Falling Slowly

Chapter Eighteen: Every Night Is Another Night

Listen to the song on the side :) It's amazing and one of my favorites! ♥

Beautiful graphic to the side was made by my friend, Ly! :D 

Chapter Eighteen: Every Night Is Another Story

Anya

The sound of a blaring alarm in my ear startled me awake. I groaned, picking up my pillow and covering my head, muffling the annoying ringing sound. It was too loud and my head….oh it hurt tenfold. It wasn’t anywhere near a jack hammer – like when I had my infamous headaches, but more like a bulldozer that just kept coming back with full force until I was crushed into a bloody pulp.

There was a grunt and the sound of sheets rustling on the ground followed by a sleep induced voice saying, “Anya? Will you turn that off?”

I lifted my left hand from under the covers and searched the nightstand for the maddening sound. My hand curled around the rectangular shape, my fingers searching the familiar snooze button. It wasn’t there. I threw my covers aside and sat up, squinting against the rays of sunlight seeping through the blinds.

Blinds. Not. Curtains.

My eyes widened as I realized where I was. The steady pulse of my heart quickened as I saw Liam’s curled form on the floor. How did I get there? What happened? Why was I wearing his clothes?!

As my hysteria grew, so did the pounding in my head and the sudden queasiness in my stomach. I untangled myself from the mess of sheets and perched on the edge of the bed. My toes grazed the cool, wooden floorboards. My eyes flickered to Liam, his back was to me and I couldn’t see if he was sleeping or just pretending. Surely, he could hear my heart beating tenfold like it was going to fall out any minute.

I stood up slowly, the gnawing sick feeling in my stomach intensifying. I rushed to the bathroom, stumbling across the hall and shutting the door behind me. Sinking to my knees, I grasped the side of the toilet and heaved last night’s continents into the shiny, white surface. Tears welded in my eyes as I retched, my back arching and constricting from the pain.

There was a soft knock on the door. “Anya? Let me in.”

“Nooo…” My voice shook and I heard the rattling of the door knob before Liam opened the door and walked in.

“I’m f-f-fine. I’m just s-s-sick,” I told him. He didn’t leave. I swallowed, scrunching my nose as the bile slid down my throat. It only caused me to heave once more into to the toilet. Liam sat on the edge of the tub and pulled my hair away from my face, patting my back in a slow, soothing circular motion. I breathed in and out, trying to get my bearing straight. The shaking in my hands lessened after what seemed like an hour, but it couldn’t have been more than ten minutes.

Liam handed me some toilet paper and I blew my nose and wiped my mouth free of any slimy residue. He silently left afterwards, only to return with a pair of jeans and fresh boxers in his hands as I washed my mouth clean with fresh water.

I saw him lean against the doorway, his reflection clear in the mirror ahead of me. “How much did you drink?”

My brows furrowed. Drink?

Distorted images of the night before flashed in my mind’s eye. I remembered the first bottle I drank and then it got hazy; there was me walking to Liam’s house and singing, awfully singing; his arms wrapped around me as he carried me inside after falling; the warmth of his arms as I lost consciousness. There was more…there was more that happened, but I couldn’t remember.