Forced

24 - Ruins

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. ~Martin Luther King Jr.

Luke's POV

When I woke up I groggily looked around my bedroom and could see Ivan pacing back and forth. When he realized I was awake I could see his temper growing.

"You idiot!" He snarled as his hand flew across my face. "You had a sold out concert, what happened to you!? Were you so drunk you couldn't stand up!?"

"I didn't drink at all!" I snapped back.

"Then what the hell happened! The boys had to perform without you. They're outside in the living room, and I'm sure they're just as mad as I am!" Ivan yelled.

"I can't help my health!" I hollered back.

"Oo, I swear I just want to beat you senseless!" Ivan screamed.

"Bite me Ivan!" I yelled back. "This is your fault anyways! Sure Luke, take a drink! It'll make the pain go away, but you'll become a pain in everyone's damn ass!"

"You were always a pain in the ass!" Ivan yelled.

"Then why the hell did you sign me!?" I snapped.

"Because I needed you!" Ivan yelled.

"Well good luck without me then! This is such and utter stupidity! I'm not putting up with this!" I yelled back. I stood up from the bed, feeling quite woozy but managing my way to the door.

"So you can be a washed up drunk? You're never going to get anywhere's Luke! No wonder no one here can stand you! I can barely do it for two seconds without wanting to rip your head off!" Ivan yelled. "Leave the band, I don't care! No one wants you here anyways!"

"Maybe I will!" I yelled and I opened the door of my room as headed towards the exit when I saw Calum, Ashton and Michael coming towards me.

"Get out of my way." I snarled as Ashton stepped in front of me.

"What's going on? Why are you and Ivan in there screaming at each other?" Ashton asked.

"I'm leaving, now move." I snapped.

"What do you mean you're leaving?" Michael mumbled from the side.

"I mean I'm leaving and not coming back. I'll probably die in the process but what the hell do I care? I've got nothing to lose." I rolled my eyes and pushed past Ashton, but when my hand rested on the door I felt someone pulling on my other hand. I turned to see Michael.

"Let me come with you, please?" He asked. I wanted to tell him no, his eyes were already welling with tears.

"I'm not coming back." I said. "You can't come."

"Take me with you." Michael whimpered. "Please Luke, you can't just leave me here."

"You can walk with me but you have to come back here." I said.

"Fine." Michael huffed.

"And grab me a beer before we leave." I said and Michael sighed as he walked over to the fridge and passed me a brown bottle. I popped the top off as I walked out of the main room and towards the exit of the building. Michael was holding tightly onto my arm, as if he was scared stiff.

"Are you really going to just leave?" Michael asked.

"Yep."

"What about me?" Michael asked.

"What about you?" I responded.

"What am I suppose to do? You're just going to leave me?" Michael asked.

"You're better off that way." I said.

"Luke if I told you that you were better without me you would argue what I said. It's not right that you think you can say that to me and have it mean nothing." Michael said. "What happened between you and Ivan?"

"You know Ivan." I said. "He's pissed at me, and I'm pissed at him."

"You just need to relax a little instead of going and doing something dumb." Michael said. "Plus, you can't just get up and leave. We were finally beginning to smooth out the rough edges of our relationship."

"It was just waiting to spike back up."

"No it wasn't." Michael said. "I have faith that we can make this work without falling apart every second. I'm trying, but you have to try too. You can't just walk out on me like that..And you can't just not talk to me. You have to."

Part of my still-sober self was wondering. Michael did have a very valid point. I looked down at the half-empty bottle in my hand and rubbed my thumb over the label. Of course, Michael had neglected me at times, but it was at times where I more so deserved. Michael, on the other hand, was doing everything in his power to help me. To help us.

"I'm sorry." I sighed as I ran a hand through my hair. I tugged Michael into a small alleyway and set the bottle on the ground. "You're right, I need to talk to you."

"You deny a lot of things," Michael said. "You deny having a drinking problem, you deny being sick, and you deny that there is nothing wrong with you. That's the issue we're having here. Is that you can't accept that there is something to you that's not healthy. That's not good." Michael paused as he fumbled with his fingers. "I'm trying my best to just..Help you. And make things better. But I can't do that, if you don't let me. I'm not just going to push at it until you snap."

"Alright." I sighed and leaned against the wall.

"We leave tomorrow." Michael said. "I think we're going to Canada or something."

"Yeah I think so." I replied. "I think that's what Ashton said like a week ago."

"Right, he'll know. Either way. We have to pack up and keep moving." Michael said. "You're going to come with us, right? Or were you serious about leaving."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, before reopening them and looking at Michael. "What else am I suppose to do? I mean, I die out here. Or I live with you. Honestly I would much rather have the lateral."

Michael smiled. "See, I knew that you weren't serious."

"I was serious." I rolled my eyes as I folded my arms.

Michael stepped closer to me and put his hands on my waist. "Yeah but you weren't all that serious." He lowered his lips down to my neck, just hovering above the skin.

"Michael we're in an alleyway and you're going to - " Michael cut off my words as he started kissing on my neck and gently sucking the skin.

"I'm sorry what was that?" Michael chuckled. "I was distracted."

"L-Let's just leave." I said quietly as I grabbed Michael's hand.

"What about your bottle?" Michael asked as he gestured in it's general direction.

"Eh leave it." I said. "Some homeless man will thank me."

Michael smiled and rolled his eyes. "Alright."