Reasons - m.c

Chapter 42

Australian Version

Michael's P.O.V

After that heart-to-heart with Shay, I walked back into the kitchen with her & she took a seat back on my lap.

"So you guys up for story time?" Shay asked the guys & they all seemed up for one, especially considering that just an hour ago, Shay ran out of the room with no reasoning in their eyes. "Okay, uhm I don't really know where to start but this is something I only recently started telling people but uh, I don't want to go out with you guys tonight because I'm like five months sober now, I was in rehab for two months for like drinking so a club scene isn't really the place for me right now. I kind of hid my drinking for like six months & then my parents found out but that didn't stop me & one night I drank myself to the point of basically unconsciousness & I was hospitalized & sent to rehab. Then I spent two months there & after I was released, life in NYC was too rough, like the memories of my addiction were everywhere so I asked to live in the lake house for awhile if I promised to stay in AA meetings & counseling & so that's where I met Michael. My parents hid that I went to rehab from my family & friends because they wanted to keep up their like high class lifestyle so I was "travelling" the past few months but on Thanksgiving, thanks to Mikey, I started telling my family the truth & they all seemed supportive & so now I feel like I can tell more people but yea, that's kind of me." Shay rambled on, her breath a bit shaky but she told her story & I was glad. After she finished, I kissed her cheek to let her know I was proud of her. I could hear a few shakes in her voice but she didn't break down.

"I'm sorry I pushed the idea then, but that's awesome Shay." Calum told her before Luke added, "Same, sorry we kept trying to push you go to. If you don't want to, that's totally fine. Thanks for telling us."

"I kind of thought you should know, it's kind of a big part of who I am. That's actually what the book is about that I said last night I was writing. It's like an auto-biography about my time in rehab & what led to the addiction & everything like that."

"Well, I'm sure it's a great book. So did writing help you a lot?" Ashton asked her.

"Yea. It did. Well that & talking to people. I just hated that my parents hid it from everyone, it made me like even more ashamed but it's my story to tell, like they can't lie for me if I don't want them to, you know? So if people can learn something from me telling my story then that's what I want to do."

"See? Told you she was amazing." I said to the guys. "She's one of the toughest people I know."

"Thanks babe."

"Thanks babe." Luke mimicked her.

"Stop." Shay laughed. "So no club for me now but maybe in a month or so I'll be ready to go back into that scene, staying sober of course, but for now, it's still too tempting. But you guys do have to promise me something."

"& what would that promise be?" Calum asked.

"Please don't like act weird around me with alcohol. Like you can still drink beers if you want & have it around the apartment or wherever we are. I like can't hide from it forever, I have to learn how to live with the temptation, like sure don't throw it in my face but please don't feel weird about drinking around me. Not everyone is an alcoholic, I just happened to be. I won't like hate you or avoid you for drinking. I do think drunk people are hilarious, I just wasn't one of those types but don't change your ways just because I'm here. It makes me feel bad & weird."

"Alright, I can promise that." Ashton said. "But if it gets to be like weird or something, will you let us know?"

"Yea, I will."