Chenford Story ✔️

5

Tim's POV

The doctors allowed me into Lucy's room the next hour. Emmet had left for work and didn't know I was there. "Luce" I was truly worried about her. Because for once, I was starting to realise that I really, deeply cared about Lucy Chen. I didn't want to see her hurt.

The hospital gown looked big on her tiny body, the sleeves went well past her fingertips. I saw just how tiny she was now. I had only ever seen her as this fierce and strong woman... now I was seeing her vulnerable side.

16kg. That was how much she weighed. Someone of her age and height should be 40 to 50. A few tears started to form in my eyes. How the hell was I so blind.

Lucy had been suffering, probably for months alone, and I didn't even notice. Angela came in just then, wrapping her arms around me. "It's ok Tim, she's going back to her apartment tomorrow, then in less than two weeks she'll be married and Emmet can take care of her"

Emmet. I honestly didn't know why I hated the guy so much. I hated all of Lucy's boyfriends though. For some reason, at the time I hated Caleb least maybe that was a good sign that Emmet was the right thing to do for Lucy.

"Hey Lucy" I started talking softly, one of the last times we had had a proper conversation was me shouting at her days ago. I regretted it now obviously. "Um.... I hope your ok, given the circumstances. And um... I'm sorry for shouting the other day, I know I haven't really apologized. I-I guess maybe I just wish you had trusted me enough to tell me"

Angela's POV

Tim's words seemed very genuine. Even during Isobel's addiction, their divorce, never had Tim Bradford been so sentimental about... well anyone or thing. Even I was now second to Lucy. She brought out the best in him. Why couldn't they just get together already?!

I walked into the room where Lucy was. Standing half behind the door so Tim didn't know I was there. "I just wished you had trusted me enough to tell me" Tell him what? The detective in me was coming out. What was Lucy hiding that made Tim so nervous. He had never been like this before, with even me.

Lucy's POV

Everything hurt. My body felt so weak. I heard a voice speaking to me but I couldn't tell what it was saying. I opened my eyes slowly. Each muscle in my body hurt more than it did earlier, my vision was slightly blurry. "Emmet?...."
Emmet's voice didn't reply, it was Tim, he sounded comforting but he still sounded scared. "Hey Lucy, you're awake, how are you?"

My vision started to clear up slowly. I could see the feint outline of a figure, Tim's voice came from the outline. "Hey, you're ok Lucy, you're ok.

"Hi Tim" As much as I wished I didn't, I was glad that Tim was here, not Emmet. I noticed that my hospital gown was to big, swamping my body. At least that meant no one, least of all Tim, could see my cuts. At this point they covered me chest down, almost every inch of my body had touched the blade at least once, most a few hundred times.

I had started in high school, with only a few streaks, when my parents were especially bad. Then in college it got worse, running in down my legs whenever I was stressed with a project, money, whatever really.
I never told anyone. They would have laughed, they would have called me weak. I could handle being called that by anyone other than my parents, and then Emmet. Because I knew it was true, strangers knew it was true. I was a weak lazy little bitch. Emmet was right.

"Um Tim..." "Yeah Lucy?" He responded immediately, a noticeable spark in his eyes, "where's Emmet?" The spark was gone instantly. He replied just coldly enough that it could be considered unintended, "oh, um... I think he said something about going to work?"

"Oh...." I wasn't really sad that Emmet wast there. I was more sad at Tim's reaction. "Do you know when he will be back?"
"No.... I'm not sure Luce" 'Luce' that nickname again. I liked it.

Tim's POV

At least Lucy was talking, she was ok. Yeah maybe she was talking about Emmet, maybe I hated it, but Lucy was awake.

"Hey Lucy......" I approached the topic carefully. "Um.... I saw the tablets....... the other day"

This wasn't how I had wanted to approach the topic with Luce. "Oh..........." Lucy was silent for a while, "when?......."

"A week ago........ I looked through your bag while you were in the bathroom"
Lucy seemed to space out again, barely hearing what I said. "Um Lucy?"

Lucy's POV

I zoned back in. He knew. Tim knew about the pills. "And......?" "Why?" It wasn't a question I knew the answer to, such a simple question. "I-i" a few tears started rolling down my cheeks, i didn't want to tell Tim. I was weak for not telling him. I was so weak. "I'm overweight, you know I..."
Tim cut me off "Luce, you aren't at all overweight, are..... are you eating?"
I didn't answer, I couldn't lie to him. It was impossible for me to lie to Tim.

A simple scared shake of the head was enough. Tim came in for a soft hug, slowly pressing a kiss to my forehead. "It's ok Lucy, it's ok, you're ok"

Tears started flowing faster. I hadn't planned on telling Tim, it wasn't even the biggest secret I had been keeping from him.