It had been nearly a month since Aiden's tragic death and Lydia was struggling to come to terms with it. Everyone in the pack was worried sick about her, especially Stiles. They'd tried their absolute hardest to cheer her up, but nothing phased Lydia. Since then, she spent most of her days in the house, occasionally coming out for food or appointments. She was pretty sure she'd cried so much to the point where her eyes weren't capable of producing anymore tears, but that was a lie as she often found them streaming down her face.
It was close to midnight as Lydia sat in the living room of her apartment, a box of tissues at her side. Without thinking, she got up, grabbed her keys and purse, and headed out the door. The car roared to life as she got on the road fumbling to find something decent on the radio. She wasn't a fan of country music, but settled for a country station anyway. The DJ introduced the latest single from Eli Young Band, "Drunk Last Night." Lydia was about to change the station, until the words grabbed her attention:
"I got a little drunk last night…"
"Staring at the ceiling fan"
"I couldn't get you off my brain"
Lydia felt the tears sting her eyes as she fought to hold them back. She pulled off the road into the gravel parking lot of a bar. She hopped out, went inside and took a seat at the farthest end of the bar. When the waiter asked, she ordered a martini dry, a glass of Bud, four shots of Bacardi, and one shot of Jack. Throughout the night, the words replayed themselves in her head:
"I got a little too far gone"
"Heart was talking way too loud"
"I don't remember what I said"
"I just remember breaking down"
The dam that held back her tears burst as they rushed down her face. Lydia threw back her last drink and staggered across the room to the door before a bartender stopped her. "Ma'am, let me call you a cab." Lydia swayed in place and slurred her words as she snapped at the bartender. "Get the hell away from me! I know what I'm doing!" The bartender stepped aside as he watched Lydia spin a grit, leaving the parking lot. On her way home, the song tormented her once more:
"I swear it's the last time every time, don't know why…"
Thankfully by the grace of God, she made it home safe. It was all she could do to get up the steps and into the house without falling down. Once inside the house, she stumbled around in the dark, eventually making her way to the bed. She plopped down, still fully clothed and drifted off to sleep. She knew she'd have a hangover from hell in the morning and tons of messages on her cell, but she didn't care. Losing Aiden was more than she could stand; she needed something to take the pain away.
"I got a little drunk last night"
"I got a little drunk last night"
"Thought I could keep it all inside"
"But I got a little drunk last night."
She'd spend the next few days (or weeks) getting plastered, a desperate cry for help. Her friends would watch in despair as she did so; eager to get her proper help. To Lydia, however, everything was fine…she didn't need any help. The pack however, thought otherwise. Soon following Lydia's daredevil-like stunts, she was hospitalized for alcohol poisoning as well as attempted suicide. The pack came to visit and stay with her on a regular basis, Stiles never leaving her side. He vowed to always be there to protect Lydia, and that's just what he did. Deep down, he loved Lydia and it pained him to see her in so much pain.
He wished he could give her the moon and the stars, but deep down he knew a relationship was far from anything she was looking for at the moment. Still, Stiles longed for the day he'd be able to call Lydia his. And until that day, he was perfectly fine winning her over with his awkwardness and goofy nature.