Short Stories

Baggage

BAGGAGE:

SHE WAS LOSING IT. She was sobbing and shaking uncontrollably. “I hate this so much,” she whispered to herself, surveying all the scars on her arms and legs in the mirror. Staring at her reflection in pity, tears slightly start to well up in her eyes, but she managed to blink them away when he entered the room.

            She quickly scurried over to wrap a blanket around herself before he saw the ugly scars that covered her body but it was too late, he already saw.

           His blue eyes widened in shock, and the cup he was holding fell to ground, causing the liquid inside it to splatter across the floor. Though he didn’t care at the moment. His eyes quickly took in her scarred body before his eyes met hers and they locked.

            They stood in silence for several minutes.

          When he got his voice back he managed to pull together a couple words, “Why would you do this?” he almost yelled, angry that she would do such a thing. She flinched at his loud voice, she didn’t say anything, “That wasn’t a rhetorical question, Jenna! I want to know, why the fuck would you do this?!”

            She shook her head slightly before inhaling shakily, “B-Because I’m not worth much,” she answered simply, it almost sounded rehearsed.

            His face was still contorted in anger, “Are you kidding me? Jenna,” he stopped mid-sentence before he continued, making sure he had his thoughts gathered correctly, “you’re being stupid, of course you’re worth something.”

            This rubbed Jenna the wrong way,” Oh, if you think I’m stupid then why don’t you just leave?” she yelled, her ducts now overflowing with tears, making Nick shocked and a little bit more frustrated.

            Though with all this shock and frustration he walked over to her and clasped her tightly in his arms. But she was still resistant, struggling to get out of his grasp.

            That’s when he got a better look of her. Her eyes had huge bags under them and her nose and cheeks were blotchy, and her eyes were bloodshot which made Nick’s heart ache.

            He hated to see this side of her, even though it only happens every so often, it takes awhile for his heart to heal completely after every episode. His heart was still scarred and screwed up from the last one that she had, that was three months ago.

            He then picked her up, Jenna now sobbing uncontrollably. He carried her to their bed and lied on it with her still wrapped in his arms.

            “I won’t leave,” he whispered in her ear, a couple tears manage to roll down his face, “I can’t leave. I can’t leave because I fucking love you.”

            That’s when she felt her scarred arms wrap around his torso, pulling herself closer to him. She then whispered, “But I have so much baggage.”

            He closed his eyes.

            “I’ll carry it for you.”