A Place Of Hope And No Pain (Avenged Sevenfold)

Chapter 7

Chloe's POV

Group was interesting to say the least. Everyone had been so angry, but we'd gotten them talking and that was the aim. Jerry had been a little off putting, and he made me uncomfortable, dominating the conversation, but I tried my hardest not to show it, if he sensed a weakness it would be me he would come for when he was having a bad time.

I was more than glad when it was over and I was hoping the next one would be a little more pleasant, for everyone.

We left group and I was kind of hungry, Matt however wasn't, so we went straight to the room. I felt bad for him, he looked like shit, and he had the shakes so bad he could barely put a water bottle to his lips. Not that he was drinking much and I knew I had to keep an eye on him and make sure he didn't dehydrate.

We made it back to the room and Matt laid on the couch, well for a short time anyway, well before he jumped up and disappeared into the bathroom.

I could hear him throwing up, the poor guy, but while he was in the bathroom I took the opportunity to call Clay and get him to run me up some food.

Was that rude? Probably, but I also knew it would be a few more days before Matt even felt like eating and I needed to eat, to look after myself if I was going to be there for him.

"So, how's it going?" Clay asked softy after I opened the door.

"Okay." I told him, grabbing the salad he'd got for me.

I smiled at his partner. She was about 18 years old and honestly she looked pretty good, too good and I wouldn't be surprised if she had somehow smuggled something in.

"Sounds great." Clay muttered, raising his eyebrow's at the door, where the noises of Matt throwing up were still emanating.

I smiled. "Yep." I said. "Had group yet?"

"Heading there now." Clay told me.

"Well have fun with that." I said. "We had it this morning, it was interesting to say the least."

"No doubt." Clay said, hugging me briefly. "Well have fun."

"You too." I called out as him and his partner turned and walked back down the corridor.

I grabbed a bottle of water and my salad and sat on the couch, thinking and eating. Thinking about my life. My story was always used as an example in group, I didn't mind, they needed to know that everything didn't always work out, but it still hurt, every fucking time I spoke about it, it still hurt.

My life had been a mess. I wasn't working, I was a wife who had a husband that didn't want to me work and in a way I was lucky. If I'd been working when I was drinking I would have ruined my nursing career for sure. As it was I still had to do random drug and alcohol tests, but it didn't bother me, I was clean.

My husband Drew, god I'd been so in love with him that I did anything he told me too. He had money, he was a lawyer, so we were always eating out, going to party's, drinking and that's when my problem's started. I'm not blaming Drew for my problem's, not at all, but he contributed. He was always telling me I didn't look nice enough, constantly giving me drinks, so in the end I just started all the time, I wanted to be the perfect wife and alcohol helped. It helped me ignore Drew's snide remarks and honestly, when I was drunk, I always felt like the sexiest woman in the world. I drank for self confidence.

My family hated Drew, but worse, they started hating me. I was always drunk, always and in the end they stopped inviting me over, not that I cared, I had my alcohol and that was all I needed.

Why did I finally seek help? Simple, Drew's partner in his law firm told him that I needed to sort myself out because I was damaging his career. Drew left me and that woke me up. I loved my husband and I would do anything for him. We talked and he told me if I sorted myself out everything would be fine.

What I didn't know was that while I was getting sober Drew was getting his loving somewhere else and the day I came out was the day he asked for a divorce. God I wanted to get drunk, I wanted to just get so drunk I couldn't remember anything, but I didn't and I was glad. I stayed strong, I got new job's, here and at the hospital, I made new friends and I moved forward.

Did I still feel like a drink? You bet your fucking ass I did, but I could fight it now, now I was strong and now I knew I could do anything I wanted if I put my mind to it.

Yes my family hated me, but Drew still called me every so often and I had a new circle of friends now. Would I ever have a relationship again? No, I knew I wouldn't, it was a relationship that put me in that position to begin with and now I wanted to live my life the way I wanted, not the way someone else wanted me too.

I put my half eaten salad down and stood up. I wasn't that person anymore and I wasn't going to waist my time sulking about that life, that life that thankfully didn't exist anymore.

I walked to bathroom and knocked on the door softly, opening it.

"How are you doing?" I asked Matt, looking at him.

He was sprawled on the bathroom floor, arm's and legs everywhere, his body shaking and he was still heaving.

"Fucking great." He muttered, keeping his eye's closed.

I walked over to the basin, wetting a wash cloth and sitting down beside him. I placed it on his forehead, looking at him.

"It will stop." I said softly.

"Well at the moment it feels like I'm dying." He snapped.

"I know." I said softly and I did know.

"I can't stop." He groaned, his body heaving again.

Now he was just dry heaving, there was nothing left to come up.

"Here." I said holding up a bottle of water. "Drink."

"I can't." He moaned. "I can't keep it down."

"Just try."

He sat up slowly, taking the bottle with shaking hands and putting it to his lips.

I watched as he grimaced, trying to swallow.

"Now." I said getting comfortable. "Tell me about yourself."

He looked at me with his bloodshot eye's, swallowing, trying to keep the water down. "What?"

"Tell me what led you to this moment." I told him. "Tell me everything."

He sighed, rubbing his hand over his face.

I was trying to keep his mind off the way he was feeling and him talking about himself would hopefully help.

I was trying to help him, but honestly, I really wanted to know about Matt, I wanted to know everything.