Page 116 of My Broken Bodyguard 2: Ritchie & Tori

The deafening sound of shattered glass and an exploding SUV echoed in my mind, pulling me down into a dark place. Instinctively, I covered my head with my hands and crouched on the floor.

It’s not real.I repeated over and over in my head, trying to calm myself down as panic set in.

My chest heaved as I struggled to catch my breath; it felt like someone was sitting on my chest, making it hard to breathe.

“Breathe, Tori. You can get through this,” I whispered to myself, trying to stay calm.

My nails dug into the black tiles of the shower wall as I fought against the overwhelming anxiety. “Fuck,” I cursed through clenched teeth, feeling helpless and alone.

I wished Ritchie was here.

Tori, you can’t use him as a crutch.

My fists tightened as I pounded against the wall. “You have to handle this,” I inhaled sharply.

“That fucking bitch. She...has...to...go,” I exhaled, trying to catch my breath.

You’re strong, Tori. You may deal with your inner demons differently than others, but you are capable of managing them.

To think my husband wanted to have kids with me. What was he thinking? I couldn’t be a mother. I was too fucked up.

In one breath, I built myself up and in the next I tore myself down. I had to stop doing that.

I am strong.

Pull it together, Tori.

I slowly made my way towards the bench and stretched out on it, allowing my eyelids to shut.

I was jolted awake by a familiar voice calling out my name. “Tori, Tori,” she whispered urgently. “It’s Simone. Can you hear me?”

I could feel something soft and fluffy covering my body.

“Tori, wake up. It’s Simone and Ezra,” she said, her tone filled with concern.

Slowly, I opened my eyes and took in the scene around me. The water had been turned off. My best friend hovered close bywhile my bodyguard stood just inside the open glass door of the shower.

“What happened?” I asked.

“You probably had an anxiety attack,” Simone said.

“And you’re also suffering from untreated PTSD,” Ezra added.

“Ezra, it’s a good thing Simone was here to cover me up with a towel. I don’t think she’d appreciate you seeing me naked,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.

“On missions, I’ve rescued plenty of unclothed individuals. Don’t worry, I’m a professional,” he replied with a smirk before kissing Simone on the temple.

They were such an adorable couple.

“Tori, Ritchie told me everything. I know that sometimes I’ll have to step in and get you covered up and put you to bed,” Ezra stated matter-of-factly.

I raised an eyebrow as I sat up, wrapping the towel securely around my body. “Hopefully, this won’t happen again.”

He shrugged. “I’ll do a perimeter check.” And with that, Ezra left the bathroom.

“Tori, you know we take care of each other. Always have.”

I smiled at Simone. “We do. Oh, that reminds me. Come over for dinner tomorrow at six. It will just be us girls. It’ll be like the last time we were at the playhouse. Just minus Tyra.”

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