Keep Me Safe (Sequel to Take Me Home)

Chapter Nineteen

But then he heard hushed voices in the kitchen and he glanced over at Harry, who nodded at him. He sighed.

He knew he had a problem. Maybe it wasn't a huge one, but he wasn't stupid. He knew it wasn't right, what he was doing. It wasn't right how whenever things got stressful, or he felt sad or angry or lonely, the first thing he remembered was how it felt to be drunk. He knew he had to be honest with his Dads, even if it did get him into trouble.

He chewed his lip and stepped into the kitchen alone, his older brother disappearing upstairs. His Dad had his back to him, but it was clear he'd only just gotten back from work. Papa looked serious, and he wondered if he should come back later when the man noticed him and forced a smile.

"Hey, Loubear. Good day?" he asked, cheerily enough. Louis swallowed as his Dad turned to face him as well, giving a small nod.

"Um, yeah, it was okay..." he trailed off, remembering what had happened at break time with Niall being sick. "Is Ni alright?"

Papa nodded. "Fast asleep. I think he's been stressing himself out, he needs to give himself a break."

Louis chewed his lip and his Dad frowned at him.

"Everything okay with you, Lou?" he asked, looking curious.

Louis swallowed. Was he really going to be truthful to them? Was he really going to get himself into the most trouble he'd ever been in in his entire life?

He shook his head and sat at the counter, looking down at his hands in his lap as he tried to think of the right thing to say. "I...I did something bad. And you're gonna be mad at me," he mumbled, trying to ignore how his parents were closing in on him, looking concerned.

He felt his Dad's hand on his shoulder, his Papa sitting on the stool beside him. "What do you mean? What did you do?" Liam asked, sounding worried.

He chewed his lip, looking up with tears in his eyes. He had spent so long trying to convince everyone he wasn't a baby, yet here he was crying again. "I went to another party," he said quickly, just wanting to get it out. "And I got drunk again. And I smoked. Twice."

It went silent then, and Louis waited for the yelling to start, heart pounding against his ribcage because it had all tumbled out in one panicked rush and now there was no going back. It was the middle of October, he couldn't exactly yell 'April Fools' and leave it at that.

He glanced at his parents as they both frowned, trying to read their expressions. He had expected pure anger, not this. He wanted them to shout and get it over with.

"Jesus, Lou," his Dad said finally, turning around and holding a hand against his forehead in the way that Louis knew meant he was stressed. He chewed his lip, feeling the disappointment radiating off of the man.

Papa remained stiff, frowning and shaking his head. "Why?"

Louis shrugged slightly, not knowing how to answer. "I don't know," he murmured, and he saw the two men exchange glances.

"You do know, Lou," Dad said, and he didn't sound angry, he just sounded...fed up. Somehow that was worse.

He felt himself getting choked up. "You're getting sick of me, aren't you?" he asked, sniffling as tears began to run over his cheeks.

Dad sighed and wrapped his arms around him, taking the twelve year old by surprise as he allowed himself to melt into his father's embrace, sniffing and trying to dry his cheeks.

"I-I didn't listen to you guys and I messed up, y-you're meant to yell at me," he said, shaking his head.

Papa pinched the bridge of his nose. "We're not gonna...you know what you did was wrong, but we're worried, okay? Do you - do you think you might have a problem?" he asked, hesitantly.