Roxy stood in the bathroom, staring at her reflection in the mirror. The red and white tank top she had picked out earlier hung loosely on her frame, paired with short shorts. She adjusted the hem of her shirt as she tried to ignore the way her body trembled, the cold sweat on her palms. She’d been avoiding looking at herself for too long now. Every glance at her reflection felt like it revealed too much—too much vulnerability, too much rawness.
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The white whale-tail underwear peeked out from under the edge of her shorts, an unintentional reveal she’d tried to ignore. It wasn’t like she cared anymore; if anything, it was a signal to herself that she was still alive, still here. But she couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something was wrong. As always, she felt like she wasn’t enough, like she didn’t belong in the life that had been handed to her.
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She adjusted the straps of her bra, but the right one kept slipping down. Her eyes narrowed in frustration as she reached for it again. She tugged it up, but the feeling of it digging into her skin made her want to scream. She couldn't focus, couldn’t breathe. The panic was starting to creep in. She didn’t want to face it, didn’t want to admit it, but she knew what it was. She knew it well.
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“Roxy?” Luke’s voice called from the other side of the door.
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Roxy froze, then turned, clutching the fabric of her shirt tightly, her heart pounding.
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“Are you okay?” Luke asked, his voice softer now, a hint of concern in it. He’d been waiting outside the bathroom, probably sensing something was wrong.
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"I... I'm fine," she mumbled, trying to ignore the way her voice cracked. She wasn’t fine. She never was.
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There was a pause, and then Luke pushed the door open slightly, his face peeking in. His eyes were searching, watching her carefully, reading her every movement.
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“Let me help you,” Luke said, stepping inside the bathroom.
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Roxy didn’t respond immediately. She didn’t know how to respond. She didn’t want to admit she needed help, didn’t want to admit how broken she felt inside.
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She sighed, slumping slightly. “I don’t need help, Luke.”
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But Luke wasn’t having it. His eyes softened, and before she could react, he stepped closer, reaching behind her to adjust the strap of her bra, just as she had been struggling with.
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“Stop. I got it.” She snapped, trying to pull away, but Luke gently held her in place. His hands were steady as he fixed the strap, the touch careful but assertive.
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“I’m not doing this to make you uncomfortable, Roxy,” Luke said quietly. “I’m just trying to help.”
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Roxy didn’t respond, her eyes glued to the floor. She knew she should be grateful. Luke didn’t have to do any of this. But she wasn’t. She felt exposed, vulnerable, like she was being watched too closely.
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Once the strap was in place, Luke pulled back, and she immediately wrapped her arms around herself, the familiar sensation of defensiveness creeping in. “There. All fixed,” Luke said, but Roxy didn’t move.
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He glanced at her, his face serious now, his voice lowering. “Roxy, it’s okay to not be fine. It’s okay to need help. But you’re not fine right now, and I won’t let you keep pretending that you are.”
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The words hit her like a slap in the face. Her body tensed, and she shook her head violently. “I’m fine!” she shouted, voice cracking. “Just... leave me alone.”
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Luke’s face softened with frustration. He was used to her walls, used to her pushing him away, but today—today was different. He could see it. He could feel it. The panic in her eyes, the tremors in her hands. She was lying, and he knew it.
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“No, Roxy, you’re not fine,” Luke said firmly, his voice steady and calm, even though inside, his heart was breaking. “And I’m tired of watching you do this to yourself. You’re pushing everyone away, but we’re here. I’m here.”
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Roxy’s breath hitched. She wasn’t ready for this. She wasn’t ready for him to see the cracks, to see just how broken she felt. But Luke wasn’t letting her shut him out.
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“Why won’t you just let us help you?” Luke continued, stepping closer again, reaching out for her hand. “We care about you, Roxy. I care about you.”
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The words hung in the air, and Roxy’s heart pounded in her chest. She felt like she was suffocating under the weight of them. Her hands clenched at her sides as the urge to retreat, to escape, bubbled up inside her.
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"I don’t need anyone," she whispered, her voice trembling as the tears began to form in her eyes. "I just need to be alone.”
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Luke’s jaw clenched, and he stepped behind her, resting his hand on her shoulder. “You don’t need to be alone, Roxy. Not with me.”
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But Roxy pulled away, the words hurting more than she wanted to admit. “You don’t understand,” she said, her voice breaking. “You think you can fix me, but you can’t. No one can.”
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Luke’s frustration grew, but so did his concern. “I’m not trying to fix you, Roxy. I’m trying to *help* you. You’re not alone in this. You don’t have to carry this weight by yourself. But you have to let me in. You have to let me *help* you.”
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Roxy turned away, her shoulders shaking with the force of her emotions. “I can’t... I just... I don’t know how,” she whispered, the words slipping out before she could stop them.
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Luke’s face softened, and he stepped up beside her, resting his hand gently on her arm. “You don’t have to know how. Not right now. But I’m here, Roxy. I won’t give up on you.”
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The silence in the room was deafening as Roxy stood there, trying to process everything. She wanted to fight him, wanted to push him away, but part of her—part of her—wanted to lean into him, to let him in.
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She let out a shaky breath, wiping her eyes quickly. “I don’t want to be a burden,” she murmured, almost to herself.
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Luke stepped up beside her, his hand gently resting on her arm. “You’re not a burden. You never were.”
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Before Roxy could respond, there was a knock at the door. Reggie and Alex stood there, their faces filled with concern.
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“We thought we heard yelling,” Alex said softly. "Is everything okay?"
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Roxy turned away, feeling exposed and vulnerable. Luke met their eyes and gave a silent shake of his head, signaling that she wasn’t ready to talk just yet.
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“I’ll give you some space, okay?” Luke said quietly to her. "But I’m not going anywhere. Just remember that."
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Roxy nodded, not trusting her voice to say anything.
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As Luke stepped back, leaving the room for a moment, Alex and Reggie entered, though neither of them spoke immediately. They could sense the tension in the room, the way Roxy stood there, her arms crossed, trying to seem fine even though they all knew she wasn’t.
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Just as Luke reached the door, Reggie tossed something into the air. It was a ponytail holder. Luke caught it with a practiced hand, raising an eyebrow in acknowledgment.
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“Thanks, Reggie,” Luke said softly, glancing back at Roxy. He stepped over to her and handed her the ponytail holder with a smile. “Here. You want me to put it in for you?”
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Roxy nodded silently, still standing there, feeling vulnerable but oddly comforted by Luke’s presence. She pulled her hair back into a messy bun with the ponytail holder, trying to ground herself, trying to feel something other than the overwhelming panic that had consumed her.
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“Feel better?” Luke asked, watching her closely.
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She didn’t answer at first, but after a moment, she exhaled a shaky breath. “I’m trying.”
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Luke gave her a small, reassuring smile. “That’s all you can do.”
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