Dedicated to Leigh because Friendship for Dummies is just <3
CHAPTER SEVEN
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"Come on, we're here," Cassie said as she scrambled to get out of the car and opened our door.
Nate was still clutching me in his arms and I kept shaking because I was cold and crying. He held on to me and fixed the blanket that covered my whole body. They ran toward the entrance of the rehabilitation center Dr. Peters was located. Once we were inside, the bright lights blinded me.
"Where's are we going?" Nate asked as he struggled to keep up with Cassie.
"To Dr. Peters," she replied and when we arrived, they placed me on a chair with Cassie hugging me tightly. I've calmed down now and was waiting for Dr. Peters to finish with her patient.
"Cassie, Isabella," Dr. Peters said with a shocked look on her face. "Come on. I feel like we've got a lot to talk about."
They ushered me toward the room and Nate and Cassie left.
"So? What was it this time?" she asked me.
"I... I lost control when we were at the party," I admitted with my head hung low.
"You went to a party?!" Dr. Peters said with angry eyes. "I told you to stay away from the temptation, Isabella."
"Sorry. But I just had a rough day," I said. "No, I mean, rough couple of days."
Dr. Peters took a deep breath and looked at me. A notepad was on her right hand and a pencil on the other.
"So, tell me how you felt when you were at the party. Were you happy or were you scared?" she asked.
"I was... full of doubt. I doubted myself even though I kept reassuring Cassie that I was fine. I lied to her," I admitted with my head hung low.
"When did you have your first drink?" she asked.
"The minute we stepped in, I got myself a cup," I said.
"Alright," she said while scribbling on her notepad. "Why did you do it? Tell me about what happened to your 'rough couple of days'."
For minutes, I told her about the engagement, about Nate and about my quarrel with my mother. I told her about how I wasn't ready to become engaged and that I wanted to be engaged with someone I really know. I told her that I drunk because I was frustrated with how things were going.
"You're lying," she said to my face.
"What?" I stammered. I looked at her with wild eyes and fumbled with my fingers.
"That wasn't the real reason why did all of those things," she said.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I lied to her.
"Isabella, I've told you over these years that you wouldn't get better if you keep denying the truth to me. The truth is inevitable, I've told you that," she said.
I just stared at my hands and heaved a sigh. No matter how close the two of us has been, I've only talked to her about my sister 5 times. I didn't like to talk about how it affected me even though that's where all my troubles come from. I talk to Cassie about her sometimes but only when I tell her how I just want to be like my sister, nothing more.
"I guess I'll see you whenever you want to talk," she said. "But before you go, let me tell you that you should take extra caution when it comes to parties and alcohol because you've just had an attack and you're likely to be tempted even more."
"Okay," I said and nodded.
We both got up from our chairs and she ushered me outside, hugging me before letting me go.
"Thank you," I said and walked away.
"How's she?" I heard Cassie whisper to Dr. Peters and I saw Dr. Peters shaking her head and giving Cassie a sad smile.
The three of us were just hanging around Cassie's car a few minutes later. I was surprised that Nate still stuck around since I knew for a fact that I wasn't his favorite person nowadays.
"So, you look like shit. I can tell you that," Cassie said as she laughed at my face. I couldn't really look that bad, could I?
"I do not," I argued.
"You so do," she said and handed me a mirror.
When I looked at myself, I saw my hair matted and wet on my forehead and my eyes were bloodshot and my lips were so pale. I gave the mirror back to her and she smirked at me.
"I told you so," she said.
"Fine," I replied and laughed. "So what do we do now?"
"Let's go party," Cassie teased.
"Funny," I said. "Dr. Peters told me to stay away from temptation for the meantime."
We both laughed and then silence creeped again.
"So, let's go?" I asked Cassie and then turned to Nate.
"Yeah, come on," Nate said and smiled at me.
It was like nothing happened. We chatted about lighthearted things which I had to thank Cassie for. She knew exactly how to handle situations like this. She knew I never liked to talk about my sessions with Dr. Peters.
"So, we're here," Cassie said as she pulled over the gate.
I was about to go down when I remembered that my face must've been plastered in the internet by now. By the amount of cameras clicking earlier, they probably took a lot of photos of me at the party.
"Oh crap, I can't go home," I said. "She's going to kill me."
"Yeah, she will," Cassie said.
"Can I stay at your place tonight?" I asked her.
"No. I'm sorry but my cousins are her and all the guest rooms are full and my sister is staying in my room tonight," she said.
I heaved a sigh and thought about the places where I could stay the night. I could stay in a coffee shop. Or in a library. No, there aren't any libraries open anymore.
"You can stay at my place," Nate said.
I looked at him and said, "Really?"
"Sure. My parents are not home. They're back in the UK and I'm home alone," he said.
We drove to Nate's house which was surprisingly not that far from mine.
"Bye Cassie," I said as me and Nate got out of the car.
"Bye," she waved.
"Wait, how come your car was there at the party?" I asked.
"I had the driver drive it there," she said.
I replied with a simple "Oh" and me and Nate went inside his house.
He opened the lights and led me to his room. The walls were bare and were only lined with bookcases which were filled with what I assumed were great books.
"The bathroom's right here," he said. "If you know... you want to clean up."
"Thank you," I said and headed toward the bathroom.
He handed me an oversized flannel shirt and said, "Here."
I thanked him again and closed the bathroom door. After getting a bath, I dried myself with the towel that was hung there and wrapped it around my hair. I got out and saw Nate lying on the bed while watching Friends.
"Hey. I... I couldn't find any other towel. I hope you don't mind," I said and sat down the bed.
"No, it's fine," he said and scooted over.
"Thank you for letting me stay," I said.
"It's fine. I wouldn't let a pretty girl get eaten by her mom," he teased.
"No seriously," I said and removed the towel from my hair and hung it on the back of the chair.
"I told you, it's fine," he reassured. "I'll just take the couch."
"No," I said quickly. "I... uhm... we can share. You've got a huge bed and I mean, I kinda want to have someone beside me."
"If you wanted to get me in bed, Winter, you should've just said so," he teased.
I playfully slapped him in the shoulder and turned my gaze on the television.
"I love Friends," I said.
"I love it too," he said and smiled at me.
He sat up and looked at me seriously and I stared at him as well.
"Look, Winter, I'm sorry I was being such a jerk. I was just really annoyed. Besides, it's not so bad being engaged to you," he said.
"You're just saying that because you saw me break down," I said.
"Yes I am," he said. "But also because I really am sorry. It wasn't fair for me to say those things to you and none of them were true. It was just a 'spur of the moment' thing."
"Thank you," I said. "And I forgive you."
"So, therapist huh?" he said.
"Yep," I said, popping the 'p'. "Therapist."
"Do you have an alcohol problem?" he asked.
"No I don't," I said. "I just am... really depressed."
"Depressed? How can you be depressed?" he asked.
"There are things you don't know about me, Nate. And most of them aren't really pretty," I said and focused my attention on the television.
"If we're going to be married to each other, then I think it's something worth knowing," he said with a hopeful smile.
"Not tonight," I said and smiled.
We were halfway through an episode of Friends when Nate said, "Your legs are very distracting."
I looked at him and saw him staring at my exposed legs since his shirt rode up my upper thigh. I clutched his blanket and threw him a glare.
"Pervert," I said.
"Hey!" he said and shoved me lightly.
I shoved him back and saw a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Oh you so did not do that," he said.
"I so did, actually," I teased and that's when he tickled me. I was laughing so hard and telling him to stop over and over again.
We were both laughing when he stopped tickling me and then he fell silent when he saw the position we were in. He was straddling me and he got off me quickly.
"That's what you get for shoving me, munchkin," he said and let out a boyish laugh.
"I'll get you for that next time," I said.
"So, what's your favorite book?" he asked me.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because as if it wasn't obvious yet, I like reading and I want to know what your favorite book is," he said.
"Great Gatsby," I blurted out.
"Huh. I didn't expect that," he said.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because I thought you were one to love Nicholas Sparks, like most of the female population do," he remarked.
"Well, I haven't read a Nicholas Sparks book in my whole life," I said.
"Weird," he said.
We were both sleepy at the time we ran out of things to talk about so I just lay down and he lay down beside me.
"I think there are about a million articles about me right now," I said.
"Probably," he just answered. "I didn't know you were that..."
"Stupid?" I asked.
"No... broken," he said and turned to his side to look at me. "Why are you so broken, Isabella?"
I shuddered as he said my whole name and I found myself staring at his mesmerizing brown eyes. They were the color of autumn and it made me feel warm.
"Because the truth is inevitable," I said and closed my eyes.
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Another update. Yay!
Oh and check out my other story, Losing Arrows okay?
love,
Alex