A single bullet // M.C ✔️

96

Typing and clicking noises filled the small office as Ashton sat tall, typing away on his computer. I glanced at him from the far corner, sitting on my small, tattered but comfy brown chair. I had refused to sit across from his desk, as if this were a meeting; it wasn't. It was a chat between two near friends that I had requested, and he reluctantly agreed after Michael had spoken to him. Loud voices had travelled through our apartment from the locked office door as Michael had shouted at him down the phone.

'She's trying to be civil, so get your head out your ass before I put it up there myself,' he had refused at first, saying there was no way he was even going to step foot into a room with me and none of the other boys, but he soon changed his tone with Michael. It's what led us to here, in his office (his demand) in silence. Not a word was sent my way from him even after I greeted him and tried to talk; the worst thing is his own place is quite far away from mine, I have to wait for Michael to come get me.

"Well, this is shit." I stretched my legs out, lifting them in front of me and placing them on the glass coffee table in front of me, ignoring the sheer glare sent my way at my actions and words.

"Well, I didn't want this, did I?" He sneered. "But someone got their big bad boyfriend to call me."

"That 'big bad boyfriend' is your boss, Ashton, so watch it."

"I'm my own boss, Nicky, I'm as much a leader of that gang as he is. Maybe even more as I have two gangs." He gasped mockingly, holding his fingers up to signal two, making me scoff and cross my arms.

"Why did I even bother?" I let the top half of my body fall to the side as I picked and grasped at my bag handle, swinging it forward and opening it, sliding my laptop out.

"The fuck you think you're doing?"

"Being busy..." I unlocked my laptop and opened a Word document, just starting to type anything so my own keyboard clicked. "If you're ignoring me to do work, I may as well do something right?" I lifted my eyes to look at him, not bothering to move my head before looking back down, continuing to do nothing.

"You don't even have a job, Nicky."

"Touche, Ashton, but I can still type." My shoulders lifted up in a quick shrug before my hands and fingers moved, hearing him sigh loudly, throwing his head back against the back of his white leather office chair. "Your chair also looks rubbish." I muttered, scanning over it and assuming it was hard leather you slid down. I didn't really care; I just knew it was all getting under his skin.

"What is this, just insult Ashton day?"

"Yes, until you actually bother to speak to me, Ashton." I hastily replied, halting my random typing, looking at him over my laptop.

"Fine then, let's do this. Why are you here, Nicky, and how are you today?" He smiled, tilting his head to the side before instantly dropping the smile and turning into his usual scowl.

"It's like Michael told you, Ashton, trying to be civil. And figure out why you hate me so much; it can't be because of what happened to Lauren because I'm protected as fuck, not that she weren't," I instantly added, shutting my laptop screen down with a click. "But I feel like there's another reason."

"I don't have to tell you that, Nicky."

"You kind of do because it's just aimed at me, Ashton! There's something else under the skin of your blanket reasoning of Lauren, and it's not fair to keep using her. She isn't here." My voice was stern as his eyes widened, but his lips stayed glued shut. "I'm so sorry you lost your sister how you did, but I'm not her, Ash. I can defend myself and not do what she did. I'm not saying let her go because she was family, but stop comparing me to your sister because, news flash, I'm Calum and he doesn't mind me doing this."