Behind The Scenes

Chapter 12: Pleading

The plush velvet of the couch beneath me felt cold against my skin, a stark contrast to the warmth of Devyn's hand intertwined with mine. She was a whirlwind of empathy, her brow furrowed in concern, her fingers tracing gentle circles on my palm. Her beautiful, expressive brown eyes held a depth of worry that mirrored my own.

'Devyn, please...' my voice cracked, the words catching in my throat. I swallowed hard, the lump of shame rising again. It was the same feeling that had gripped me for as long as I could remember, reminding me of the cruel whispers of my past, the harsh judgements of those supposed to love me. Their words, so venomous, so insidious, had eaten away at my self-worth, leaving me a brittle shell of who I once was.

Devyn, however, was a beacon of light, a flicker of hope in the darkness that had consumed my soul. Her voice was soft, melodic, a balm to my raw wounds. 'I know it's not my place, Devora, to tell you what to do with your body or how to eat. But you are beautiful to me, inside and out. Please, darling, I'm begging you, let me help you through this. Show you that it's okay to eat, because it is. I just want to help, I'm not judging you at all, okay?'

Her words, like a gentle breeze, rustled through the leaves of my soul, stirring something deep within me. Tears welled in her eyes, mirroring the storm raging inside me. It was a storm I had brewed myself, a tempest of self-loathing and a desperate desire to disappear. But Devyn saw me, truly saw me, and the tears she shed were for me, for the pain I was carrying.

'I want to help you heal,' she whispered, her voice heavy with sincerity. 'From whoever made you feel this way. You've helped me through my pain, just by listening. Let me do the same for you.'

Her gaze held mine, searching, pleading, and a wave of vulnerability washed over me. I had been so consumed by my own pain that I hadn't fully grasped the depth of her compassion, the sincerity of her desire to help.

'I... I just,' I choked out, the words refusing to fully form. My throat tightened, a lump of fear and uncertainty growing heavier by the second. I felt exposed, raw, like a newborn chick, uncertain of its footing in the world.

Devyn's hand squeezed mine, a silent promise. She didn't press, didn't force me to speak, but her presence was a warm embrace, a gentle reassurance. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, trying to gather the strength to let her in, to let her see me, truly see me.

The silence between us stretched, pregnant with unspoken words, with raw emotions. It was a silence of understanding, of shared vulnerability. In that quiet space, I knew I wasn't alone, that Devyn wouldn't judge me, wouldn't abandon me. And in that realization, a sliver of hope, a glimmer of light, began to pierce through the darkness.