Important Note in the Author's Note regarding future updates. Be sure to check it out!

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"So when you think of yourself, what comes to mind?" Dr. Harrison asked.

I let out a sigh, my eyes glancing over to the clock.

Dr. Harrison patiently waited for my answer, which just annoyed me even more.

"I don't know," I said, with a sigh.

"You don't know?"

"No."

"When you hear the name Emily Winston, what comes to mind?"

I let out a sigh, my eyes glancing back over to the clock. "Antsy."

"Okay," she agreed.

"Can I go home yet?"

"Not yet."

I leaned back in my chair. I really hate being here.

"What else comes to mind?"

I closed my eyes, actually trying to think about the question.

"Anorexia," I said, opening my eyes and looking at Dr. Harrison.

She crossed her right leg over her left. "I want you to try something at home this week."

Wait, my therapist was giving me homework?

"I want you to make a list of things that separate you from Anorexia."

"What?"

"Take two notepads," she instructed. "Construct your memories that have to do with you versus memories that revolve around the Anorexia."

What the hell was that supposed to do for me?

"Okay," I agreed.

Not that I was left with a choice.

~*~

"What are you up to?" Emmett asked, peering over my shoulder.

"I'm doing my homework," I muttered, staring at the blank notepads in front of me.

"Looks very productive," he said, laughing as he made his way into the kitchen.

"I'm supposed to separate myself from the Anorexia," I explained to Emmett, as he pulled out some ingredients for dinner.

"Okay," he agreed, pulling the hamburger out of the refrigerator before turning to face me.

"But I have no fucking idea what Dr. Harrison wants from me."

He placed the hamburger on the counter before crossing the kitchen, leaning across the counter.

"I think you're overthinking things."

I rolled my eyes.

"It's not about what Dr. Harrison wants from you," he said, raising his eyebrows at me. "It's about looking inside yourself to find the answers. I think that's the aim she was going for here."

"That's so incredibly stupid."

He laughed. "Why don't you give an actual try before bashing the idea?"

Days like these are when I seriously hate his optimism.

~*~

"Where's Emmett?" I asked Lee, looking around the kitchen.

"Emmett got called into work," Lee informed me, pouring himself a glass of lemonade. "And Parker ran out for donuts."

"Okay," I agreed, grabbing a bottle of water.

Parker came into the apartment, carrying a box of donuts and one hand and texting with the other.

"That's mad skill right there," Lee complimented.

Parker looked up, surprised to see the two of us in the kitchen.

"Did you get my donut?" Lee asked, as Parker slid the box onto the counter.

"Yeah," Parker agreed, distractedly.

I flipped open the box, Lee immediately claiming one of the sprinkled donuts.

I took a simple glazed donut, looking over at Parker who was completely zoned out.

"When he comes back to reality, tell him I got in the shower," Lee said to me, before taking another sprinkled donut and heading back to the bathroom.

"Huh?" Parker asked, looking over at me as he grabbed a donut.

"Lee got in the shower."

"Okay," he agreed, checking his phone.

"Is everything okay?"

He nodded, munching on a cinnamon roll.

"Okay," I agreed, before heading out to the living room to watch some TV.

"Actually," he said, following me out. "I ran into your favorite person."

"Who?" I asked, plopping down on the couch.

"Daniel."

"Oh, okay."

I really hadn't thought much about Daniel since the holidays started. And quite honestly I didn't really want to. My feelings about him were confusing and complicated and intermixed with everything that happened last year.

"He told me that I didn't stand a chance with you," Parker informed me.

I slapped my hand over my mouth to keep from spitting out my donut. "He what?"

"He said that you guys had a deep history together, so I just might as well give up now."

"What a bastard," I muttered, shaking my head.

"He also went on to say that you'd never actually leave him, because he saved your life."

"He did not say that."

"He did," Parker agreed, his eyes clouded with confusion.

I pressed my lips together, trying to control my anger.

What a self-conceited douchebag.

Parker took a seat on the opposite end of the couch, finishing off more of his cinnamon roll.

"So what did he mean by he saved your life?" Parker asked, after a few moments of silence.

I should've seen that question coming.

"It was last year," I explained, with a sigh. "I used to take these appetite suppressants throughout the day, just to help..." I let my sentence trail off, unsure of how to put into words what I was thinking. "So I was dating Daniel at the time, and we went out and we were supposed to go to dinner and a movie. But I fed him my usual I already ate line, and he got upset with me, and we were arguing outside the apartment complex when I started to feel dizzy."

I could remember it was like it was yesterday. Daniel and I were both getting heated. Daniel was upset that I never wanted to go out anymore, and I was just trying to avoid having to eat.

This was also a couple of days after I found out he cheated on me, but I didn't have the self-esteem to do anything about it. So I let the information slide off my back, burying it deep inside alongside the rest of my emotions.

"This hadn't been the first time, so I just sat down on the curb, waiting for it to pass. And it did, so Daniel dropped the dinner thing and we were getting ready to go to the movies," I explained. "But then I started to feel nauseated and just overall sick, and the last thing I remember is asking Daniel to call Emmett."

I could also remember repeatedly puking up blood, but that's not something I wanted to share with Parker. I could also faintly remember the sirens from the ambulance and a few early moments in the hospital, but nothing concrete.

"He called an ambulance," I informed Parker, without looking at him. "So in that context, he saved my life."

Silence stretched between us, and I couldn't help the flashbacks from that night.

Emmett's tears were what haunted me the most, his almost complete breakdown.

"So that's why you stay with him," Parker filled in.

"It's much more complicated than that."

"He saved your life; he's your real hero."

He was never the picture-perfect boyfriend, but I wasn't the picture-perfect girlfriend either. We were always that work-in-progress couple, the one that you rolled your eyes at.

"Not really."

"Emily, you shouldn't let him hold that over you," Parker said to me.

"I don't," I defended. "He's never said that to me, not once."

"He doesn't have to say what you're thinking."

I didn't bother answering. I didn't know how to explain my relationship with Daniel, now or before.

"You deserve better than him," Parker added.

"Easy for you to say," I said, with a sarcastic laugh.

That caught him off-guard.

Parker stood up, staring at me. "Emily, you don't deserve a guy who cheats on you multiple times and still thinks he has some wolf-type claim on you."

I stood up as well, running my fingers through my hair. "Daniel isn't perfect, but neither am I."

"Nobody's perfect," Parker corrected. "But Daniel is a douchebag."

"You don't even know him."

"I know him enough to know that he doesn't deserve someone like you."

"Someone like me?" I let out another sarcastic laugh. "I'm nothing."

"That's not true."

"Okay," I agreed, with a sarcastic laugh.

"Emily, I wish you could see your full potential."

I let out a sigh, closing my eyes for a few moments. "Parker, I wish that you would just drop the subject."

Parker closed his eyes for a few moments, a pained expression on his face. And then he opened them again, looking straight into my eyes. "You're everything and so much more."

And then he closed the space between us, wrapping his arms around my waist and planting his lips on mine.

At first I kissed him back, welcoming his affection.

And then I placed my hands on his chest, shoving him away while biting my bottom lip.

"What?" Parker asked, breathlessly.

"This isn't helping," I said, letting my head hang.

I felt Parker's fingers tuck underneath my chin, and he pulled my face up to meet his.

"I want to be with you Emily," he said, sincerely.

"You really don't," I informed him. "You say that now, because maybe you think I'm a good lay or fun for a day or two. But I'm really just a piece of work."

Parker stared into my eyes, his emotion unwavering. "I'm willing to put in the time," he promised.

"I want to believe you, I really do," I said, staring back into his eyes. "But I know-"

"I'm not going to stand idly by while you put yourself down, again," Parker informed me, shaking his head. "Emily, you deserve the world. And I want to give that to you."

I let out a long sigh, letting him pull me into a hug.

His lips lingered on the top of my head for a few moments. "But I'm not going to be the one to tell Emmett."

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So what did you guys think about Emily's session with Dr. Harrison? What about her homework assignment? And then Emmett's advice towards Emily regarding the whole situation? And then, of course, what did you think about Parkily? (I think that's my fave name that I've read so far, because it reminds me of sparkly.)

The picture off to the right was submitted by ThexBookxNerd. Check it out! -->

I'm pretty much over the update comments. And then the freakout because it's 9:55 PM on Monday I haven't updated yet, even though I said I would update on Monday. I've talked to you guys about it, I tried the nice & mean approach, nothing's worked. So I'm just done with it all together. From this point forward I won't be giving a certain day for updates. I hope that this will cut down on the infuriating comments.

Teaser: Parker takes Emily to the art museum & surprises her.

Update: Later this week