That Mike stops this now or he doesn’t stop it at all, because he doesn’t have it in him to hurt the kid again. Doesn’t have it in him to break his own fucking heart again, doesn’t think he could do it, not without flinching. That he stops this now or he puts it in Liam’s hands to do what he will, because Liam’s more responsible than him in the only way it really counts, and Mike loves him, and Mike’s fucking sick of it, of loving him and not having him and not being able to blame anyone but himself for it, sickly grateful for any sign that Liam’s better off without him.
