Falling (l.h.)

Chapter 56

So so sorry for the long wait, I've been trying to bring my grades up a couple points in school so the updating has been so slow and I'm still having my laptop problems, but I've figured out an alternative, so hopefully I will have chapters up quickly again.

Luke's POV

"Nothing, we were talking about what we're getting you for your birthday," my mom answered for me.

"Aw, you don't have to get me anything," she shook her head smiling.

"I want to darling," she said and Bri blushed.

"Is our table ready?" I asked Bri, trying to get us both out of this situation.

"Yeah," she replied and I grabbed her hand as I followed her out to the table.

We sat down somewhere near the back, and thanks to my mom, it didn't take long to get the food. If it weren't for my mom's on the spot thinking, I'd be walking on thin ice with Bri right now, but her mood seemed to be even better than when we arrived and I'm thinking it had to do with the fact that she believes I remembered her birthday.

I decided that I didn't want to ruin her cheerful mood and our first real date together since I came home, so I chose not to bring up her nightmare and her fear of history repeating itself, even if the thoughts in my head are eating away at me, terrified of what she really means.

I always do this to myself; I drive myself crazy over something, thinking something out of nothing. My mind goes into full speed and I can't stop it, and I usually end up thinking of the worst case scenario, and right now, that's what was happening.

Bri's POV

I walked into the kitchen to get Luke and tell him that our table was ready and we could sit, but I overheard him say that I cannot know about something, so obviously I was going to ask.

I was growing nervous though, but Liz brushed my fears away when she informed me they were just discussing what to get me for my birthday, which by the way, is in two weeks.

I really would've thought Luke forgot, but I wouldn't blame him. I told him so long ago and to be honest, I don't even remember his. Plus, with all that's been going on recently, I didn't even expect him to be home for it, so I was planning on going back to America for the weekend, but I guess I'll be staying here, unless he wants to come back with me...

Luke and I made very little conversation during breakfast, his mind seemed to be wondering somewhere else, but I didn't mind. He looked so cute when he knitted his eyebrows together, or played with his lips with his fingers.

Eventually, he snapped out of it.

"So what did you do while I was gone? I want to hear everything," he asked.

I giggled slightly, before telling him everything. I told him how I started off the first couple of days not really doing much of anything at all, just moping around the empty apartment, skipping classes and calling in sick to work, but Kristina came and made me stay back in the dorm for a couple weeks.

I told him how I started going to the gym with Cat and taking on extra shifts at work because without him, I needed more money for the bills when they came, plus it kept me busy.

I told him how I went apartment shopping with the boys, but wasn't there when they made a decision. They took me along because they had no idea what was a good price and what was a good sized place, plus they also knew I was trying to keep busy.

I basically told him everything, because every time I stopped, he told me to keep going, so I did.

I asked him about the things he did at rehab, but he didn't really tell me much. He seemed sort of embarrassed and ashamed of it, but I was really proud of him. He went for help without anyone telling him to, he went for help without having anyone tell him that he was getting out of hand again. He knew he was once again losing his battle with alcohol, and he asked for help.

I honestly admire him a lot for that, because I didn't have the courage or strength to ask for help when I needed it. Of course the circumstances were different, but the soul cause was all the same.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked me, breaking me from my now wandering brain.

"Yeah," I nodded. "We're both a little out of it today."

He laughed and nodded. "Let's go."

We both got up and went back to the apartment. We immediately got into bed and fell back asleep.

*

"Are you ready to go back to classes?" I asked him as we lay in bed, him drawing small circles on my arm with his thumb.

"Yeah, I might need to take some extra time and talk to all the professors because I'm definitely too far behind for me to pass anything," he replied. "How was history without me?"

"Terribly boring, I didn't have anybody to pass notes with or crack a joke with," I pouted.

"Aw poor baby," he joked, smiling.

I nodded before kissing him. He smiled into the kiss, which made me smile. I love this boy so much.

"So, I hate to ruin this beautiful moment and everything, but..." Luke started and my stomach dropped.

"But what?" I asked nervously.

"You were talking in your sleep this morning, like right before I woke you up from your nightmare," he told me.

"Yeah, so?" I asked, not understanding why it mattered.

"Are you scared of me?" he asked softly, almost as if he were hurt.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"I heard you say 'You're going to drink and drink until you get liver cancer and die, is that what you want?' and 'You're nothing but a fucking drunk'. Is that what you think of me?" he asked, his voice coming out as nothing more than a whisper and a tear ran down his face.

"Luke, I don't think of you that way, you are stronger than that, you got help and you conquered your demons," I said, wiping the tear from his beautiful face. "That nightmare wasn't about you."

"Who was it about then?" he asked.

This is the conversation I have been dreading for years. Talking to someone who had no idea what happened, I'd have to tell the whole story.

"My father," I admitted. "He was an alcoholic his whole life, he went to rehab after he found out that my mother was pregnant so he could try and be a good father, but he dropped out and couldn't stay away from the temptations and he was always drunk. My entire life. That nightmare was a flashback to the night before he was diagnosed with liver cancer and he died a couple months later." Now, it was my turn to cry.

Luke stayed silent, instead of saying sorry he pulled me into his chest and kissed my head, rubbing my back as I cried into his chest.

Even though he wasn't much, he was still my father.

Are you surprised by Bri's confession to Luke, or have you been expecting it for a while?

Vote and comment :)

I love you guys so much!

Twitter: @sillystringluke