Terrible Habits

Drowning in Bottles.

Luke

I don't know why it even entered my mind to offer her a ride home, it should have been the last thing on my mind, at least I had wanted it to be.

I didn't recognize her when we picked her up from the street the previous night. It was a Thursday at three in the morning, I wasn't expecting much that night during our patrol. I definitely wasn't expecting to have to deal with an overly intoxicated woman, stumbling and slurring her words as she made her way down the street. She was alone, that's what pissed me off. She was already risking danger being obliterated drunk and then on top of that she was venturing into a terrible neighborhood alone.

It wasn't until I saw her license that I made the connection and I wish that I hadn't because now that I knew her, a part of me wanted to let her go. I didn't need the firm hand of the Maloney's to come down upon our small precinct, which I guessed is exactly what would have happened if we arrested her. She was still pissed out of her mind when we brought her in, could barely stand when I was filing her paperwork. The whole time I didn't want to even look at her, memories of her family flashed into my head as I struggled to fill out the forms as fast as I could so I could get the hell away. And that's what I was about to do, before she started crying.

I think what caught my attention more was the fact that she didn't make a production out of it. She didn't throw a temper tantrum, demand for a phone call, or even start sobbing.

No, what caught my attention was the small tear that escaped when she thought that no one was looking. That's what made me look at her.

"Would you like your phone call now?" I asked, trying to break away my gaze.

Once she noticed that she was being addressed, she wiped the small tear that fell away and declined with the small sentence. "I don't have anyone worth calling."

And I hated myself that I felt pity for her, but I did. Because technically, she had never wronged me, it was only her family and that was something that I couldn't hold against her, at least not anymore.

And I guess that was the reason that I offered her a ride, because I knew that no one was coming for her and I couldn't watch another tear fall from those blue ocean eyes again, no matter what the reason was.

I put my car in park outside of my apartment building and debate not going in. I turn off the car and watch the raindrops splash against the windshield. Finally, fatigue winning out, I pull my bag from the back seat and climb out of the car and into my dilapidated apartment.

I swing the door open to find Jay ass up on our couch. I roll my eyes, slamming the door and he shoots his head up.

"Shit," he mutters, pulling his pants back on, revealing the embarrassed girl underneath him.

"I thought you said we wouldn't expect company," she says as she pulled her clothes back on. When she looks at me the realization hit her face. "He's a cop?"

I don't know why people were always amazed to see a cop in their uniform, but they are.

"Luke, this is Lauren, Lauren, Luke," Jay smiles throwing a shirt on, not as embarrassed as his guest apparently is.

I nod in her direction but I am too damn tired for Jay to pull me into his escape.

"Right, so like I said, my roommates back so you should probably get going..." I hear him say as I open the fridge and pull out the gallon of milk.