Black Ink || Harlena a.u.

59.

Things between Harry and I remained tense for the remainder of the week. Actually, it had been Lance that gave me my pay instead of Harry.

Lance was a very sweet guy despite his tough appearance. Sometimes he would bring me coffee and sit with me during my lunch breaks while Harry went out to smoke.

I don't know what the fuck was going on with him, but I wasn't going to speak with him until he grew some balls and matured the fuck up. Whatever it was, it bothered him to the point where dark rings began to form under his eyes and even his skin became impossibly paler.

However, the times where I even began to form a sentence his way, would be ignored and he'd dart out of the room. I gave up a few days after.

Now, as I finish up the last of my work for the day, my mind races in frustration and annoyance. I hated seeing Harry so upset and torn about who knows what. It was eating him alive.

Both Harry and Lance had stepped out to pick up a few things, locking the shop and switching the sign to 'Out For Lunch' because they had no other sign besides the 'Open' and 'Closed' one.

There was a knock on the back door, my own door was slightly ajar so all I did was lean back in my chair to see a figure at the door. I almost fell backwards.

With shaking legs, I walked over to him. He was holding a box and was facing the other way. However, he saw me from the corner of his eye and when he made out who I was, his eyes widened in surprised.

I opened the door, "Louis?"

His mouth hung slightly before he shook his head, "Selene- what are you doing here?"

I stepped aside to let him in before he set the box down, shutting the door behind him.

"I work here," I replied.

He still looked as great as ever. His hair was still rugged and his style still pegged him as the hot guy in stories that every girl falls over for. Hell, even I got a taste of him, or better said, he got a taste of me.

My answer made his eyebrows furrow, but a curious smile still played in his lips, "Is that so?"

I nodded and smiled at him. If I was honest, I had missed his company. After I texted him about finding somone else, I didn't hear from him again. But as I look at the man in front of me, I realize all the good I had lost.

"Missed hearing from you," he said softly.

My body beat my mind, making me wrap my arms around him and feel his warmth despite the cold outside, "I missed you too."

Suddenly, Louis stepped back. Confused, I looked at him, but he was looking over my shoulder. I followed his gaze to be met with a pissed off looking Harry.

"Harry," Louis greeted.

"Louis," his voice was clipped as he coldly greeted him back with a nod. His eyes darted back and forth between Louis and I, trying to piece something together. But how could he? He didn't know about Louis and I.

Then my mind went back to the night Harry and I were at the diner, how Louis texted and Harry noticed. That seemed like so long ago. Surely he didn't remember.

But noticing the way he assessed Louis, with such hostility and a gleam in his eyes that seemed threatening, I couldn't help but think that maybe he did recall that night.

"You two know each other?" Harry asked. The frown that etched on my face was that of confusion. Was he feigning that he didn't know? Or was he genuinely curious and perhaps didn't register that night like I did.

Louis was the one to speak, "Selene and I met a few months ago. We haven't spoken in a while, but now we're just friends."

Now. Harry didn't need to know the before. Actually, Louis and I weren't anything but a fling before.

He looked over at me, waiting for me to back Louis up. I nodded in agreement.

But Harry remained guarded, and I could tell that he was no fool, "I imagine you want to talk to Harry about the stuff you brought in, so I'll leave you two-"

"No."

Harry walked over to me, wrapping an arm around my waist before giving Louis a smile that didn't reach his eyes before looking down at me, "If it's about business then it concerns you too."

That made sense, but if I was honest, I didn't want to be in this awkward situation. However, responsibility came before my own personal needs, "Right."

I pushed Harry off me as gently and subtly as I could, even if I wanted nothing more than to melt into his touch. I missed it greatly, but my pride was too big, and I know that I wasn't at fault.

Besides, Louis being here did not change our current situation, and I wasn't going to give him a pass just so that he established some sort of claim on me for Louis to see.

We took a seat on the leather couch that was placed at the far end of the room where we had lunch. Harry sat beside me and Louis sat across from us both.

"I've got bad news," Louis spoke.

Harry leaned forward, his hands rubbing against one another as he listened attentively, "What sort of bad news?"

Louis sighed, puffing out his cheeks as if deciding where to begin, "Our supply warehouse was vandalized. We lost almost ten grand worth of supplies-"

"Christ," Harry ran his hand through his hair.

"And we basically won't recover from that because they destroyed the surveillance cameras before going in, so we have no one to pin the incident on."

Harry's leg bounced up and down as his wild eyes searched for an answer.

"What does that mean for that shop?" I asked with worry. How bad will the incident leave the poor shop?

Louis closed his eyes and looked down, "What my dad plans to do is sell the rest of the supplies to Harry and Lance. The other places we ship our stuff to are out of the question. Of course, we'd make a total estimate for the supplie's worth and make sure it's a reasonable price."

I glanced over at Harry, "How long do you think the supplies will last?"

Louis looked at Harry with sad eyes, "'Bout a year at most."

Even I grimaced.

Harry slapped his hands on his lap before standing up, "I'll have to talk to Lance before making any sort of decision."

Louis nodded in understanding, "I figured as much, but I wanted to let you know before the contract came to an end. Just let me know before next week so that we have time to find someone else if you're not-"

"I will," Harry confirmed. They nodded at each other in goodbye before Louis looked at me.

"Nice seeing you, Selene."

I smiled, "You too, Louis."

He left the shop, leaving Harry and I in the same room to run the scenario in our heads.

I didn't wait for him to say anything before I headed back into the small room. Even with a door between us, I could still feel the tension that surrounded us both and left us in a desperate state of need for space that I wasn't quite sure sufficed.