fucking kill you."

Evan kicked me in the stomach again, causing me to double over in pain with a pathetic moan. Like I said, I wasn't about to win this fight. My palms were sweaty against the floor as I heaved in dramatic breaths trying to fight off the nausea threatening to overtake me.

"I'm very intimidated," Jade assured me with a laugh.

I decided that going it alone was impractical. I took a deep breath and then opened my mouth and attempted to scream. "LIA—"

I never got to finish Liams name because Evan smacked me across the face with the end of something hard. It connected with a crack and I crumpled immediately in intense pain. For a second after being pistol whipped, I was completely disoriented. My vision swam and my brain numbed. Then, all the pain all over my body returned with a flash and I had to hold myself back from releasing a whimper.