Todos los capítulos de The Plus-Sized Bride No One Wanted: Too Fat to Love : Capítulo 11 - Capítulo 20

~ Ivy ~The sunlight did not hurt my eyes when I opened them. It fell across the soft yellow blanket in long, warm stripes. I lay completely still for five full minutes, waiting for the heavy thud of my heart to start. I waited for the sharp panic that usually made my sheets feel like ice. I waited for the sound of Julian slamming his closet door, or the maids laughing loudly right outside my room.But there was only silence. It was a quiet, gentle kind of silence that did not feel dangerous at all. I took a slow, deep breath. My chest still hurt where the medical tubes had been, but the air felt clean.I carefully pulled the blanket down and slid my feet out of the bed. The wooden floor of the small guest house was warm under my bare feet. I walked slowly into the tiny bathroom and stood in front of the square mirror above the sink.I forced myself to look. My skin was still very pale, almost gray around my eyes. My dark brown hair was a messy pile of waves on my shoulders. I looked

~ Ivy ~The car smelled like cold leather and fresh soap. Dr. Ethan Knight sat in the driver’s seat, his big hands resting quietly on the steering wheel. He did not turn on the radio. He did not talk unless I asked him a question.He had spent the last week watching me like a nurse watches a sick child. Every time I flinched when a door closed, or every time I pushed my food around my plate, his dark eyebrows would draw together. Then today, after breakfast, he had set a small piece of paper next to my teacup.On the paper was a name and an address: Dr. Patricia Wells. Northgate Medical Campus."Ivy," Ethan had said, his deep voice soft and even. "I am a neurosurgeon. I know how to fix bones and brain tissue. But I do not know how to fix a hurt heart. You need to talk to someone who does."I had pulled my arms close to my chest right away. "I cannot do that. I cannot talk about Julian. I cannot talk about the baby. If I say the words out loud, it makes it real all over again."Ethan h

~ Ivy ~Ethan knocked twice on the wooden door of the guest house."Come in," I said.He stepped inside, holding a small cardboard box. He wore a clean blue shirt instead of his usual medical scrubs. He set the box on the small table near the window."My parents are having dinner at the main house tonight," Ethan said. "They want you to join us."My breath hitched in my throat. My hands clutched the edges of my heavy gray sweater."Your parents?" I asked. My voice sounded small and raspy. "Ethan, no. I cannot go.""Why not?" he asked softly, sitting down in the wooden chair across from me."Look at me," I said, pointing down at my clothes. The sweater was three sizes too big, hiding my wide waist and thick arms. "I am not presentable. I do not have nice shoes or a pretty dress. I am plus-sized and messy. What will they think of me?"Ethan did not look away. He looked straight into my eyes, his face calm and unbothered."They will think you are the woman I care about," Ethan said. "Tha

~ Ivy ~My desk was covered in dark graphite dust. For three whole weeks, I had drawn almost every single day. I drew the small yellow flowers growing by the guest house porch. I drew the tall oak tree near the driveway. I drew the round ceramic tea cups Ethan brought me every morning. My finished drawings were taped to the white walls all around my small wooden table.Today, I wanted to draw something different. I wanted to draw a picture of my own face.I placed a small silver mirror next to my pad of paper. I looked at my reflection in the glass. I saw my dark brown hair hanging over my shoulders. I saw my hazel eyes and my round, soft cheeks. Then my gaze moved lower, down to my neck and my broad shoulders.My hand started to shake. I picked up my pencil and touched the lead to the white paper. I drew a curved line for my cheek. Then I drew a thick line under my chin.Fat, a voice in my head whispered. It sounded just like my mother. Look at how big your face is.Pathetic, another

~ Ivy ~"Put these on," Ethan said, handing me a small paper bag.I looked inside. A pair of flat leather shoes and a soft green cardigan sat inside the white paper. I sat on the edge of the guest house bed, clutching the cardigan to my chest. "Where are we going? Is it time for my appointment with Dr. Wells again?""No," Ethan said. He leaned against the doorframe, wearing a light blue button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He didn't look like a doctor today. He just looked like a friend. "No doctors today. We're going to the Riverside Arts Quarter. There’s a gallery opening tonight."My heart did a sudden, hard thud against my ribs. I shook my head, my hands tightening on the green wool. "No, Ethan. I can't. I'm not ready for a place like that. People will look at me.""They're going to look at the art, Ivy," Ethan said softly. He walked into the room, keeping his movements slow and predictable, the way he always did when he saw me panic. He stopped two feet awa