My Brother's Best Friend

Chap. 36

"Good morning!" Parker chirped, as I came trudging out into the kitchen.

The smile dropped off his face when he actually saw me.

"What are you wearing?"

I looked down at my outfit. I'd thrown on a pair of sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt, hoping to blend into the crowd.

I ignored him, going to swipe my keys off the counter so I could head to school.

Emmett had gone in early for a school project.

"Not so fast," Parker said, swiping my keys off the counter before I could. "I made you breakfast."

The very thought of food made me feel nauseated.

"I'll pass," I muttered.

"Not an option." He slid two eggs over easy and a piece of toast across the counter. "So hurry up and eat."

"Not hungry."

"Well that just sucks."

I glared at him and he just stared back at me, waiting for me to take a seat.

"Give me my keys Parker."

"I'm not playing games with you Emily," he said, his voice hard. "It was a mistake to let you stay locked up in your room during dinner last night."

It was not a mistake.

"Then I'll just catch a ride to school," I muttered, heading into the living room to locate my backpack.

"You're a bit of a hypocrite!" he called after me.

I turned to face him, my eyebrows raised.

"You're always on me about not opening up," he stated, leaning against the counter. "About bottling up my emotions? Yet here you are."

"Just shut up Parker."

"If I ever said that to you, you'd probably punch me."

My eyes flickered back down to the breakfast he'd made me, and I felt the tears start to build up in my eyes.

Parker was almost immediately by my side, wrapping me up into a hug.

I pressed my face into his chest, letting out a sob, which was like opening up the floodgates.

"It's okay," he promised, rubbing my back soothingly.

"It's not," I sobbed.

Parker kissed the top of my head, letting his lips linger there. "It pains me to see you like this princess."

"I just want to be pretty."

Parker took a seat on the couch, tugging me down next to him.

"And what makes you think that you aren't?" he asked, wiping a tear off my cheek.

"The mirror would be a good place to start."

"The mirror can be deceiving," he informed me.

I reached up and wiped underneath my eyes, getting rid of the excess tears.

I hate crying in front of people, as if I'm not already weak enough.

"Was it something that happened yesterday?" Parker asked.

I took a moment to compose myself and my thoughts.

"I hate the scale," I admitted, just the thought of it causing an intense pain in my chest. "I hate watching the numbers go up, watching myself get fatter right before my own eyes."