Heart in Training

Chapter 14

I blink awake, my head pounding. The room is cold, the scent of antiseptic sharp in the air. 

Blue and white wallpaper surrounds me, and it takes a moment to realize—I'm in a hospital.

"Hey, darling," my dad says softly.

"Hey," I reply, sitting up. "What happened?"

"You passed out. How are you feeling?" he asks, concern evident in his voice.

"Eh, okay," I answer.

"Are you sure everything is okay?" he presses.

"Yeah," I respond defensively.

Jeremiah walks in. My dad sighs. "Okay, we'll talk later," he says before exiting the room.

Jeremiah steps closer. "You're up. How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess... My head just hurts," I admit.

"So, like, how did I pass out?" I ask.

He smirks. "You fell gracefully, like an angel."

I squint my eyes at him.

"Don't look at me like that. I caught you," he says, amused. "You're welcome, green eyes."

I mumble under my breath, "My fat ass."

"Yeah, about that..." He pulls something from his pocket. "I found these in your locker."

My stomach drops as I see my mom's bottle of weight-loss pills in his hand.

"Uh..." I stammer.

"Yeah. Are these yours or...?" he asks, waiting for my response.

"Why were you in my—" I start, but he cuts me off.

"Don't worry, I didn't tell your parents but the doctor did," he says gently.

I motion my eyes to the door. He walks over to the door, and looks down the hallway before shutting it quietly.

"I just wanted to drop a couple of pounds to fit some jeans I bought," I lie, my voice barely above a whisper. "So I found the pills in my mom's medicine cabinet." I look down, ashamed.

He sits at the end of the bed. "I think there's more to it, but—"

"Nope, that's all," I interrupt quickly.

He takes a deep breath. "Listen, wether you're trying to drop a couple of pounds or a hundred pounds this is definitely not the way to do it. You could've seriously hurt yourself. I'm only trying to help, but fuck Lucas an—"

A knock on the door interrupts him.

 My parents and a nurse step in.

"Jeremiah," the nurse says.

"Hey, Lina," Jeremiah says.

"Can you give us a moment please," she says.

"Excuse me," he mutters, standing up and leaving the room.

Lina turns to me. "Okay, well, looking at everything... sweetie, when was the last time you had a decent meal?" she asks

"Uh... the other day," I say uncertainly.

She sighs. "It looks like you haven't eaten in a couple of days, and we also found Lorcaserin Hydrochloride in your system. That is found in a prescription drug used for weight loss. I won't keep you overnight, but I am setting you up with a nutritionist who will help get you back on track."

My parents exchange a look before my dad speaks up. "Can you give us a minute?"

The nurse nods and steps out. I see her talking to Jeremiah in the hallway.

My dad crosses his arms, his expression tight. "What were you thinking, Erica?"

My mom exhales sharply. "Starving yourself? Taking my weight loss drugs? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?"

Shame burns through me. "You guys kept making comments about my weight," I mumble. "It felt like you didn't care about me anymore. You're always focused on Reece. Everything is about him. Reece this, Reece that..." My voice cracks, and I look down, unable to meet their eyes.

My mom shakes her head, disappointment clear on her face. "Erica, we love you. We never meant to make you feel like you weren't enough. But this? This isn't the answer."

My dad sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. "You'll be working with a nutritionist. And therapy. This can't happen again."

I nod, swallowing hard. "I know. I'm sorry."

Jeremiah lightly knocks on the door interrupting us. "Sorry to intrude, but if you need a workout partner, I'm available," Jeremiah offers. "I work out like every day and would love to help and motivate Erica if that's okay with you guys."

My dad exchanges glances with my mom before looking at me. "Uh, possibly.."

As my parents leave, Amber bursts into the room. "Hey, Mom and Dad! Is she up?" she calls after them.

Amber has always been close with my family. My parents see her as another daughter.

"How are you feeling, love?" she asks, walking in with a bouquet of flowers.

 "Hey, Jeremiah!"

"Sup," he says, nodding at her.

I sigh as Amber settles in next to me. It's been a long day.