Second Chance In Love (Liam Payne x Dr. Mike)

Chapter 17: Beach Day

"Alright, everyone, who's ready to get wet!" Janice said, adrenaline coursing to her body. 

The guys yelled, "We are!" Janice looked and notice that two persons are missing... Mike and the guy named Richard. She asked Nash, who was preparing the grill. He responds that one of his guards saw them heading out early to jog, yet he hasn't seen them get back. Janice nodded and head towards the table, where Zedd and Althea are preparing the barbeque.

"Hey, mind if I help you, Althea?" She asks grabbing a barbeque stick. Althea happily smiled and let her sit beside her. As they prepare the barbeque, Liam helps Shawn and Charlie set up the shade, while Nash and Arfeah fuel the grill. Nash's Parents were watching them from afar, the old man holding an umbrella to shade his wife. As the group set up everything, the men that they were waiting for finally arrived, sweaty.

"Richie, really. You didn't even wake me up to jog with you.  ugh, the betrayal" Taron responded, a bit annoyed from being left out by his friend. 

"For the record, I did wake you up... several times actually"Richard replied, remembering how many times he woke his friend up to jog with him but the man just growl in disagree, and turn to the other side, away from the Scottish man. Taron remembered it and thought it was a dream. He was surprised and said sorry to his friend, followed by persuading the man to try harder next time which just made him raise his eyebrow. Questioning if tasering him awake would suffice? He nervously laughed and stated that just stick to his usual methods. Smiling adorably and suggesting the man change because he can smell the stench.

"Alright, alright I'm going" Richard responded, heading inside to change, with a non-amused face at his friend.

________

Mike walks towards the trio setting up the sunshade, specifically Liam, who is at the top of the ladder. After teaching the sufficient distance, he grabbed the man's attention, only to ask him to hold the ladder. He acts in accordance and the man finishes binding securely the last part. He heads down and thank the doctor for the support, followed by questioning what he was about to say before being interrupted by him asking for help. "I just want to say sorry if you woke up from my alarm"The doctor apologizes sincerely, like what he did was so serious, which made Liam query if he's alright? 

"Yeah, why?" The doctor asks confused by his friend's remark, remembering way back when the two had a sleepover that he was annoyed when his alarm was always too early for the pop star. 

"If you're thinking about me when we had that sleepover, things have changed alright You don't have to apologize for something so small like leaving your alarm" Liam replied. Mike nodded and laugh thinking about it. Liam excuse himself and told the doctor he should probably shower. "Really, you too" The doctor remark unenthusiastic but proceed inside anyway.

As Mike heads inside, he questioned himself why he feels so obligated to apologize, true, leaving his alarm and waking his friend early he guess is kinda bad, slightly. Yet confronting the man like he killed someone is bound to question anyone. 

'because I care about him... As a friend, nothing more.' 

Mike was heading to his room when he notice that Alex, had just headed inside Althea's room while his friend is at the shore. At first, Mike assumed that maybe she just asked the kid to grab something for her, but that changed when he heard a loud bang that came from her room. The doctor's interest grew and proceed to confront him, ask why he was in Althea's room? 

After reaching the door, he notices the kid is on the floor, holding a phone, still ringing. Mike guesses that the loud bang was him, stepping on one of Althea's bags, losing balance, and eventually dropping on the floor. She still hasn't changed, always dropping her handbag on the floor like always. The doctor proceed inside and help Alex get up, followed by asking him why he entered her room?

"Sorry, Althea left her phone in the living room and I planned to return it to her, "Alex respond, further elaborating that her door was unlocked, which made him assume she was inside. Once realizing she wasn't the phone rang and he step on something that made him lose his balance and fall. 

Mike grabbed the phone, and read who it was... His husband it seems. As soon as the doctor was going to pick it up, it went straight to voice mail.

"Where are you Althea, You haven't responded to any of my texts and calls. This restaurant isn't going to work itself. and don't forget about our agreement, we're not separating unless you give me the 3 million dollars." 

Mike listened to everything before hearing the beep again, eventually ending the voice mail. He has so many questions and not enough answers. He thanked Alex for bringing the phone and the two head out closing the door.

He looks at it, seeing Althea and her husband as the wallpaper. He got to admit, he never really knew the man, but he can't jump to conclusions that easily, he needs an answer. Is this what's been bothering her all this time? 

_______

After everything is set, the gang is ready to have a wonderful time, heat enough to irritate anyone who didn't use sunscreen. The girls were enjoying the view as they talk about anything to pass the time, while Zedd, Liam, Nash, Charlie, Nash, and Taron are playing volleyball. Richard just finish showering and now headed downstairs to join the other only to be interrupted by a calling of his name from the hallway. He turns around and spots the person he jog with, the doctor that blasted water from his nose due to his stupid comeback.

"Hey, Mike" Richard responds raising his hand to greet the doctor.

Mike smiled and ask him if he was heading out with the others and the Scottish man nodded, walking with the same speed as him. Finally reaching the others who seem to be tired already judging by their faces

"Mike, Richard you guys wanna play? Liam tapped out" Nash ask raising his hand to notify the two. Richard nodded and ask the doctor but he, on the other hand, turn down, responding that he'll need to talk to his friend Althea real quick. He waves at them before heading towards the girls, specifically his target, who's currently having a massage on her back.

"Althea, can I talk to you for a sec?" The doctor asks, waiting for his friend's response. Althea sighed, asking if it can wait? "No." She grabs her towel, thanked the woman for her service, and proceed to occupy an empty seat near them. Mike grabs a vacant chair and faces his friend, who has been lying to him all this time.

"So, Dr. Mikehail, what is it that you want to talk about?" She asks giving little to no seriousness at all. He hands him her phone and played the voicemail. Further adding that she should lock her phone. She listens to it, and her face quickly changes, the glowing face is changed with shock and shame.

"You look through my phone, how dare you" She responds, furiously pulling her phone from the doctor's grasp, hating her secrets out.

Mile asks her why she kept this to him, he could have helped her, he thought they were friends, who share mostly everything. "Not everything wants help, Mike, just the courage is enough" She responds looking at him, serious.

"You can't fix this alright. You don't even have the right to be involved. This is between me, my husband... My family" She stands up and walks away. Mike wanted to follow her but figures she needs space. And he questioned if facing the problem head-on was a good idea? knowing that it's not his place to intervein between marriage problem of his friend... Right?

The doctor head back to the area, noticing that everyone is at the water, enjoying the cold clear ocean, yet Althea is nowhere near to be found.

As he continued to observe them, he didn't realize that someone was walking in the same direction as he is and accidentally bumping him and dropping the plate with a slice of cake on the sandy beach.

Liam

"My cake" Liam responds looking at his chocolate cake, now sprinkled with sand. Mike apologizes grabbing the plate putting the cake back and handing it to him. "I hope you're not expecting me to eat that ." The musician responded, pointing at the food on the plate, covered with sand.

Mike giggled and said that he wasn't paying attention. Liam then proceeds to ask if everything is alright? He seems to be more distracted than usual. Mike didn't know about the man's comment about him being distracted but he decided to not make things longer.

"I think I mess up."