Paint Me Beautiful

appropriate and what's not, son,” my dad says as I hit the landing at the top of the stairs and start down as fast as my aching body will carry me. The pink chiffon of the gown swirls around my ankles as I move and when I catch Emmett's brown eyes smiling up at me, there's this moment where I feel like I'm weightless, like I'm flying, like I can go anywhere. I gasp and nearly stumble the rest of the way down, pausing to grab onto the banister while all eyes turn to look at me.
    “ Bob, please,” I say and I swear to God, I see the hackles on the back of my dad's neck rise. He hates it when I call him Bob. “I lost my virginity to Guy Slater when I was sixteen.” My sister groans, and my mom shoots me a warning glare; my dad does nothing. Emmett, on the other hand, he smiles. “So please, leave Emmett alone.”
    “ Claire,” my dad says with a deep sigh that tells me he's not letting the air out of his sails just yet. “If you want attention, you can ask for it. I didn't raise you to lie.”
    “ Thanks for picking me up,” I tell Emmett, sliding my arms around his neck and kissing the hell out of him right in front of my family. I'm pretending they're not there, that I'm an adult capable of making my own decisions. It's a nice fantasy until my dad blows it out of the water with his next words.
    “ Oh, and you can leave your car keys on the table on your way out. Until you pay back the impound fees, the car is mine, and this business about not eating, this is going to stop tomorrow. I made you an appointment at Bayview Hills.”
    “ What?!” I spin around, the flowers on my dress dancing in the rush of air. Behind me, I feel Emmett's warmth, but it's of little help against the icy fear that's pumping through my veins. “That's an ED clinic!” I shout and my voice echoes painfully around the room. The last thing I need is for my family to dump me at some eating disorder nuthouse and leave me there. If I get admitted, not only will I have fatty foods shoved down my throat, but I could also miss my appointment with Lianna. In the back of my mind, I know that if I go, I'll be diagnosed with something. In the front of my mind, I don't believe that there's anything wrong with me, and I'm enraged.
    “ Claire.” My dad does not elaborate. Marlena tries to, but I cut her off by spinning to face her with a snarl.
    “ I wear a tight tank one day and you don't like how it looks, so you get me locked up?”
    “ Claire, this isn't about locking you up, this is about getting you the help you need. This family has been ignoring your problem for far too long.”
    “ Fuck you,” I snap at her, turning my angry expression on my mom. She averts her eyes but says nothing. Marlena continues to babble in the background. Nobody cares about Emmett, not really. Guess I ran down here to save him for nothing; I should've stayed up in my room.
    “ You've barely eaten since you graduated high school, Claire. We've all watched you withering away. I mean, I tried to be supportive about this whole modeling thing, but – ” I cut her off.
    “ I'm eighteen years old; I don't have to go. You can't commit me without my permission.”
    “ When you move out and start paying your own bills, I'll take you seriously. Until then, if you're under my roof, you're under my rules. I'm sorry, Claire, but that's just the way it is.”
    I stand there for a long moment, my chest rising and falling with sharp, shallow breaths. My eyes glaze over, and I start to feel dizzy. When Emmett's hand touches my shoulder, it feels like it's on fire. I jump and nearly fall when I turn to face him.
    “ Come on,” he says, touching his knuckles to my cheek. “Let's go learn how to properly chop an onion.” I don't know what to say, but nobody in my family protests, so Emmett leads me away like a dog on a leash, steering me with a gentle hand on my elbow and one on my hip. Like a zombie, I let him lead me out across the gravel and find myself seated in his car with tears running down my face. I wish I could stop crying so much. I get puffy eyes when I cry.
    As soon as Emmett climbs in the car, I apologize.
    “ I wish you didn't have to see that,” I whisper. “I'm sorry.”
    “ Don't be,” he tells me as he starts the engine. I glance over at him and smile just a bit through my tears when I see that he's worn his new Burberry shirt. It's black with plaid cuffs at the elbows, tailored perfectly to his body even though it's off the rack – just