Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 97195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Large, warm hands grasped my face, pulling my head up. Vibrant green eyes locked on mine, and they were sure and steady as they locked on mine. "Hey, focus on me, okay? Breathe, darlin'," the man in front of me coaxed. He grabbed my shaking hand and pressed it to his large, toned chest. "Breathe. Focus on my steady heart rate; focus on my slow and steady breaths, darlin'."
I whimpered, the pain in my chest intensifying as I tried to breathe like he was. He brushed his thumb over my cheek, his lips tilting up into a sexy, half smile. "There you go. You're doing great. Just breathe, darlin'."
Once the anxiety attack passed, I closed my eyes, drawing in shaky, calming breaths. "Thank you," I whispered, opening my eyes to look at the gorgeous guy in front of me.
He smiled at me as he flicked his dark hair out of his eyes. "I saw you panicking when I walked out of the study room next to this one." He brushed his thumb over the back of my hand. "Does this happen a lot?"
I only shrugged, not wanting to answer him. I was a freak. I knew that. I didn't want him looking at me like I was.
He sat down in one of the chairs at the table. "Are you okay?"
I nodded my head. "Yeah, I um, I'm just on my way to my brother's," I told him.
He stood up and held his hand out to me with a charming, panty-dropping smile. God, he was so fucking gorgeous. It wasn’t fair that God made them like this. "Need a lift?" he asked.
"Um, no." I flushed. He’d just seen me have a panic attack, and he wasn’t running away. I wasn’t sure what to do with that. "But thank you. I can drive myself."
He nodded as I grabbed my bag and stood up from my chair, ignoring the hand he was holding out to me. He casually dropped it back to his side, not the least bit offended. "My name is Christian." He softly smiled at me. "I hope to see you around again," he said, not allowing my hostility to drive him away.
I only gave him a small smile before I quickly walked out of the study room, my cheeks burning hot.
He had to be the hottest guy I had ever laid my eyes on. Of course, he would also be the person to see me at one of my lowest moments.
I swear, I had no fucking luck when it came to guys.
I flinched at that thought, pushing away that dark time of my life. Even if it was currently trying to force itself into my present, I was determined as fuck to keep it in the past where it belonged.
Meghan took a seat beside me on the couch and threw a blanket over both of us before she turned her body slightly to face me. "Why did you lie to your brother earlier?" she quietly asked me.
Meghan had taken one look at me when I walked into the house, and she had instantly been able to tell that I’d had an anxiety attack. I couldn’t hide anything from her. She knew the signs on me so well. Sometimes, I hated it. But it also helped me breathe a little easier to know I wasn’t suffering alone.
I sighed, closing my eyes and leaning my head back. "Axel worries so much already, Meghan. Especially during times like this. I don't want him to freak out. I had an anxiety attack." I shrugged. "It's not a big deal."
She frowned as she ran her pretty green eyes over my face. "How many have you had recently, though?" she asked me softly.
I scrubbed my hands down my face. Meghan was the one person in the world that I could never lie to–especially not after everything she had done for me despite how cruel and hateful I had once been toward her. "This makes the fifth one in two weeks," I told her quietly. "Things are getting hectic at school with exams coming up, and I'm having trouble keeping up with everything." It was only a partial lie.
Meghan grabbed my hand in hers. "You know it's not just that," she gently reminded me. I swallowed thickly. God, why did she have to remember everything? "The anniversary is coming up."
I blinked the tears out of my eyes, refusing to cry. I wouldn't cry right now. "He tried to contact me a couple of weeks ago," I confessed. Anger flashed in Meghan's eyes on my behalf. "He's been texting me every other day since then, trying to get me to talk to him."
"Well, that explains your anxiety attacks," Meghan noted. "You need to begin seeing Dr. Gresham again–regularly," she sternly told me when I opened my mouth to remind her that I already saw him once every three months to make sure my medications were still working okay for me. "And you need to tell Axel and Julian what your ex is doing."