Page 96 of Star-Crossed
No thanks.
Gemma peered at Lyra, eyes narrowed. “You’ve been under a lot of stress since even before you moved back here. Do you think it could be something like a panic attack or a stress-related illness?”
Lyra shrugged. She hated the idea of falling victim to stress when she relied on herself to be impervious to it. But maybe that was part and parcel of the whole ASD thing? “Could be?”
“Has to be!” Gemma threw her hands up. “You need to slow down. Take a break from the shop. Maybe we can check you into one of those places celebrities go when they’re ‘exhausted.’”
“I’m probably fine,” Lyra said through gritted teeth. She loved Gemma’s concern, but she didn’t need to be smothered.
“You’re not fine! You collapsed, Lyra!”
“Maybe I’m turning into a vampire,” Lyra replied with a snarky grin, trying to lighten the mood. Her stomach clenched with worry, though, and she couldn’t shake the nagging thought that it might be something serious.
“Could be Lyme disease,” Gemma continued, undeterred. “Or heat exhaustion?”
“Please, Gem,” Lyra scoffed. “It’s autumn and the weather hasn’t been above seventy degrees for a month. Also, Larry and the kittens are tick free, and so am I. There’s no way it’s Lyme disease.” She tried to chuckle, but her laugh fell flat as her anxiety gnawed at her insides.
“Hantavirus?”
“That’s only in the South.”
“COVID?”
“Negative.”
“Do you think you were drugged? Did anyone hand you a drink or snack?”
“Gemma,” Lyra groaned. “Stahpuh.”
“Okay, okay,” Gemma relented, placing a comforting hand on Lyra’s arm. “We’ll figure this out. Just try to relax.”
“Me, relax?” Lyra quirked an eyebrow, her gaze flicking to the myriad of medical equipment surrounding her. “I’m chilling, Gem.Yourelax.”
The curtain slid open, and a nurse entered. “The doctor will be in shortly with your test results.”
Lyra thanked her, relief flooding in.
Finally, answers.
She didn’t know which prospect terrified her more: that something was seriously wrong, or that there was no explanation at all.
“Look, I’m just trying to cover all the bases here,” Gemma said when they were alone again. “We need to figure this out.”
“Let’s leave the diagnosing to the professionals, shall we?” Lyra sighed, rubbing her temple. Her head pounded like a jackhammer, and she hoped whatever was wrong could be easily treated and forgotten.
“Fine,” Gemma huffed, crossing her arms. “But you better believe I’m going to keep an eye on you.”
“Wouldn’t expect anything less,” Lyra conceded, reaching out to squeeze her sister’s hand. She knew Gemma only had her best interests at heart, and despite the incessant fussing, she couldn’t imagine facing this ordeal without her.
“Know what I was reading the other day?” Gemma said, leaning against the edge of the hospital bed to show her some article on her phone. “There is something called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or broken heart syndrome.”
“Gemma—”
“Hear me out!” Gemma flapped a hand at her as she read from the medical article. “It is when the heart muscle becomes suddenly stunned or weakened. It mostly occurs following severe emotional or physical stress. Could it be that? You and Cy haven’t talked for days, and you can’t deny that you’ve gotten paler, thinner, and more miserable in his absence.”
“Broken heart syndrome?” Lyra snorted, rolling her eyes while trying to ignore the hollow void in her chest. “Please. If anything, I’m suffering from dick withdrawal. The man could throw hip like no other.”
“Lyra!” Gemma gasped, feigning shock before dissolving into laughter. The sisters shared a moment of levity, the sterile atmosphere of the hospital room momentarily forgotten. “Seriously, though,” Gemma said, her expression softening. “You’ve changed since you’ve been back in Townsend Harbor. You’re more… Well, you’re less disconnected. More present. And it’s not just stuff with Cy—it’s everyone here. I think they matter to you more than you like to think.”
