Take A Walk (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 5 of The Hardships Saga)

Chapter Thirty-Eight

❝mirror (pronounced ˈmɪrə or mir-er), noun
something that reflects another thing; a repeat of what has once happened before.❞

Elle opened her eyes tiredly, finding herself wearing a dress with her head resting on Drew's shoulder in a taxi. Upon feeling her stir, he glanced down and smiled gently. "Good morning, darling."

"Mmph," she grumbled, sitting up straight and neatening her hair as best she could. "What-"

"Amber," he responded. "Don't stress. We're on our way to the courts."

She started to stress. "R-Right."

"Hey, I said don't stress," he said gently, kissing her. "What's wrong? Do you need to talk?"

"I just... how long has it been?"

He thought about it. "Last time you were Amber was... I think around March? It's getting better. If you've been Amber since then, you weren't around me."

She felt sick. Her head was pounding and her tongue felt like lead in her mouth, a dull ache spreading through her mouth. She closed her eyes and moved closer to Drew again, trying to hold back the projectile vomit that she was holding in, and he held her, stroking her hand gently. "It'll be okay. I'm right here, I'll always be right here."

The taxi stopped in front of the courthouses, and Elle just about ran out of the car, the paparazzi surrounding them. Drew managed to fight them off and follow Elle into the courts just as she ran into a bathroom. Drew hammered the door. "Ellie?!"

He heard her throw up into the sink and groan, and he looked around frantically for someone, anyone, to come and help. He couldn't go into the bathroom to help her. He noticed a unisex bathroom at the other end of the corridor, and said, "Cookie, come out, there's another bathroom that I can come with you into, don't stay in there alone."

He couldn't hear anything from inside the bathroom, and he ran to a female security guard. "P-Please, it's my partner, she ran into the bathroom and I heard her vomiting, she's not responding to me and I can't go in-" he managed to stammer, and the woman nodded.

"I'll check on her." She walked in and Drew heard mumbling on the other side of the door. He paced back and forth, back and forth, until finally, the door opened again. The security guard- Abby, Drew read on her name tag- was supporting her. Elle smiled weakly.

"Are you okay?"

"A bit dazed," Abby said, and Drew supported Elle, letting his large hand sit on her hip. She leaned against him. "I'd suggest just making sure she stays hydrated. It's Frank Dunne's trial today, isn't it?"

"That's right," said Drew. "Thank you, ma'am."

"Just doing my job." She left them be, and Drew bent down to Elle's level, holding her in his gaze. "Are you okay, love?"

"I'm fine," she muttered, shaking her head and moving away from Drew. He straightened up and followed after her, placing a hand on the small of her back. She faltered, then stopped with a small sigh. "I- I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise," he said gently. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm just-" She sighed. "Shit, Drew, I'm not even nearly ready."

"I don't expect you to be. This is big, Ellie. You don't have to be ready like that."

"I don't know if I can... look him in the eye. I don't... I just don't..."

"I understand." He tucked her hair behind her ear and kissed her. "I brought your makeup bag."

"Can you do my eyeliner? It's always so much more even when you do it."