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⤜ 𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐍'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐕: ⤛

𝐓𝐇𝐄 ruckus that occurred just a few minutes ago woke Blair and Maddie from their hungover slumber, it's a miracle they didn't rouse to the screaming and bashing on our front door beforehand. The two of them shuffling from their bedrooms like a pair of zombies, rubbing at their eyes before walking in on me still on the floor, barely bracing and holding myself up. I don't see their faces, I'm unable to move as I wait for the pain to subside— it never does.

"What the—" Blair's raised voice gasps from just outside her bedroom before I hear footsteps rushing towards me. "Addison? Oh my god!"

"Holy shit..." Maddie breathes out as Blair kneels beside me, sidestepping the broken glass and her hand rests gently on my back.

There's a small pause and no one says anything, Blair looks over my face, Maddie moves closer bending down on my opposite side and she brushes my hair out of my eyes. I stare absentmindedly at the floor, there's nothing I could possibly say that would change what's been done— I have to accept this and take it in my stride, chin up Addison.

"I'm so sorry, I had my earplugs in..." Blair searches my eyes, her expression saddened and hinting guilt. "I didn't hear him..."

They both know what happened, they didn't need a run by run play through because there's only one person who raises their hand to me, only one who abuses his power and takes my foolish tolerance of him for granted. There isn't a tear that stains my face, I won't allow them to fall and I may look broken but I will not let them see me break down— not emotionally.

"It's okay, don't worry. I'll clean this up." I attempt to move, shifting in my position only to have waves of shrilling pain coursing through my chest. I can't hold in the strained grunt of agony that pushes through clenched teeth as I collapse back on my hands and knees. Maddie reaches over to help me, her arms wrapping around my back and holding me up so I don't plummet the rest of the way to the floor, but I carefully shrug her away. "I'm fine, just give me... just give me a minute."

Blair frowns and it's full of frustrated perplexity. "Fine? You have shards of glass lodged in your face, you can't stand and god knows what else is wrong." She looks to Maddie, the two of them sharing a silent thought. "We need to get her to the hospital."

Maddie nods in agreement just before I interject. "No. No hospitals." I look up, face firm with an unrelenting decision. Even in my current state, I wouldn't step foot in a hospital— at least not willingly, you could say that spending a fair amount of my childhood in such a place had some long-lasting effects of anxiety.

"Addison—" Maddie starts with a sigh, her head angling to the side with a look of concern.

"No hospitals!" My voice escalates into a shout and I try to give my look a type of harshness but the fear behind it seems to be just as stubborn as I am.

They both sigh, Maddie looks to the floor while Blair's saddened eyes look back at mine. She's the one to come up with an answer, as much as they both didn't like it Blair wouldn't push me into another situation where I'd be vulnerable yet again. Only having to recount my dysfunctional relationship with the only member of my family that has actually stayed with me.

"Okay... no hospitals." Blair says, then with Maddie's help they carefully get me to my feet and start to slowly help me to my bedroom. "But I'm calling Isobel."

"Why would you call her—" I interrupt myself with a pained moan as I'm lowered onto my bed. The two girls assisting me as best they can, lifting my legs and maneuvering me under the covers causing as little discomfort as possible.