ONE TEMPTATION || [L.P]

Drunk Words, Sober Thoughts

(aprils pov)

Tears swell in my eyes, looking up at him. He holds out a hand helping my shaken self up. He immediately wraps me into his embrace. I look down at Dylan, an unconscious body on the ground, my hand slaps over my mouth an audible gasp with it. "Let's get back to the hotel," Liam says to me as he walks me out into the crowded streets once again, his arm slung around my shoulders.

After a silent walk back to the hotel, we were finally in the elevator on the way up to the floor my room was located on. Shakily, i reached into my pocket and got the keycard out, tapping it on the door and letting both of us in. Immediately i crash on the bed, "I thought he was different, he told me he was better." Tears now streaming down my face. Liam ran and sat beside me, comforting me as i sobbed. I turned my head into his neck, tears streaming.

(Liams pov)
I could feel the wet spot expanding on my shirt as her salty tears absorbed into the material. I place my hand on her back, tracing it up and down in an attempt to soothe her. Once settled and not so shook up, I asked the question i've been dying to ask, "Who was that?" It was obviously not some stranger considering when we got in here she began speaking her thoughts, 'i thought he was different he told me he was better.' Who?

"My ex."

I glance down at her as those words leave her mouth. She sits up straight, crossing both her arms across her body and rubbing her thumbs up and down her forearms as a small mechanism to keep her feeling okay. I wait for her to continue, not planning on rushing her into anything, of course.

"He-" She began but stopped to take a breath. "Abused me." She spat it out, words she clearly never wanted to say, something she didn't want to admit, something she didn't want to admit to herself.

Now it makes sense. Lost for words, I sit in silence. We both sit in a not awkward but oddly comforting silence, just enjoying each other's company right now, she really needs it. I notice her right hand moving further up her forearm and towards her shoulder, the scar. It all comes back to me, that day on the beach, the day she ran off. He did that. Even now I was feeling a wave of sudden emotion, the realisation hitting. Tracing myself back to reality, I talk, "It's okay, he's gone now, you're safe." I look into her eyes and gently rest my hand onto her outer thigh, feeding her the reassurance she needed right now. She shut her eyes and nodded in agreement, feeling safe knowing i was here with her.
A thought crosses my head, "I'll stay here tonight, okay?"

The next day

11:06am

"April we've got soundcheck we need to leave," I shake her slightly, awakening her from her slumber. She seems so drained, the memories of Dylan hitting her, and guilt from trusting him. She didn't know any better it's not her fault. Rubbing her eyes awake, she finally sits up. I toss an outfit on the bed that i had found in her suitcase when i got bored while she was sleeping, "Here, now change sleepyhead," I joke the last part as i walk to the door, "Meet us in the lobby in 15 minutes!" I alert before leaving the room and entering the elevator.

15 minutes later

Our group hangs out in the lobby as the elevator dings. I watch as April abandons the elevator and joins the rest of us. She's wearing the cargos and cropped tank i picked for her, an added tote bag she brings everywhere. Feeling my charger in my pocket i ask, "Can i put my charger in your bag?" "Yeah here, i'm gonna go talk to Nora for a minute, be back!" She passes me her bag and walks on ahead, meeting Nora. I pull apart both handles of the bag, looking inside and placing my charger in. I see all of her 'essentials' she claims she needs, perfume, lip gloss, phone charger, money... The list goes on, but, all of a sudden i notice an extra item, cigarettes? She never carries cigarettes anywhere, especially her own. Yeah she's smoked, but it's usually off someone else, she would never carry her own packet. Even if she did, why would she have them at this time of morning, going to soundcheck? I didn't question but instead give her the bag back as we all set off into the buses, heading to the stadium to prepare for tonight's showcase.

I'll be honest, during soundcheck the boys and i usually have a couple beers, but April? She never would. I mean never, ever. But somethings changed today. I walked by her backstage, she was carrying a beer? Again, i didn't question, just observed. By the end of soundcheck, she was honestly a little...drunk?

"April, are you okay?"

"What? Pff yeah i'm fine." She takes out the packet of cigarettes from earlier, loads missing.

"You've used, all them?"

"Yeah? Big deal." She rolls her eyes.

"April, what's going on, this isn't like you."

"So i'm not allowed to have fun anymore?"

"That's not what i'm sayin-"

"It is! I do one thing different and it's like the whole world's changed. I just needed a little, distraction, that's all" She speaks her drunken words.

"April, you're not okay and we can talk about it. You need to stop this."

She ignores me and takes a swig of her beer. I snatch it out of her hand, setting it aside.

"God, you're so controlling."

"I'm helping you, April. I know your frustrated and putting all this guilt on yourself but eventually it's just gonna build up and your gonna-"

"You're not helping! You never have! You come along and 'save' me once, where were you the other times? Not there. I was the only one there, having to save myself. Me. Not you. You helped me once and you think you know it all? That's not how it works. You're just like him."

Drunk words, sober thoughts.