Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 74554 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74554 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
“Fuck… you… Benny,” someone croaked, making my eyes widen until Kylo nodded toward the parrot.
“Oh, well, rude,” I said.
“He’s mad because he finished his apple,” Kylo explained, snagging another piece and passing it to the bird.
“Have you shown her the tortoise and the pool yet?” Caymen asked, seemingly eager to get me out of the house.
Maybe having women around was killing the vibe. I suddenly felt really awkward being there if that was the case.
“I could get going,” I said to Kylo as we moved out back to find a giant inflatable projection screen set up behind the pool, a music video playing. So that was where the music was coming from.
The pool itself was dotted with flamingo floats and giant inflated battle batons.
“Do you want to get going?”
“It’s just… it doesn’t seem like Caymen is comfortable with me here.”
“Eh, don’t worry about Caymen. The only person you have to worry about is Huck,” he said, gesturing toward where a shirtless older man was cleaning the pool filter.
“Oh, hey,” I said when he turned at the sound of voices.
“Hey, babe. New club girl?” Huck asked, looking at Kylo.
“No, Huck. This is Rue.”
“Rue,” Huck said, getting to his feet. “With the plants.”
“Yeah,” I said, forcing myself to keep eye contact.
“Turns out Rue’s grandmother lives in the assisted living place.”
“Oh, yeah?” Huck asked with a hint of the same strangeness I heard from Caymen.
“I was just going to show her the tortoise,” Kylo explained.
Huck was about to nod when I suddenly blurted out, “You know what? I actually forgot I told Traeger I was going to help him list some of his new pottery to his socials.” I moved away from Kylo, trying to ignore the way my stomach went sour as I lost his touch. “It was, uh, nice to meet you guys.” I gave Huck the most humiliating side wave known to mankind, then turned to flee.
My pace was just shy of an actual run as I made my way down the driveway.
My heart was hammering in my chest and a proper breath felt impossible. By the time I dashed across the road, ignoring the oncoming headlights, I felt lightheaded.
I was close to a full-blown panic attack.
And for what?
Because two guys I didn’t even know didn’t seem thrilled to see me? So what?
There was no rationalizing with the irrationality of panic, though.
My legs were rubbery when I finally made it to my car. I dropped down into the backseat in case I needed to lay down, my hand pressed to my throat where it felt like I couldn’t get enough air.
Tears were stinging my eyes when the door at my side was wrenched open.
Then there was Kylo.
One look and he was moving inside to sit next to me.
“You’re alright, darlin’,” he assured me, his hand moving out to rhythmically rub up and down my thigh. “It’ll pass.”
It would.
They always did.
Knowing that didn’t make it any better to deal with in the moment, though.
“Here, one sec,” he said, grabbing my keys, then leaning between the seats to turn over the engine and fiddle with something. When he sat back down, he turned all the vents toward me until I was being blasted with cold air. “There. That might help.”
His hand slid up my arm toward my neck.
“I’m sweaty,” I said before he could touch my damp skin.
“I’ll live,” he said, his fingers pressing into the coiled muscles in my neck.
I tried to focus on his fingers and my own breathing—slow and deep into my belly, not just my chest—but my pulse refused to slow, and on top of that, my insides felt like they were shaking.
A pathetic whimper escaped me.
“Okay. Let’s try this,” he said, reaching for me. He pulled my legs over his lap, curled an arm around my back, and drew me into him.
His hands slid up and down my back as I felt myself automatically melting into him.
I’d never had someone reach for me during a panic attack before. In the past, my family and friends had all started by asking what they could do and trying to reassure me that I was fine. But in the end, they all kind of just stood back and watched me like some kind of animal at the zoo.
I never could have known how easily touch could distract me.
Instead of hyper-focusing on my own hammering heartbeat, I could listen to Kylo’s steady one. With each passing moment, it seemed like my own heart was trying to sync up with his.
And with the rest of my focus on his hands moving over me, distracting me from the tightness in my throat and chest, little by little that started to ease as well.
“How about I drive you home?” he suggested when I was finally calm.
“No,” I said, sucking in a deep breath, relieved to find no signs of anxiety, just the burn that came from a deep breath after not having one for a long time. “No, thank you. I’m okay. You should go back to your party. I’m okay to drive now.”