Stumbling Into Perfection...

Chapter 26

Jennifer's eyes opened suddenly the next morning. She focused on the ceiling above her. Where was she? Was she ok? She was in a bed and she was dressed, she could tell that much. She was too scared to look around to find out where she was though. Had she gone back to her hotel? Had she gone off with someone she didn't know? She swallowed hard. Had she slept with someone else? Her eyes closed as the possibilities hit her full force. God, what if she had slept with someone else. What if she cheated? She would never forgive herself.

As quickly as the memories of the previous day flooded into her brain, so did the pain of a searing headache. Good, she should have a hangover that rivaled any other she'd ever had. She deserved that much.

She kept her eyes closed until his voice broke the silence,

"Are you awake?"

Harry. He was here. He was with her. She had made her way back to him at least. She breathed a sigh of relief and then abruptly stopped. He knew she'd been drunk. As the relief of finding out she hadn't gone off with another man washed over her, the dread of knowing Harry was now well aware of her relapse crept in behind it.

"Here. Drink this. All of it." He said as he stood above her with a huge glass of water. She opened her eyes to look up but instead of focusing on him, she focused on the glass he was holding and the pills in his hands, "Take these. Ibuprofen for your headache."

How the hell did he know she had a headache? It didn't matter, it's not like it would take a rocket scientist to figure it out.

She sat up slowly and took the pills, tipping her head back as they washed down her throat after a big gulp of water. She made a point of not looking at him as she sipped the water, staring down into the glass.

Harry backed up and sat down in the same chair he'd sat in all night while he watched over her. He couldn't have slept even if he'd been tired. He was so worried about her and absolutely terrified that something was going to happen. He'd watched her toss and turn the whole night. At around 6 a.m. she started talking in her sleep. Though it was hard for him to make out, he could understand enough words and tone in her voice to know she was having a nightmare about her mother. He slid into the bed next to her and held her through it, waiting until she'd calmed and gone back to sleep before getting up to order some room service. He knew once she woke up she'd probably be hungry.

He took a breath,

"Are you hungry? I ordered breakfast."

Jennifer felt nothing but nausea and despair deep in the pit of her stomach. Food didn't even sound the least bit tempting. She shook her head, continuing to stare into the glass,

"No."

She knew he was going to ask her about what happened. He was going to want to talk about it. What had driven her to get drunk? Why had she disregarded everything she'd learned in treatment and drowned herself in a bottle? But the last thing she wanted to do is talk. She wanted to forget it happened. And to be completely honest, she wanted to get drunk again. Just to get rid of this anguish. It was like a rock sitting on her chest getting heavier and heavier until it suffocated her completely. The only way she knew to get out from under it was to numb it.

She finished the water and set the glass on the nightstand next to her. She swung her feet over the side of the bed and stood up, taking a few shaky steps towards her suitcase. The hangover, coupled with the movement caused her stomach to lurch and the next thing she knew she was in the bathroom with her head in the toilet. She wretched up everything in her stomach. Including the water she'd just drank.

Harry pulled her hair off her shoulders, holding it tightly in his fist while he rubbed her back. He was livid with her yet so scared for her at the same time. He didn't know what to react to first, so he just decided to take it one minute at a time.