Sympathy.

Sade is woken up by the sound of the front door slam to a close. Everything is a haze. She is still in the bathtub which is now red in color but still thin, as if someone poured red food dye into it. She knows it isn't food dye though. The water is as cold as ice, she is pruned and weak. The slam of the door was Carter, she knows that for sure. This means she needs to get up quick smart and drain her blood from the bath tub and clean herself up before he see's. She knows that if he found out, it would end in tears and sympathy. She does not want that. This sympathy word is ugly to her. It destroys her. 

She drained the bath tub but there's still a red-ish tint to the left over water. She needs to run the bath again without making too much sound. She turns the handle to the bath tub, just a little too much. But just enough for Carter to hear and knock on the door. "You taking a bath again today?" He shouts from the other end of the wooden door. The slab of wood that's saving her from sympathy. "Ah, yes babe, wait on, I'll just be a minute". She says. Shaky but believable. 

There, all evidence gone, except for the slashes on her legs and belly. That's okay though. They never have sex anyway. He barely even touches her. She thinks that maybe it's because of her weight. Maybe if she cuts the fat off of her skin, he will love her. Maybe, just a little bit. She just wants a little bit of love. Maybe a kiss once in a while. She is trapped. She loves him, but does he love her? Is he just biting his tongue until she finds a place to live? Here's the word again, sympathy. Does he feel some sort of sympathetic pity for her that he pretends to still want to be in a relationship for her? 

Does he?