Stronger (Smosh) (3)

1 Chance

WES

A month has passed since Eden decided to leave California, and she was finally following through with her decision. She avoided Lasercorn and I while at the office, but I knew that she had been talking to him on her spare time. She stayed in her room at our apartment, slowly packing her bags, and we ate dinner together almost every other night for the month, but I could feel a disconnect between us. We were still friends, but everything came with a hesitant smile or an uncomfortable laugh.

I carried some boxes down the stairs and into the moving van, then stood quietly in the doorway of my bedroom as Anthony carried the last piece of her furniture from her room. He turned the corner, and she came into view on the stairs, a nervous smile pulling shyly at her lips as she watched me, "You're really going?" I asked hesitantly, meeting her eyes for a moment before looking down at my hands. When she didn't respond, I continued, "I'm going to miss you," I flashed her a genuine smile as she repeated the phrase back to me.

I entered my room, calling quietly, "Here," she stood in the center of the doorway watching me as I grabbed the last box of her possessions from my bed, "These are the things you kept in here." I handed her the box of her clothes and she opened her arms, holding it in front of her for a moment before her arms went limp, dropping the box to the floor.

I lunged forward, wrapping my arms around her torso as she fell towards the door frame. She seemed to disappear into her own mind as I held her firmly in my arms, fear pumping through my veins, "Eden!" I called to her, moving one of my hands to rub the side of her face, brushing her blonde hair out of her eyes. She didn't respond, her eyes falling for a moment as my hand held her head up, "Eden!" I snapped my fingers and she came back into consciousness for a moment.

Lifting her into the air, I placed her sitting up at the foot of my, "Eden, please, talk to me." I begged her, my heart pounding in my chest, "Ian!" I shouted though the apartment in a panic when she didn't respond, placing my hand on her back to keep her from falling backwards, "Anthony!"

They ran into the room a minute later, and Anthony tumbled onto the floor, tripping on the spilled box that had scattered around the doorway, "What happened?" Ian asked in a panic as I sat beside his sister, "Wes, what happened?" He shouted at me angrily.

He and Anthony knelt in front of her, panic painted on their faces, "I don't know!" I shouted back at him, turning to look at Eden as her breathing increased, "Eden, what's wrong?" I asked her seriously and she seemed to freeze in her place.

In a moment, she rushed to her feet, ran through Ian and Anthony, and tumbled onto the bathroom floor. She fell onto her knees in front of the toilet and gripped the seat with her hands. The door swung closed behind her and I jumped to my feet, quickly following her into the bathroom as she began to vomit into the toilet, "It's probably just a stomach virus," I heard Ian say with a relieved sigh as I stood over her, my hands holding her hair out of her face as she leaned over the toilet.

"I feel fine," she fought, wiping her mouth on her hand as I reached to give her a towel, "I'm fine!" Gripping the toilet seat, she vomited once more.

"Eden, maybe you should wait a few more days before leaving," Ian said to her softly as she wiped her mouth on the towel and wobbled back onto her feet, bracing herself on my arm, "I can drive you to the doctor and you can stay at my place for a few nights until you're feeling better."

"I'll be fine," she said again and I propped her body against the counter, reaching into the mirror cabinet to fix her a sip of mouth wash, "I feel fine." She took the mouth wash, spitting into the sink before pushing her way out of the bathroom.

She took a seat on my bed beside Anthony and stared down at her hands that rested in her lap, catching her breath, "Can I just be alone for a while?" She asked as Ian and I reentered the room, repeating, "I just want to be alone."

Her eyes locked on mine for a moment, and we all nodded, moving out of the room and shutting the door, "I'll convince her to go to the doctor," Ian said, clearing his throat nervously, "I don't want her to get sick on the plane!"

"I'll stay at Joven's for the next few nights and she can sleep in my room," Anthony told him, patting his back before they both moved toward the stairs, flashing me a sympathetic smile before walking away.

I lightly huffed, hesitating before I took a step back towards my bedroom door. Slightly opening it, I peeked inside to see her body lying across my bed. Panic filled me for a moment and I pushed my way into the room, falling onto my knees beside her and checking to see that she was breathing. I watched her for a moment, a smile pulling at my lips as she slept peacefully on my bed for the last time.

I took off her shoes and placed them on the floor beside the bed, moving an extra blanket to cover her body. I smiled to myself, looking at her as she adjusted her body on the bed, smiling in her sleep. Leaning forward, I placed my lips against her forehead. I ran my hand gently over her face, and moved her hair behind her ear, leaving the room.

"She's out cold up there," I said to Ian as I exited the stairs.

"She's what?" He asked me defensively, stepping forward as if he were challenging me. 

"She's asleep," I said to him clearly, repeating, "She fell asleep."

"Should we wake her up?" He asked quickly as Anthony moved to stand beside him, "I can schedule a doctor's appointment for later this evening."

"If she's asleep," Anthony shrugged, saying, "Maybe we should let her stay here. She needs the rest." Ian was hesitant but soon agreed.

"I'll sleep on the couch," I said to calm Ian, noticing the anger hidden behind his features.

"Call me when she wakes up," He demanded with a firm glare.

I nodded and watched as they both walked from my apartment, letting the door slam shut behind them. Walking up the stairs, I could hear her lightly snoring from my bedroom. Moving to the spare bedroom, I looked over the vacancy. She was here, but she was already gone.