Therapy || l.t.

Chapter 7: Jobs

Chapter 7: Jobs

After a lot of check-ups to make sure I'm okay and am not gonna have a mental breakdown again, they hand me some medication and tell me that I'm ready to leave, but that I shouldn't walk around too much due to my ribs. They also didn't want me to do any lifting. I think their requests are quite reasonable, especially considering that I don't want to do any of that stuff myself.

"Thank you for staying with me through all of that nonsense," I say a bit embarrassed. I don't know how I let everything come to this. I thought I had a better conscious.

"What? You don't think I'm leave now do you?" Louis asks upon giving me a toothy grin. He has an inviting smile.

"I really think I just want to rest," I tell him.

"I know. You can take my bed," he offers.

"What do you mean?" I ask him. He doesn't think I'm going to his place does he? Blake would for sure not take me back if he found out.

"Just until you're better, I would like for you to stay with me. You need someone to take care of you and the doctors say I'm the only one that showed up for you. I'd like to think it's because part of you just wanted to see me, but I know it's probably because you had no one to turn to," he explains. I know he's right, but part of me is telling me that I shouldn't. Since when have I ever listened to the rational part of me though?

"Okay," I reply giving in to the stupidity that's clouding my judgment. I don't want to be alone and right now this seems to be my best solution.

"Okay?" Louis asks, obviously surprised about my easy compromise. I'm not sure why though.

"Yeah," I reply, wincing as I walk.

"Here, let me help," Louis says as he hurries over to me. He wraps his arm around my waist, allowing me to support myself on him. I'm thankful for his offer, smiling at him to say what I can't. I'm finding myself wanting to be around this boy more and more, but I know that it's just the loneliness speaking.

"Why are we stopping?" I ask as he stops walking in front of a car. It's black and sleek, definitely new paint, but an older car.

"Well, my mate loaned me his car. I had a feeling I'd need it," he says a bit nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. He must have had assumptions and it makes me wonder more about his friend who needed help just like me.

"Thank you for everything Louis," I say, leaning over and pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. Startled at my actions and terrified, I hurry around to the passenger side. Why would I kiss his cheek like that? I barely know him. Why am I acting so found of him? It makes no sense.

Blake is going to lose his shit. I can't lose him, I can't, but I know he's no good for me. I need to get out of the frame of mine that he's what I need. It's not that easy though. He was all I knew for so long and I've never really seen how normal people are supposed to act. I've grown up in a house consumed by the abuse my father distributed and then moved away with whom I thought was "perfect" but turned out to be just as bad. It's a weird world in being thrown in to and I'm not sure how to handle it.

Louis coughs upon getting into the car obviously trying to recover from his surprise. I blush and look away, not wanting to make a big deal out of it even though it is one. I just don't know how to show my gratitude in other ways besides something intimate due to what Blake had come to expect to me. That wasn't that intimate, but as intimate as it had ever gotten with somebody who wasn't Blake.

"Let's head back then yeah?" He says clearling his throat. He's obviously not used to open affection and I suddenly feel even more self conscious. Damn. I'm stupid.

The drive back to his place seems so foreign yet familiar. He's only brought me there once, but it seems to bring security to me and I'm not sure why. Why would someone who's nearly a stranger mean so much to me? Why am I staying at his place? He could be a potential serial killer.

Not like I haven't dealt with something similar.

Eventually, he's parking and I see his familiar bike, me falling in love with it more. This one blows Blake's right out of proportion. If I could marry an intimate object, it'd be his bike.

"Shall we go inside?" He asks upon parking. I just nod, following his lead and getting out of the vehicle. I struggle to breathe as I walk, limping as well. I try to clutch my stomach but being the clutse that I happen to be, I use the one that has my fractured wrist causing me to curse. Louis seems to notice my distress so he offers to help again taking position next to me like he did before.  I lean in to him, glad to be able to depend on someone for once but skeptical at the same time.

We climb up the stairs to his place. My heart nearly leaps when I see the number that is framed above his door, 8Y. It's a huge complex area. He uses his keys and opens the door. I'm surprised to see it exactly the way that it was when I left. The blanket I used is still on the couch, our bowls from breakfast the other day are in the sink. Why hasn't he cleaned? Does he have a job that I don't know about?

"I think I'm gonna lie down for a bit. Thank you," I say. A blush rises to my cheeks at the memory of the last time I said that to him not so long ago. I just can't explain to him how greatful I am.

"Stop thanking me. I'm glad to help. Now let's get you to bed," Louis says already heading down the hall. I want to object and tell him that I'd rather have the couch, but I'm afraid of what will happen if I do. He opens a door at the end of the hall and I'm surprised by it's feminine decor. The duvet is a deep blue with a moon and stars dancing around it. His pillows are just plain white. He has a shoe rack in the corner, something only half way full. A black dresser is in front of his bed with a flat screen attatched to the wall. Many quotes with inspirational messages frame the walls. What makes Louis, him?

Slowly, he helps me to his bed. He then proceeds to go towards his dresser as I sit down. I slip off my shoes, not liking the constricting material of my jeans, but I have a feeling Louis is going to loan me clothes again. As if on cue, he comes back towards me with a pair of black sweats and black tee. He's about to leave the room, but I stop him.

"Louis?" I ask.

"Hmm?"

"What do you do as a job?" I ask. He seems taken a back by my question. If I'm going to be staying with him, I might as well get to know the bloke.

"Oh uh. I actually work at a tattoo parlor. I'm a manager there and I guess you could say I'm pretty close with the owner," he replies rubbing the back of his neck. I watch him, not expecting that answer.

"Oh? You'll have to show me some of your work," I recognize. I love tattoos, but Blake would never let me receive one. He liked my innocent look. I'm sick of it.

"I'd love to. What do you do?" He asks, staring at me from the door way.

"Oh. Blake never let me get a job. He uh he didn't do well with me being around other people," I explain.

"Oh. I'd like to talk to you about that... situation when you're ready," he says. I nod. I can't hide Blake from him anymore even though I never really got the chance to. Blake snapped and my world exploded.

"I have some questions for you too," I tell him.

"Well, how about you get some rest then we'll talk," he smiles.

"Okay."

~~
A/N: abrupt ending and I'm so sorry. Everything is going to start coming in to play though finally! I hope you're as excited as me. I love those of you who are reading this still and voting car that Louis drove is attached. Any guesses whom it belongs to?

Alex xx