Through the Dark | LT

Chapter 31

As Louis was about to sit down at the campfire, I softly spoke up. "Uh... C-Could we go sit on the beach?" I asked, and Louis smiled and agreed. We walked through the palm trees and found ourselves looking at the horizon; the sun was still down, but the moon was bright enough. I gently guided Louis towards the edge of the beach, and I sat down. The water softly ran through my feet as I took a deep breath, trying to relax.

"Megan. I'm seriously so proud of you." Louis said, smiling. I smiled faintly. "Thanks..." I mumbled, looking at my feet. I still wanted to relapse, but I knew that I wouldn't because Louis was here with me. Suddenly, Louis blurted, "Do you remember when we were kids, and we would prank all the other kids and always get in trouble?" His smile was wide as he remembered our toddler days. I smirked, vividly remembering the countless times that Louis and I would pull pranks and jokes. "Do you remember how we met?" Louis asked, a little bit more serious now. My mind was racing back to Primary School.

"Yeah. Didn't my family just move in next door to you guys and Johannah invited us over for dinner?" I asked, vaguely remembering the encounter. Louis laughed and replied, "Yeah... But what happened at dinner?" He asked me, trying his hardest to contain his laughter. It all came flooding back to me, and I smiled widely. "I accidentally sprayed the whipped cream onto my face because I didn't know which way the thingy pointed..." I began laughing as Louis laughed along with me. He added while laughing, "And then you grabbed a strawberry and acted like nothing happened, and you had whipped cream all over your face!" At this point, Louis and I were doubled over in laughter as we reminisced our days as toddlers. Our parents called us the 'Toddler Terrors', because we would always get into trouble.

Louis suddenly grabbed my hand and said, "I love seeing you genuinely laugh, Meg. Your smile is so beautiful, and you should use it more often." I blushed up at Louis. I looked him square in the eyes and began speaking to him.

"Louis... Ever since my brother started screwing things up, you've been such a positive influence on me. You truly are family to me, Louis. I wouldn't be here without you, honestly. You're such a huge inspiration to me, and you always motivate me. You really are a brother to me...Thanks." At this point, tears were slowly cascading down my cheeks. Louis pulled me into his chest and rocked me back and forth. "I'm glad I can help, Meg. I hate watching you go through this. You don't deserve it."

Louis and I sat on the beach together, laughing as we reminisced all the pranks and shenanigans we had gotten away with when we were younger. The sun began to rise up, illuminating the morning sky. I layed back in the sand, and my eyes began getting heavy. I fell asleep to the soothing sound of the waves coming in and out of the shore, and I heard Louis beginning to snore. We both fell asleep on the beach, not caring what the boys would say or do.

Louis' eyes had a sparkle of pride and shock in them when I talked to him in his room this morning. He was proud of me because I made myself vulnerable, and he knew I hated that more than anything else.