Everything Hurts

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER TWO
Alicia
To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.
~Oscar Wilde

           

I opened my eyes.

Everything was covered in black, colors dimly spotting from time to time as my vision began to adjust to the darkness. I swallowed my hot breath, throat burning as I did so. I clasped a hand around my neck and took a slow breath in, then letting it out again.

Shakily, I turned my head to look at Jason. His grimace was evident even as he dreamt. I knew he had been through much trauma in his past; I couldn't even imagine what his dreams entailed.

            He stirred in just the slightest, causing my breath to catch. I closed my eyes, fearing that he would kill me if I woke him.

He didn't come around.

Cautiously, I began to remove his arm from round my waist. He grunted, causing me to immediately stop.

My heart sped up.

My body erupted in goosebumps.

I trembled in fear.

After two minutes, I slowly came to a sitting position, feeling my head rush to the back of my skull before quickly returning to the front in an uneasy swirl. I sucked in a breath of despair as my stomach clenched itself. I then hurriedly ran to the ensuite. My body shook as I opened the toilet lid as quietly as possible. I could barely hold my hair back in time as my gut released its clenching sickness.

           "Babe?"

           I let out a small cry. Tears fell down my cheeks as I tried to control my aching stomach. The bile rose up, falling into the bowl below me though. I gripped the sides of the seat. He came over and lowered himself to rub my back in a soothing manner. I began to cry harder at his gentle touch.

           "What happened?" He massaged behind my right shoulder.

More bile.

He ran his fingers through my hair, attempting to put my convulsive shivering to rest.

More bile.

More tears.

"It's okay."

           I sniffled and breathed shakily, body spasming a bit. Dry heaving every few minutes, I felt tears of a different sort beginning to brim my eyes.

The sting of retching.

He grabbed a small rag that hung just above the toilet. He dabbed the cloth around my lips, cleaning me up. My bottom lip quivered as I looked up at him. My vision went in and out of focus, tears making my head go foggy. "It must be a bug," I quietly confirmed. He then helped me come to a standing position, hands on my forearms.

My temples began to throb.

More tears.

           "I think you'll be better by morning – after you get some rest. It was just tonight after all."

           My lips began to tremble at his words. Don't you dare bring it up. "But-But what about last," I swallowed as my voice cracked, "what about last night?" You fucking idiot.

           He paused and licked his lips with a few small nods as he took the information in. His face began to grow contorted.

          Oh God.

           "You were sick last night too?" He licked his lips again. Suddenly, he seemed like a skyscraper about to crash down.

His grip tightened on my arms.