Rage

Chapter Twenty Three

A/N: This one's for lissa5467 for sticking around right from the beginning.

"You don't eat, Taylor." Julio said. His use of my actual name betrayed his concern, as did the worried look in his eyes as he looked at me, watching for my reaction to his words.

We were lazing around in my room. School was done for the day, and I had homework to get around to, but I'd only do that later. I was meeting Ally later for a movie, but I was just content to be hanging out with Julio for a while. That is, until he brought up my eating habits.

"It's fine. I eat enough." I cleared my throat awkwardly, looking anywhere but at him.

"No, you don't." He was insistent now, and he'd sat up straighter in bed. His tone was serious, more so than usual.
"Eating one meal a day and the occasional treat isn't healthy."

"I need to lose weight, anyway. I just eat whenever I'm hungry." I informed him, fiddling with my fingers.

"Bullshit." He stated simply, "I know you and I know when you're hungry. Why don't you eat? You've lost a lot of weight since we first met, and I think you're probably little more than skin and bones at this point."

"It was weight I needed to lose. I still need to lose a little more. I'm on a diet, Rage." I used the stupid nickname only to soften him up a little. It didn't work.

"No, you don't." He protested. "I don't know who's been feeding you all that shit, but you're perfect. You were perfect before, too."

"Have you seen the models my mother works with, Julio?" I demanded, my voice breaking slightly. "They're all so beautiful and so thin. I'm disgusting compared to them."

"You're not disgusting, Taylor." Julio snapped, "And you can't compare yourself to them. It's their job to look like that, and I honestly pity them. Do you think they don't want to eat?"

I refused to meet his eyes, and I didn't say anything further. I didn't know what to say. I knew that he was speaking out of care for me, but I just couldn't have this conversation right now.

"Look," His tone softened considerably, and he gently placed a finger beneath my chin, pushing it up so that I met his gaze. "You're beautiful, princess. So what if your mother compares you to her models? Even if you become nothing but skin and bones, she isn't going to love you. That's because there's something wrong with her, not you. She's not capable of love. You have people who love you for you. Your brother loves you, your friends love you, I love you."

"You do?" I asked, vulnerably, shocked at his words. I was falling for him, and I was falling for him fast, I just wasn't at that point where I could say I was in love with him yet.

"Yes, I do. And it's okay if you're not there yet, but I love you. And I hate seeing you like this. You need to be healthier, Taylor. Please. Just try."

The desperation in his voice made me stop to think. Was he right? Did I really not need to lose more weight?

Honestly, I didn't know. But, the least I could do was try. Try for him, and for myself.

"Okay." I promised, and he took my hand, breathing a sigh of relief. "I'll try."

"Thank you." He said, kissing my hand, then my cheek and then my lips.

I leaned into the kiss, instantly feeling better. When he tried pulling back, I held him by the nape of his neck and deepened the kiss.

I pulled him down, onto me, insistent against his lips, nipping at the lower lip to get him to open his mouth. He obliged, letting his tongue run over my lips, before entering my mouth and beginning its exploration.