Louis POV
••••
"Hey man, thanks for meeting up." Niall grabbed my hand and brought me into a quick hug, backing off just as quick as if afraid I'd snap in half. "I've missed you."
I slowly slid into the seat across from him, already ready for this to be over with. My mind already running on worries of what was going on at home.
So much so that my legs barely touched the leather of the booth before I was starting to raise again, "Niall I just.."
"Please sit down."
"I don't understand why we can't.."
"Just a few minutes, Louis. That's all. I just want to see you."
I frustratingly rubbed my face, "You can—"
"See you at the house, I know!" He interrupted again, "Sit down, dude. Seriously. Do you hear yourself? You need out of that house, you're going crazy. Sit down."
I pursed my lips, eyes flickering toward the door for several seconds before painfully forcing myself down into the seat.
He smiled, satisfied. "Fresh air does you good."
"We're inside, idiot."
He shrugged, drumming his fingers against the table. "There's a breeze that comes through every now and then when the door opens."
A waitress suddenly appeared. "I see our party has arrived. Can I get y'all started off with anything to drink?"
"Dr. Pepper," Niall said.
They both looked at me.
"A water, please."
My friend immediately waved me off, looking up at her, and speaking for me as if I was one of his dependents, "He'll have a Tito's Punch."
"Niall," I snapped, mostly out of surprise.
Of all the things I had to worry about right now, the last thing I needed was something as stupid as alcohol getting in the way.
I actually felt insulted.
"You're tense. It'll take the edge off."
"We're at Chili's."
"You used to love their Tito's."
Her pen still frozen in the air, I focused on the waitress again and reiterated, "Water."
"Margarita?" He hedged.
After the look on my face, he rolled his eyes, "Fine, root beer."
I didn't immediately protest, and the waitress forced a smile, saying she'd have it right out, before leaving our table at a different rate than when she came.
"I'm just trying to get you out of this mindset that you have to cut good things out of your life in order to prove something."
My lips inched up, "Niall, just because I don't want to get drunk at 3 in the afternoon doesn't mean I'm trying to prove something."
"What does not leaving your house mean?"
"It means I have a family I need to watch over because I have a lunatic living in the guest room."
"What about not picking up the phone when your best friend calls?"
"I don't.." I sighed, allowing my words to disappear into the air between us. "I don't know."
