After The End: Book 2

21. Different People

Louis POV

"I'm going to kill her," Harry growled slamming the freezer door. He paused afterwards remembering the baby asleep in the other room.

"Can you please be a little less aggressive with my fridge?" I pleaded, settling at the table.

Harry scowled. I understood his frustration. His phone was blowing up with offers he didn't want and his name was trending alongside mine again. I wasn't exactly pleased either.

I had effectively severed things with Naomi for the time being. I had tried to take some advice for once and not pursue the two of us together. It felt right, even though my heart kind of felt a little shriveled up now. A huge point of contention for Naomi and I had always been the fame. I'd made considerable effort to keep myself on the down low and it probably felt like a huge slap in the face for me to blow up the same day as our official break up conversation. Add in the fact that Oliver was in the video and she had almost every right to be a little livid.

It also had pissed Melvin off to see I was trending for something unofficial after declining so many offers he'd made to put me out there. To add insult to injury, in his eyes I'd gotten Harry involved "behind his back." I didn't know how to explain that the sentiment had been wholly unintentional. It was a little difficult to admit that Lottie had gone against everyone's wishes, presumably for followers. I had called her and been ignored. My mum said she hadn't been home all day. Phoebe had told Harry she'd just taken the video for fun because he looked so happy. Lottie had asked to see it and the rest was history.

"When is she coming?" Harry changed the subject.

He was asking about Naomi. After the revelation, we'd tried to salvage our conversation but Harry was obviously upset over the phone and although he told me things were fine, I started to worry about Oliver. I was completely convinced that Harry would never put him in harms way but that didn't mean I wasn't wary of overwhelming Harry with childcare duties while he was having his personal crisis. It just didn't seem fair, especially when I'd voluntold him to babysit a little against his will.

Instead we'd come to two agreements. Naomi would be getting help so that she could figure out what us breaking up was supposed to look like for her. In the mean time, at least for that night, she'd be coming home for dinner, staying until Oliver's bedtime and then going back to her mums. She didn't need to go any longer without seeing him. That wasn't helping anything.

"Within the hour," I informed him. Harry glanced at the oven at his creation cooking away and frowned. "What now?" I asked.

Harry shrugged. "I just can't help but be mad at her," he muttered. "It's hypocritical. I've screwed you over plenty."

"I'm too forgiving," I agreed. "But I think she just needs to work through some things. I want to be optimistic."

"I'm sorry you're single though," Harry said. "I know that's not what you wanted."

"I'm pretty sure I'm the one who officially called it quits," I mused. "I've never actually been the one doing the dumping before. You'd probably be proud."

"I'm always doing the dumping," Harry smirked. That was true. I'd seen it more than once. He was brutal. That's what made his compliance with Lux so amusing to watch. "I was super great at it. I keyed Cory's car when I left her."

He'd never told me that before. The thought seemed both amusing and sad.

"You're not going to key my car are you?" Naomi appeared in the doorway looking very out of place. She'd only been living there with me a few days prior but the way she stood awkwardly in the doorway made it feel like a lifetime away.