Misadventure

57

Louis' POV

My decision to visit Will was a bad one.

That shot of heroin my first night there four days ago, reopened a door. And it was a door I had put blood, sweat, and tears into closing.

Will would offer me more heroin while I was already high, and in my altered state, I would say yes.

As I woke up now, I felt more disoriented than ever before. The basement had no windows. I didn't have a clue if it was morning, afternoon, or night. Hell, I didn't even know what day it currently was.

I was dangling halfway off the couch, my right arm and leg cramped in an awkward position on the cement floor. I sat the rest of the way up, blinking slowly.

Fuck. My head was throbbing. There were empty vodka bottles everywhere.

How much did I drink?

I heard the wooden staircase creak as Will came down. His steps echoed. I winced at the loud sound. My head ached in complaint.

"Morning, Sunshine." He called down to me. There were two Bloody-Mary's in his hands.

"Thank fuck," was the first thing I said to him. I was on my feet before he was even all the way over to the couch. I grabbed one of the cups, chugging it. "That tastes god awful."

"I know. You'll feel good as new soon, though."

"Do you know where my phone is?" I asked. I stretched my sore arm across my chest. It crackled and popped. I regretted passing out in such an uncomfortable position last night.

At least, I was pretty sure it was last night.

"Haven't seen it," Will answered.

"Can I use yours then?" I asked. "I need to call Harry."

"I don't think he's right for you, Louis."

I rolled my eyes. It didn't help the hangover-induced vertigo I was currently plagued with. "Good thing I didn't ask you."

Will frowned. He set his hand on the small of my back. "I think you deserve to be with someone who doesn't make you change who you are."

"Doing heroin isn't who I am. It's something I do, and it's something I'm not proud of, but it doesn't define me as a person." Even saying this out loud, I wasn't sure if I believed myself or not.

"It's who I am," Will said. "And I think deep down we both know it's who you are too. That doesn't have to be a bad thing."

"Are you insane?" I inched further away from him. My arms automatically crossed protectively in front of my chest. "I don't want to die. I don't want you to die."

He shrugged. "Nobody makes it out of life alive. I say, enjoy yourself while you still can."

"I don't want either of us to die, Will. Take a bloody look around." We were sitting alone in a dark, disgusting basement, because we were too strung out and hungover to see daylight without our eyes burning. There were empty bottles and cans everywhere. Fuck, there was even a lighter and a spoon stashed between the cushions of this very couch.

"If you don't like it, fucking leave," Will slurred. We were both more than a little drunk.

"I'm not driving like this," I told him.

He only rolled his eyes. "I'll drive you then. Pussy."

"No fucking chance. You'd get us both killed."