An Eye for an Eye **LT**

Chapter 26

Cecilia's POV-

My eyes fluttered open, revealing the darkness of the room around me. It was rare that I ever woke up before daylight, but the nightlike tenebrosity made it easy to tell that it was definitely not time to be awake yet.

It took me a few seconds to blink away the overwhelming tiredness before I could even get my brain to work and try to figure out why I was suddenly not asleep. The only times I ever woke up in the middle of the night was when Jacob would come late to my apartment. I was a generally a pretty deep sleeper, but there had been occasions I'd somehow woken up to nearly inaudible noises. 

Right now, I was facing the wall, just like how I usually did. Hesitantly, I shifted my foot back behind me to see if I could feel Louis' leg, but my foot kept going further back-only the cold fabric of the against it. A little concerned, I quickly sat up, looking on Louis' side of the bed. But his spot was empty. The sheets were messily thrown forward, bunched together around where his knees would be.

My heart began to race. In fact it was beating so loud, I could nearly hear it. Trying to calm myself down, I tossed the sheets down to the end of the bed, leaping out and stumbling to the door in the darkness. I tried to be quiet while opening it, careful that it wouldn't squeak like it always did when it was about halfway open.

"Louis?" I hissed as I stepped out into the tiny hallway, only to not get an answer. 

I fast walked into the main living area, looking around. There was a strong smell of beer, but I wasn't sure how recent it was. For all I knew it could have been from when we had gotten home from the club tonight.

But as my eyes fell on the table, which seemed to be a shadow in the darkness, I noticed several empty bottles just sitting there. There had to be about 5 of them, and I knew for a fact those were definitely not there when we went to bed.

Getting a little more concerned, I ran to the window and yanked back the curtains, peering out into the dark parking lot which was only lit by a single street light. Louis' car was still here, parked where he always did. At least I knew he didn't go anywhere, or not by car, anyways.

Oh, gawd, I hope he didn't go for a walk drunk by himself...I really didn't want to have to go looking for him out there alone in the haunting night outdoors.

I dropped the curtain and took a deep breath.

Where the hell was he?

I was about to grab the apartment key and go outside when I heard a noise that sounded like a bottle falling to the floor. It broke the silence of the dark room in such a way that I literally jumped before whizzing around. 

The bathroom.

Desperately, I ran back toward the hall, stopping at the bathroom door. Pressing my ear against the wood, I listened closely.

I thought I wasn't hearing correctly, because it sounded like someone faintly crying on the other side. I didn't want to just burst in if he had to take a midnight shit, but I was also genuinely concerned. Pushing past my fear, I twisted the doorknob, letting myself inside the room.

But I think what I saw was probably the last thing I expected.

There he was, in the empty bathtub with his arms hanging over the edge and a bottle of beer on the floor right under his fingers, along with several other empty bottle strewn around. I guess that was the noise I had heard, it falling from his grip. He appeared to be almost, if not completely passed out. His hair was falling over his eyes, which were shut loosely over his blue irises.

"Louis" I went over and dropped down in front of the tub beside him, pressing my fingers to his temple to see if I could feel a pulse.

When I felt the beating, I let out a sigh of relief and pushed back his hair. I never had to deal with a situation like this before. The only drunk person I'd been around was Jacob, but he had never passed out. Are you supposed to wake someone up or let them sleep it off?