Status: prewritten 12 chapters and counting.
Painting Flowers
Chapter 18
Nathans POV
Dec.27th
"Eat." I sat a plate in front of Ashtyn. We were in her dormroom, packing her things. Drew talked to the NYU staff and although understanding, they wouldn't allow her to have Val live with her. To be honest, we were just as much babysitting Ash as we were Val. Drew, Sam, Will and I were all there. She wouldn't speak, wouldn't eat, wouldn't react to anything. It was shock. It was the same when her parents died.
"She's lost too much weight. The doctors are gonna send her back." Drew whispered to me as I wrapped her collection of canvases.
"I know but she won't eat. I've tried everything." We both watched her. She hadn't even touched her plate. "When are they bringing Val back?"
"Not till tonight. I told them to keep her gone as long as possible. She doesn't get why Ash is like this."
"She shouldn't have to." I say, placing paint in a jeweled box. "Maybe I should call him."
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah, why?"
"You didn't seem like his biggest fan."
"I just don't want her getting hurt. I'm afraid she's setting herself up, here, but what can I do? If he can help, I'll go there."
"You want me to do it?"
"No, I will. Go try to get her to eat...or at least drink something."
I walked out onto the balcony and found his information in her phone.
"Ash? Are you okay? I was worried."
"It's Nathan."
"Oh," He sounded clearly dissappointed. "Is she okay?"
"Look, Jack, I'm sorry to bother you. I know she wanted you to have the holidays with your family, but I really didn't know who else to call."
"What's going on?"
"She's a fuckin zombie. She won't talk, I know she's back down to her danger weight zone and I'm really worried about her."
"Wait, what?"
"I'm only calling you cause I think you're the only one that could snap her out of it." I say quickly.
"What do you mean by 'danger weight zone'?" I freeze.
"Shit." I murmur.
"Dude?"
"I swear I thought she told you."
"Told me what?" He says slowly, I can hear the fear in his voice.
"She's gonna kill me." I sigh. "She's been battling anorexia for the past 7 years."
"What?!"
"Jack, this is really important, was she eating when she was with you?"
"Uhm," I could tell he was freaked. "A little. She kept saying she wasn't hungry, but my mom doesn't listen to that shit. I figured she was just nervous." I wiped my eyes and groaned.
"So she hasn't been eating since before the show. Awesome."
"I'm on my way."
"Jack, just come up when you planned. You're playing Times Square, right?"
"Yeah, but I was gonna try to come up early anyways. I might bring one of the guys, though. We've all been on edge."
"Alright, just come to the dorm, then. We've all been crashing here. She has to move out, though, cause she's responsible for Val until we know what's going on with Paulo."
"Okay, thanks for calling me Nathan."
"No problem."
Dec.28th
Jacks POV
"Where is she?" Rian was getting out of the taxi behind me, Sam was waiting in front of the building for us.
"Come on." She turned around, and walked through the revolving door. I basically threw my ID at Andrew who gave Sam a sympathetic look as she signed us in. "Jack, she's not--"
"Don't say it, Sam."
"I just want you to be prepared for what you're about to walk in on."
"I don't care." I was practically vibrating.
"Calm down, bro." Rian whispered, putting his hand on my shoulder.
"I'll fucking calm down when I see her."
I saw Rian and Sam exchange looks. I knew what it meant. I was prepared. I shouldn't be, but I was. I've walked in on this before.
The elevator beeped and the doors opened what seemed like an eternity later. I bolted down the hall and opened the door. Nathan stood and ran his fingers through his hair.
"Balcony. Be careful. She yelled at me--" I didn't wait for him to finish. I cut through her bedroom and slid the glass door behind me.
I don't know what I was expecting, but I almost passed out from pure relied the second I saw her.
"Leave me alone." She said without looking. Her voice, I've only ever heard two people sound that broken. It killed me.
"Baby, it's me." Her shoulders started shaking, I know she's crying. "Ash, baby, come here." She shook her head, not moving, still just staring out at the skyline.The sun was setting and, disregarding the circumstances, this was a gorgeous moment.
"Everybody leaves." She murmured and as soon as I heard her, I didn't care if she wanted space. my arms were immedietely around her and she broke down completely. "Everybody leaves." She kept repeating, punching my chest when I turned her around.
"Come here. Come here. Shhhh. Baby." I kissed her forehead and held her close, just glad she was away from the ledge. For a split second, she looked like she was thinking about jumping. I sat down on the balcony, bringing her down with me. She curled up in my lap and just sobbed.
I'm not sure how long we were out there, I watched the sun set completely before a small lantern above me flickered on and the sliding door that lead to the living room opened. Rian stepped out and approached us carefully. He handed me two mugs of something steaming and a blanket. I was sure that Ash was asleep at this point.
"Thanks." I whispered.
"Nathan is cooking dinner. We should make sure she eats tonight."
"Yeah, I know." I say half-heartedly.
"Jack, what are you thinking?"
"What we talked about before we left."
"We didn't know she was this bad, man."
"I should have been here." I could hear the anger in my own voice. "She wouldn't have gotten this bad."
"You don't know that. She told you to stay at home."
"And I shouldn't have listened. She needed me." We locked eyes and I could tell Rian wasn't gonna argue, not because he agreed, but because he knew I couldn't handle it.
"You should get her in soon, k? Or you're both gonna freeze."
I knodded and he went inside. I took a sip from the mug. I could tell immedietely that it was Rian's home made hot chocolate, but no matter how good I knew it was, all I could taste was bitterness.
Dec.27th
"Eat." I sat a plate in front of Ashtyn. We were in her dormroom, packing her things. Drew talked to the NYU staff and although understanding, they wouldn't allow her to have Val live with her. To be honest, we were just as much babysitting Ash as we were Val. Drew, Sam, Will and I were all there. She wouldn't speak, wouldn't eat, wouldn't react to anything. It was shock. It was the same when her parents died.
"She's lost too much weight. The doctors are gonna send her back." Drew whispered to me as I wrapped her collection of canvases.
"I know but she won't eat. I've tried everything." We both watched her. She hadn't even touched her plate. "When are they bringing Val back?"
"Not till tonight. I told them to keep her gone as long as possible. She doesn't get why Ash is like this."
"She shouldn't have to." I say, placing paint in a jeweled box. "Maybe I should call him."
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah, why?"
"You didn't seem like his biggest fan."
"I just don't want her getting hurt. I'm afraid she's setting herself up, here, but what can I do? If he can help, I'll go there."
"You want me to do it?"
"No, I will. Go try to get her to eat...or at least drink something."
I walked out onto the balcony and found his information in her phone.
"Ash? Are you okay? I was worried."
"It's Nathan."
"Oh," He sounded clearly dissappointed. "Is she okay?"
"Look, Jack, I'm sorry to bother you. I know she wanted you to have the holidays with your family, but I really didn't know who else to call."
"What's going on?"
"She's a fuckin zombie. She won't talk, I know she's back down to her danger weight zone and I'm really worried about her."
"Wait, what?"
"I'm only calling you cause I think you're the only one that could snap her out of it." I say quickly.
"What do you mean by 'danger weight zone'?" I freeze.
"Shit." I murmur.
"Dude?"
"I swear I thought she told you."
"Told me what?" He says slowly, I can hear the fear in his voice.
"She's gonna kill me." I sigh. "She's been battling anorexia for the past 7 years."
"What?!"
"Jack, this is really important, was she eating when she was with you?"
"Uhm," I could tell he was freaked. "A little. She kept saying she wasn't hungry, but my mom doesn't listen to that shit. I figured she was just nervous." I wiped my eyes and groaned.
"So she hasn't been eating since before the show. Awesome."
"I'm on my way."
"Jack, just come up when you planned. You're playing Times Square, right?"
"Yeah, but I was gonna try to come up early anyways. I might bring one of the guys, though. We've all been on edge."
"Alright, just come to the dorm, then. We've all been crashing here. She has to move out, though, cause she's responsible for Val until we know what's going on with Paulo."
"Okay, thanks for calling me Nathan."
"No problem."
Dec.28th
Jacks POV
"Where is she?" Rian was getting out of the taxi behind me, Sam was waiting in front of the building for us.
"Come on." She turned around, and walked through the revolving door. I basically threw my ID at Andrew who gave Sam a sympathetic look as she signed us in. "Jack, she's not--"
"Don't say it, Sam."
"I just want you to be prepared for what you're about to walk in on."
"I don't care." I was practically vibrating.
"Calm down, bro." Rian whispered, putting his hand on my shoulder.
"I'll fucking calm down when I see her."
I saw Rian and Sam exchange looks. I knew what it meant. I was prepared. I shouldn't be, but I was. I've walked in on this before.
The elevator beeped and the doors opened what seemed like an eternity later. I bolted down the hall and opened the door. Nathan stood and ran his fingers through his hair.
"Balcony. Be careful. She yelled at me--" I didn't wait for him to finish. I cut through her bedroom and slid the glass door behind me.
I don't know what I was expecting, but I almost passed out from pure relied the second I saw her.
"Leave me alone." She said without looking. Her voice, I've only ever heard two people sound that broken. It killed me.
"Baby, it's me." Her shoulders started shaking, I know she's crying. "Ash, baby, come here." She shook her head, not moving, still just staring out at the skyline.The sun was setting and, disregarding the circumstances, this was a gorgeous moment.
"Everybody leaves." She murmured and as soon as I heard her, I didn't care if she wanted space. my arms were immedietely around her and she broke down completely. "Everybody leaves." She kept repeating, punching my chest when I turned her around.
"Come here. Come here. Shhhh. Baby." I kissed her forehead and held her close, just glad she was away from the ledge. For a split second, she looked like she was thinking about jumping. I sat down on the balcony, bringing her down with me. She curled up in my lap and just sobbed.
I'm not sure how long we were out there, I watched the sun set completely before a small lantern above me flickered on and the sliding door that lead to the living room opened. Rian stepped out and approached us carefully. He handed me two mugs of something steaming and a blanket. I was sure that Ash was asleep at this point.
"Thanks." I whispered.
"Nathan is cooking dinner. We should make sure she eats tonight."
"Yeah, I know." I say half-heartedly.
"Jack, what are you thinking?"
"What we talked about before we left."
"We didn't know she was this bad, man."
"I should have been here." I could hear the anger in my own voice. "She wouldn't have gotten this bad."
"You don't know that. She told you to stay at home."
"And I shouldn't have listened. She needed me." We locked eyes and I could tell Rian wasn't gonna argue, not because he agreed, but because he knew I couldn't handle it.
"You should get her in soon, k? Or you're both gonna freeze."
I knodded and he went inside. I took a sip from the mug. I could tell immedietely that it was Rian's home made hot chocolate, but no matter how good I knew it was, all I could taste was bitterness.