Page 77 of Ours

“Noemi,” I whispered, squatting next to her.

She looked up at me. Her breathing was erratic, like she couldn’t catch her breath but her expression, it tore my heart in two.

“I… don’t… know what’s… happening,” she said, in between her quick breaths.

I pulled her up to stand, wrapping my arms around her tightly.

“Breathe with me,” I said, taking a deep breath.

She tried to grab something, but since I had no shirt, she grabbed onto my sides tightly. She was panicking, her body was on overload and her mind wasn’t making it better.

“Em, please, I need you to breathe with me.” I pulled away cupping her face to look at me.

“I…I…I can’t.” Her teeth chattered looking at my chest.

“Look at me,” I commanded, waiting for her to look at me.

Her big brown eyes looked up at me and I swear I could see the war inside her.

“Breathe with me,” I commanded again.

I took a slow breath in, seeing her try and do the same, but failing.

“Another one.”

Her lips trembled, as she took a deeper breath this time.

“Good girl. Now give me another,” I said, my voice still stern.

We breathed together more in sync this time.

“One more, baby.” My tone softened.

She didn’t wait for me to take a full deep breath before she launched herself at me. I caught her just as she wrapped her legs around me, burying her face in my neck as she let out the most gut-wrenching cry. I squeezed her tighter, giving her as much comfort as I could with just my touch because I didn't know what to say.

The cold air on my back made me shiver, reminding me I didn’t have a shirt on. I turned around to see Vincent at the corner watching us with his lips in between his teeth. His jacketless posture was rigid, he raised a brow at me with a silent ‘Is she ok?’

Noemi cried out again, her shivering worsened, and he immediately walked towards us. He wrapped his arms around us, making her cry harder. We stood on the side of the road as she worked through her sub drop and whatever she was going through. My brain immediately thought of something awful, hoping my overactive brain was just thinking the worst.

A car pulled up to us, no one exited.

“Come on, let's get inside the car and go home,” Vincent said, pulling away.

“No!” She yelled, scrambling away from me. “I can’t.”

I held onto her.

“Noemi,” I growled, getting her attention, my anger seeping out.

We stared at each other until she hung her head.

“I’m living in a car with two of my roommates.” Her lip trembled, looking between Vincent and me.

I thought I heard her incorrectly until Vincent clenched his jaw. She was fucking living in a car?

“Where are they?” Vincent asked calmly.

“We’ve been all over the place afraid we might get a ticket, but tonight Carly said they were at a Walmart parking lot ten minutes from here.” She trembled in my arms.

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