The Merciless (h.s.)

Chapter Four

Arabella

My eyes shoot open at the sound of a small yet startling bang. My back immediately pushes off my dismantled mattress. My palms press against my sheets for balance, spotting Elle hanging onto the door knob for dear life. Her hair that was perfectly curled into waves sticks out in every direction, and I'm pretty sure she's wearing a different dress than she was last night. Black is smeared around her eyes and pink around her lips. She looks terrible.

"Ohmyfuck," she curses. Her fingers wrap around the latch of her heels, ripping them off one by one and flinging them in the corner by the door. When her hands are free, they go to scratch the depths of her scalp, further ruffling her hair and making her eyes flutter to the back of her head. I rub my eyes to make sure I am seeing her correctly, and when the blurriness fades away I confirm my vision is unfortunately correct.

"Are you okay?" is the first thing that comes out of my mouth.

"Fuck no!" she cries, her voice even cracking. Her eyebrows curve into a pained frown, one of her hands sliding from her scalp to her forehead, absorbing the warmth and sweat glistening from it. I slide out of my sheets, my feet padding over to her out of pure impulse, even though I would rather crawl back in bed and throw my pillow over my face.

"What happened?" I bring her into my arms, her forehead resting on my shoulder. Her arms wrap right around me, her hands clutching onto my back. I feel her shudders, her sickening warmth as she falls into my sleepy body. After a few moments of small whimpers and deep breaths, I feel a wet spot gathering on my shoulder, her tears and mucus creating its own pile on my old t-shirt. Elle stands in my arms for a few more passing seconds before sliding her arms from my back to gripping just beneath my shoulders. Her brown glossy eyes blink tears away as she stares at me, heartbroken.

"I am so fucking hungover and I have to go to work!" she gapes in absolute horror.

My shoulders fall, letting go of a deep breath I was holding in for the both of us. My eyes scan her distorted face, her eyes emoting true and utter pain for something so small. At least she wasn't hurt or taken advantage of.

"Oh..." I breathe.

My mind blanks, and then all of the sudden everything that happened last night hits me all at once, like a semi truck. I physically have to take a step back to regain consciousness of all of my memories of the night. I remember going to the warehouse party with Elle, then losing her almost instantly. I remember having to scramble to find a way home. I remember Harry. I remember staying up all night wondering when Elle would come home just for her to show up when the sun is piercing through the window and the city outside of it is wide awake.

"What time do you have to work?" I bounce back.

I try and ignore the way her hand presses and rubs against her abdomen with an uncomfortable expression painted on her face. "Noon," she whines.

I glance at the clock I set up at my desk area, reading that it's almost eleven thirty.

"Well...you work for your family, don't you? Just call off?" I propose. She deadpans to me and gives me a very stern glare, and then, to my surprise, letting a belch escape. I pretend I'm not thrown off.

"No, Bella...my brother is already on the way to-" she begins, inhaling deep breaths between words. But when she stops, slightly hunching her back over, my eyes widen.

I dash over to the mini pink garbage can by her desk and shove it into her chest just in time for when I hear the horrifying gags surpassing her chapped lips. She begins to hurl her entire night up into her own garbage can. She falls to her knees, holding onto the can for dear life. My fingers lace through her hair, pushing it behind her head while she projectile vomits.