Ambition » Jason Blossom [1] #wattys2018

Chapter Fifteen: How To Fake A Smile.

[Trigger warning: I will do a recap of this entire chapter in the beginning of the next, so please, please, please, do not feel obligated to read it. Proceed cautiously]

Adeline darts up in bed, breaths ragged although muffled as the shouting of the voices in her head scream louder than ever before.

She presses her sweaty palms against her pierced ears, teeth gritted and eyes screwed shut as she breathes in an out at an erratic and unsteady rhythm, her calm and collected personality thrown out the window as tears break out of her eyes.

Her wild green eyes glance at the bathroom door, opening just a hair so she can see her shower from her angle, before she glances at her phone, completely lost for herself in the spur of the moment.

She reaches for her phone for a moment, clicking it open as her finger hovers over Jason Blossom's name, pulling at the roots of her hair as she breathes in and out deeply, trying to find herself- find her composure.

"I-I can't."

She breathe voice breaking as she throws her phone to the other end of the room, just before pushing herself up onto her frail and shaking arms, as she walks towards the bathroom, stumbling so much she has to grip the door frame to support her shaking knees.

She turns, shoulder against the old oak as she pushes herself up, holding herself steady on the sink as she looks into the mirror, the voices in her head screaming louder than ever before, pins and needles covering her arms as she catches her pale and beaded sweat covered face, body aching as she throws up the mirror with a thud, ripping open the packet of Gillette razors as she falls to her knees, pulling one apart, tossing the miscellaneous pieces upon the cold tile floor.

Slowly she brings the cold metal to her skin, drawing stripes that she swore to herself she would never see again on her skin.

Choking back a sob, she stops the metal, a certain numbness overpowering her sense.

How could she go from feeling everything to nothing in a matter of seconds?

The bloody piece of them metal drops from her fingertips and she covers mouth, the blood from her fingers covering her cheeks and mixing with her tears as she shakily pushes herself up, pressing a towel to her arm, stand for a moment as she chokes back her tears.

Her eyes land on her phone, and she stares at it for a long time, dropping the towel, before stumbling to her phone collapsing on her knees, pressing it to her ear, hands shaking in a way that causes her earrings to click against the phone every few seconds before drawing back away.

"Hello?"

His voice is groggy and even more remorse and pain fills her veins as she closes her eyes, tipping her head back as she tries to choke out the words on the tip of her tongue.

"Hello?" There's rustling and she assumes that he's tipped his phone back, perhaps to hang up, but in seconds his voice is back and clearer than ever, all sleep gone, "Adeline?"

She closes her eyes, another tear slipping down her cheek, voice raspy as she splutters out her words, "I-I-I n-need y-you."

She hears more rustling and the closing of a car door, "I'll be there in five."
                               •••
When Jason bursts through the door, he sees Adeline sitting on the ground, green gaze vacant as she stares at the wall in front of her.

He flips on the lights, closing the door and sinking besides her, pressing his hand against her cheeks, checking for damage though he only finds her broken and tear flushed face.