Part Two
Her eyelids fluttered open at the sound of someone rummaging around just a few feet away. She looked around, familiarizing herself with settings she was in. Then she remembered. She quivered at the memory of the previous night. She had come to such an ultimate low. She had even thought about committing suicide. But when that thought had entered her head, she knew she had to get somewhere where she could be helped. That's when her instincts said Michael. Isabel lifted her head up and looked into the kitchen. She could see Michael standing by the stove, he was watching over a pan. He averted his eyes to Isabel to see how she was doing. She slumped back down on the bed, resting her head on the wet pillow. Michael walked over to Isabel.
"Hey, you finally woke up. How'ya feelin?" Michael asked softly. Isabel gave him a faint smile as she sat up.
"Better. Thanks." She paused to smell the air. "What are you cooking?"
"Bacon, eggs, and sausage. Smell good?" Michael asked, walking back to the kitchen to check on his food. He knew Isabel would object at first to eating such food, but she needed to eat.
"Yeah. Is it almost ready?" Isabel surprised herself with the words she said. Normally, she would gross out at such a fatty meal. But today, she didn't care. She just wanted to eat, get her problems off her mind. She slipped out of bed and made her bed. When she finished, the food was ready and on the table.
"Mmmm. Michael, this is so good. Where did you learn to cook like this?" Isabel was surprised at how good the food tasted.
"My foster dad often made me cook him breakfast, so I learned fast. Plus I live by myself. Of course I'm going to make good food. I have to eat it myself." Michael said in a jokingly manner. He didn't want to say anything too serious that would set off Isabel. So far, she seemed okay. She was stuffing her face with an egg and then shoved a piece of toast. Michael had never seen her eat like this before. "You must be really hungry."
"I didn't eat anything last night…" She paused to eat a piece of sausage. "Could you pass me the orange juice please." She pointed at the jug on his side of the table. He obeyed her request immediately and poured her a cup of juice. She drank it down right away which right after, filled her mouth with another runny egg. Her stomach felt so empty and hollow that she felt she NEEDED to get something in it and fill it up.
When she finished eating, she pushed her plate away. She felt overloaded and wanted to throw-up. "Excuse me. I'll be right back." Isabel got up from the table and walked calmly towards the bathroom. She closed and locked the door so Michael couldn't enter. Then she knelt down on the floor and opened the toilet seat. Almost immediately, the partially digested food exited her body the same way it entered. She gagged on the remains of the once delicious breakfast while tears came from her tired, sore eyes. Five minutes passed. Everything from the previous day left her body, leaving her empty once again. She slowly rose from her knelt position on the floor and flushed the toilet. She looked into the mirror and was disgusted with the image that reflected her. The girl she saw was not the beautiful Isabel Evans that she knew so well. This girl in the mirror was pale with no color and her eyes were blood-shot. Her once-perfectly placed strands of hair were now hanging in every direction except north. She struggled to fix her hair so Michael wouldn't be disgusted with what he saw. Her bright red lips stood out on her white complexion. The mascara, which was once so perfectly traced onto the perimeter of her eyes, was now smudged underneath the eyes. Sweat came pouring out of her pores, causing her to have an unpleasant odor. Suddenly, her knees buckled and she collapsed to the floor. She crouched over her knees, covering her face with her hands. Tears streaming down her face, she let out a cry of anguish. 'Why me! Why was I so stupid! I hate myself! Why do I have to live!' Isabel cursed at herself. When she looked up, she could see the doorknob glowing and she knew Michael was trying to get in. She let him come.
When he opened the door, he was astonished at what he saw. He saw the image of a girl he knew so well who was devastated by the realization of her past. He bent down and pulled Isabel into his arms.
"Shhh. It's okay. I'm here." He held her tight, not letting her go for a second. He knew how vulnerable she was at that moment. He knew because he had gone through it himself, when he killed Pierce. Right now, he knew what Isabel was thinking. So he held her, telling her he was there for her, that he wouldn't leave her.