TORTURED SOUL | abby littman

𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲.

   
    
    
    

chapter twenty three

{ unedited }

   
    
    
    

[ trigger warning ; mention of eating disorders ]

WORRY. That was what Abby was feeling. Pure, unfiltered worry coursed through every cell in her body, keeping her restless as her body moved to try and ease the feeling but it stuck. It didn't get better. It only got worse as the days went on. Abby hadn't talked to or seen Rowan since she was kicked out of her home.

That was five days ago.

At first, Abby was mad. Insulted, even. How could she not be? She opened up, put herself out there, and was rejected. Harshly. But once she left Rowan's home and calmed down, she realised the things she had missed when she was there. The urgency, the panic, the fear. Abby knew something was going on in that house. She just didn't know what yet but if it was the reason Rowan hadn't shown up in five days, she was going to find out.

Over the two months of knowing her, coming closer to two and a half now, Abby had learned more about Rowan than she had done with anyone else in her life. She learned about Rowan's likes, her dislikes, her favourite things, all of it.

Abby learned how Rowan loved thunderstorms and the rain and snow but didn't like the sun much. Abby knew how Rowan's favourite ice cream flavour was rocky road but she would eat any even if she didn't like it so that she didn't waste food. That's how Rowan found herself always finishing off Cameron's desserts. She learned how Rowan loved reading but hadn't had the time to read lately. She learned how Rowan's favourite book was The Song of Achilles. Rowan even had her own annotated copy―all her favourite books were. She knew how Rowan had a love for Jane Austen and Louisa Alcott. Sylvia Plath was also one of her favourites.

Abby learned how Rowan hated losing her lighters which, annoyingly, she does a lot. She earned how Rowan hardly ever uses the one Cameron doodled all over so it didn't run out of fluid. She learned how Rowan hated the smell of freshly baked cookies―she never explained why―but still makes them for Cameron who loves to bake. He took after his mom, Rowan had said but her voice was clipped and Abby knew she was holding something back from her. She learned how Rowan hates the smell of her dad's cologne and how she hates being cooped up for too long. She learned how Rowan hates media that are adapted from books or comics and completely ruins it. Abby learned how she hates superficial people who care more about popularity than anything else (Abby knew it was a small jab at her but she tried not to take it to heart since that was how she portrayed herself) and people who miss the smaller things because they were too caught up in their reputation.

Abby learned how Rowan's favourite movies were The Rocky Horror Picture Show and She's the Man. Rowan didn't tell Abby why but, after watching them herself, Abby loved them too. She learned how Rowan's favourite show was Brooklyn Nine-Nine and how she hates romance movies―they were all too predictable and cheesy for her liking. Only a few were an exception but Rowan didn't list which.

Abby learned how Rowan used music as an escape before she could go on drives and how she couldn't pick a favourite one since they were too many good ones. Rowan loved consume by Chase Atlantic, the lyrics were pretty self-explanatory for that reason. She loved Ivy by Frank Ocean, Do Me a Favour by Arctic Monkeys, Heavenly by Cigarettes After Sex and Reflection by The Neighbourhood. Those were only some of the ones she loved from her favourite artists, the bands or people she listened to most. STUCKINMYBRAIN would be one of her favourites, cherry wine being another. Sex drugs etc, I don't know how to love, the only thing and six were all added to the list of songs Rowan loves.