What's So Good About Picking Up the Pieces ?

Chesney’s POV

Vic was sitting on my couch. Victor Vincent Fuentes. The love of my life.

Tears streamed down my cheeks, and my breath came faster. We just looked at each other, both with a pained, surprised expression on our faces. I raced to the bathroom, slamming the door and locking it behind me. I heard steps run after me, and I slid down the back of the door, huge sobs wracking my body once again. “Ches ?” Vic sounded alarmed. It was so good to hear his voice. Everything in me was screaming to open the door, but I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t do this again, I couldn’t let him in again if he was just going to leave. I stood and went to the medicine cabinet and grabbed out my meds. I poured all of the contents into my hand and stared at them, long and hard. I brought my hand to my mouth, and as I did so, the door smashed open, and the pills knocked out of my hand, and flew all over the bathroom.

The door hit me partially, and in my fragile state, I flew to the ground. On the way there, a pair of strong arms caught me. Vic sat on the ground, holding me to his chest. “Chesney ?” he asked me as he looked at the pills that littered the ground. I didn’t say anything. I jerked out of his arms and moved to the toilet, where my pancakes came back up to greet me. Again, he said my name in that frantic, concerned, panicked voice. He closed the door and held my hair, stroking my back as I puked up my only meal in days. So much for keeping that down. ..After I was done, I leaned my head back against the wall, still silent. My sleeves were rolled up, and Vic stared at my arms. I took one gingerly in his hand, and gave it a weird look. He looked me in the eye, as if asking me for permission, and slowly moved towards me. He placed his hands on my waist, and ever so slightly lifted my hoodie up. I nodded to let him know it was okay, and he lightly pulled it off. He gasped, and ran his hands over my clearly visible ribs. A tear rolled down his cheek as he brushed along my collarbone. My eyelids suddenly grew heavy, I was so weak from the lack of sleep and food; I had no energy. The concert hadn’t helped my situation, and neither had my stress.

Vic kept staring at my body, appalled at how thin I was. I didn’t care; I didn’t have the energy to care. I leaned against him and closed my eyes, shivering. I breathed in his familiar scent, letting it lull me into oblivion.

Vic’s POV

Chesney didn’t even notice me at first, she kept walking toward her bedroom. She looked different somehow, but I wasn’t close enough to tell how. My eyes followed her there and back, and she kept her eyes on the sleeve of the sweatshirt she had just put on. I shifted slightly, and that’s when she saw me.

Her eyes went wide, and I’m sure mine did the same. She dropped to her knees and tears spilled over. Her face crumpled, but her gaze remained locked on mine. “D-don’t come any closer !” She whispered desperately, her hand outstretched toward me. She suddenly jumped up and ran to the bathroom, and I sprinted after her. I banged on the door, then stopped a moment. I could hear what sounded like the contents of a bottle of pills being emptied, and I busted open the door.

The door hit her in the side, and small white pellets flew all around the room. I had been right; they were definitely pills. She slumped to the ground on impact and I reached for her. I sat down on the ground with her in my arms, until she broke away from me and started puking. I gently closed the door, then held back her long hair, softly rubbing her back. My mind raced, I didn’t know what I was supposed to do or say. I was the one who broke it off without warning then came back without warning; I owed her an explanation. Except, I didn’t have one, besides my own stupidity.
She finished, wiped her mouth, and leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes and sighing heavily. She had dark bags underneath her luminescent irises, and her face looked painfully thin. I noticed how skinny and bony her am was too, and I gently reached for her waist, I needed to prove something to myself. Her eyes had fluttered open now, and she nodded to give me permission. I moved the bottom of her hoodie up ever so slightly, then lifted it all the way off. Tears sprouted in my eyes, her ribs were prominent, and her bones jutted out like they would break right through her skin. Her collarbone pointed outward, and her hipbones looked dangerous. I let my eyes roam over her fragile body, again and again, burning the sight into my memory. Droplets fell from my eyes as I brushed my hands along her sides, and then her collarbone. All I could think was “Look what you’ve done.”

That’s what was so different about her, she now had the body of a thirteen year old anorexic. She leaned into my embrace, and sighed again, softer this time. She shivered, and I put her hoodie back on. She didn’t move or say anything, and she looked so weak. She had thrown up food, so that was a good sign that she was eating at least. I didn’t know what to do, was there even a chance for me to fix what I had broken ? I had to try. She was worth it.