Foul Ball
Chapter 45: Jayce

I woke sometime around three in the morning that night, feeling around for Macey in the bed next to me. Her warm body wasn't there, and the sheet was cold where I touched it. I opened my eyes, panicking slightly as I looked around, forcing my eyes to adjust to the dark. Macey wasn't in bed next to me, but I could see the outline of her figure in the bathroom, standing in the dark room in front of the mirror, eyes focused on the pale face in front of her. For a moment I wondered if she'd been sleepwalking.

"Baby?" I said softly, sitting up in bed. I could barely make out her silhouette in the darkness, but I knew it was her.

I leaned over and clicked on the lamp next to my bed, lighting the bedroom in a small glow, but even with the light, Macey didn't move. She almost looked like she wasn't even breathing. Just standing there, staring. "Macey," I said again, pulling myself out from beneath the blankets. "What are you doing?"

Still, she said nothing, and it wasn't until I'd crossed the floor and put my arms around her from behind that she finally broke down and cried.

"It's falling out," she said with a desperate sniffle, wiping hastily at the moisture on her cheeks.

"What is?" I asked, hoping my presence would soothe her instead of making it worse.

"My hair,” she whispered, and it was then that I noticed the soft lump in the sink, a handful of hair that seemed to have been yanked straight from her head. Macey stared at it as I held her, eyes sallow and tired, as silent tears dried her cheeks and skin.

"You're beautiful," I whispered, and she shook her head vehemently.

"This isn't beautiful, Jayce," she said. "You know it and I know it. Let's not kid ourselves." Pulling away from me, Macey reached into the sink for the clump of hair, scooped it up, and tossed it into the toilet before flushing it down. When I reached for her again, she sidestepped me and made her way back to the bed, crawling in under the covers as her hand rested on the back of her head, as though she figured she could keep it from falling out if she kept her hand there. "Baby, please let me help. I'm here for you. You know I am."

"I know," Macey whispered, her voice muffled by the pillow. "I know, Jayce."

"Are you okay?" I asked, climbing back into bed with her. I reached out to touch her shoulder, and she pulled away, scooting to the edge of the bed until our bodies were no longer close. She was crying, I could hear it, but when I tried to touch her she shied away, shaking her head.

"Just let me sleep, Jayce," she whispered. "Just let me sleep."

And so, not knowing what else to do, that's exactly what I did.

I let her sleep. And next to her, a million miles apart it seemed, I cried, too.