Page 143 of On The Edge
“Louis…” I say softly, my mind racing. “Last night, Melody was freaking out. Now this bitch in our room and Melody is gone? Doesn’t it all seem a little too coincidental?”
Adam’s hands clench into tight fists, every muscle in his arms popping as he growls, “Let me very clear to you all: if he’s done anything to her, I’mkillinghim.”
“There’ll be a line.” Kai stalks towards the door and punches the wooden door. It doesn’t break, but there’s definitely a heavy cracking noise. My eyes flinch closed and I just hope he didn’t break his fucking hand.
Kai opens the door and yells—aggressive as fuck, but I know it’s nothing compared to the roar I know he’s capable of. “GET LOUIS IN HERE NOW!”
“You bellowed?”Louis walks in lazily, completely devoid of worry.
Mistake number one.
It isn’t Kai or Adam that charges forward and pins him to the wall, smacking his head back against the wall. It’s Markus.
“Where is she?” he growls.
“What the hell, Markus?” Louis grabs Markus' arms and tries to pull out of his grasp, but Markus has youth and fury on his side. Instead of letting go, Markus digs in.
“Where. Is. She?” he snaps.
“Who? The blonde?” Louis says, feigning idiocy.
Mistake two.
Markus snaps his arm back and he punches Louis across the face. Once. Clean. Louis' head snaps to the side, and he holds his nose.
“If you make me ask you again, you’re not walking out of here.” Who the hell is this Markus and where’s he been? I don’t think I’ve ever seen him like this. My eyes drift to Adam and Kai, who also look like they’re barely holding back punches of their own.
Hell, I’ve got a few of my own I want to let free. I bet punching Louis felt really fucking good.
Louis narrows his gaze at Markus. “I assume you’re talking about the Sullivan girl. She came to me and said she had to leave.”
“Bullshit,” I snap.
“Really. She said someone came up to her and demanded to know when you all were free for another fuck. She ran into me—crying and pleading—to be taken to the hotel to pack her things, and then dropped off at the airport. She just kept saying she couldn’t handle it all. The groupies, the girls, the press, the stress. She just…decided it—you all—weren’t worth it.” Louis shrugs, like his words haven’t broken something in each of our chests.
Adam shakes his head, narrowing his eyes at Louis like he’s trying to lookthroughhim and see if his words are truthful. “I don’t buy it.”
“Why the fuck should we believe you, Louis?” Kai barks out, arms crossed and teeth bared.
“You don’t have to believe me.” Louis shoves Markus back, who’s still reeling from what we just heard, and roughly straightens his shirt. “Try calling her. Try looking her up. Try to contact her at all. She told me she was blocking you all as soonas she could, saying how she ‘didn’t want anyone to contact her ever again.’” Louis uses air quotes like a bitch and I force my hands into my pockets. Markus already got one hit in; any more and we could face some legal issues. Louis works for us, but obviously he’s not above betraying us to get ahead.
“Try her phone,” Markus snaps. I pull my phone out of my back pocket quickly, dialing her number.
Straight to voicemail.
Louis sighs a little in relief, but I’m too busy redialing like a maniac to notice.
“No,” I say softly, my world crashing around me.
She left…
She walked away…
Is this how she felt when we turned our backs on her all those years ago?
“No,” Adam echoes me. “No. There’s no way.” Markus steps back, looking at his phone and running a hand through his hair. He’s breaking down. We all are.
“She wouldn’t. Not after everything,” Kai agrees. They sound so determined, arguing with Louis as to why Melody wouldn’t just up and leave. No matter what her blocking us means. That she loves us, and we love her.
