Louise couldn't process what the hell was happening, she wasn't used to this feeling – the desire to be near another person – the only people she had ever genuinely wanted to be around were her family and even that was subjective to timing. All she could think of now though was Logan, she couldn't believe that she was here with him now. She was starting to lose herself laying with him in the dark all she could feel was his lips on hers, his arm wrapped around her, his body pressed against hers, and the sand beneath her. Her mind was clouded by the alcohol and she couldn't decide what she wanted, she wanted to push him away but more than anything wanted to be close to him, she started thinking that maybe she should just slap him but if it didn't work with Boo-Boo when she was nine it probably wouldn't work with Logan. She knew they had kissed once before but they both just ignored it, he left right afterwards and it was never mentioned again. Wasn't that supposed to be the end of it? They were there on the beach though wrapped up together and they had come a full fucking circle, drunk and making moves on each other. Her mind wouldn't stop moving, she was scared and exhilarated and confused and she was feeling a million other emotions. She couldn't handle what was happening. Not right then.
Louise quickly broke the kiss and jumped to her feet startling Logan and almost falling back down in the process. "Fuck, Louise are you okay?" Logan asked catching her before she hit the ground. "Hey come on Lou, talk to me, are you okay?" They stood there staring into each other's eyes as she swayed slightly she had become more than aware of how close they were and she decided that she needed to leave. She pried herself from his arms, shook her head, grabbed her phone, and half stumbled half ran away in a drunken haze. Logan watched her as she left and followed her, he knew that trying to talk to her would be pointless but he wanted to make sure that she got home. He watched as she stumbled through her front door and then once he saw a light come on upstairs he went back to the beach, grabbed their things, and started towards his motel.
Louise flinched as the door slammed into the wall, she had flung it open way harder than she intended to, she giggled as she shushed the door. Trying to stand on her own two feet was proving to be harder than trying to sneak whiskey into Biology class had been, she tried taking the steps one at a time but damn it was difficult. After her third time stumbling and falling back down to the bottom step Louise resolved to just spend the night there and it was at that moment she saw a light come on above her and heard movement. "Helllooooo, who's there?" Louise giggled to herself as she saw her mother peeking down the stairs. Linda was obviously scared and was, for some reason, holding a bottle of wine. Louise wasn't entirely sure if the bottle was for self-defense or if Linda was already a bottle deep herself but it was probably both.
"Down here mom." Louise slurred as she waved her hand in the air, her head resting on the steps. Linda hurried down the stairs and supported Louise all the way up to the living room where they both flopped onto the couch.
"Young lady, everyone needs a drink now and then but tell me that damn boy didn't leave you on the bottom of the stairs. Oh I swear I'll punch him, I'll punch him right in the face." Linda stood there looking incredibly concerned brandishing her fist in the air.
Louise started laughing as she stared at her mother's stern face it was always funny when Linda decided to threaten people with violence, Logan didn't deserve it though and Louise didn't want her pissed at him. "No mom, it's okay, I umm I ran away from him."
"Whaaaaaaaat?" Linda involuntarily screeched, she covered her mouth quickly since she was trying to avoid waking up Bob, she didn't know he was already awake though and listening intently from the bedroom.
Bob heard someone get up he was assuming it was Louise since the person was stumbling, throughout her teenage years he became pretty accustomed to the sound of her coming home drunk. Suddenly Linda was speaking again "Well why don't you go ahead and tell me why and we can talk about it and decide if running away was the right thing." Bob chuckled at Linda's attempt she was always trying to get information on the kids' lives Tina and Gene usually gave in but Louise was a rock who rarely ever wanted her mom's advice so he figured Lin was fighting a losing battle. He realized he was wrong though as he heard Louise sigh and then just start talking as fast as she could.
"Ugh he kissed me mom, we hung out and we had a great time and then he kissed me, and I hated it because I liked it, I know you both hate him but I don't, I like him but I can't do anything about it, I don't have time I need to be here taking care of the restaurant then I need to be here taking care of dad, that's what matters, please drop it mom."
He heard Louise's voice catch at her last phrase and her bedroom door slam, he knew that Linda would be in the kitchen drinking for a while so he just laid there staring at the ceiling. He knew that Louise had given up everything for him, he had always suspected that she loved him but with Louise it was always hard to tell. Hearing her open up to her mother and hearing her break knowing she had felt the need to go out and get drunk again it gave him resolve and a beacon of hope that he didn't know he had in him. He had to beat the cancer, he had to turn the tables on this. He couldn't have his little girl losing yet another opportunity for him. Lying in bed moping all day and night wasn't helping, he needed to get his strength up, he needed to be up and doing things, he needed to figure out a way to take some of this burden off of his family's shoulders. He need – no – he was going to beat it.