Page 24 of Afterglow
“Yeah, Princess. We can do whatever you want,”
I help her off the bed, feeling her ivory skin, which is cool beneath my touch. Fucking hell, she is freezing. Without a second thought, I pull my football hooded sweatshirt over my head and hand it to Jazmine. She cocks her head to the side, as if she is confused. Does this girl let anyone take care of her?
“You’re freezing,”
Jaz looks down at her arms, running her fingers over the goosebumps. “Oh, I didn’t even realise.”
“It’s okay, I understand. You feel numb, right?”
She nods her head. The aftermath of a panic attack is different for everyone but from my research usually people feel numb and mentally drained. I offer to put the sweatshirt on her, if she can’t do it by herself. At first, I think Jaz is going to yell at me. But all the fight melts from her face before she accepts.
Sweatshirt falls just below her waist. God, I don’t even want it back. Jazmine wears it better than I ever could. Her sequinned, black miniskirt and pink crop top are engulfed, no longer visible to my eyes. When I first saw her enter the party, I wanted to rip all her clothes off. Or at minimum, gouge the eyes out of every guy that looked in her direction.
Jazmine searched for Athena and Sofia to tell them she was leaving with me. I had to bite my tongue when she lied to her friends, citing she has a headache and wantedto leave. But part of me is glad Jazmine hasn’t tried to push me away.
After watching her slowly unravel in freshman year, I never want to see Jaz suffer again. Not to mention the similarities I see between her and my mum. Jazmine has weaselled her way into my life and the more time I spend with her, the closer she inches to my heart.
I force those thoughts from my mind. I shouldn’t be thinking about anything other than helping Jazmine recover. The party is left in the background as we reach my car. I open the passenger door for Jaz, ignoring her perplexed expression.
“Come on, Princess.”
I step closer, helping her into the car. Jazmine looks miles away, as she tries to regain a sense of her surroundings. I move to the driver’s seat, gripping the wheel until my knuckles are turning white.
Out of the corner of my eye, Jazmine is picking her fingernails, while her leg shakes. The first thought that appears in my head is to grab her hand or hold her leg. I banish them to the back of my mind.
I swallow slowly, clearing my throat. “You live at Campus North, right?”
Jazmine seems surprised I know—which is understandable, I probably sound like a creep right now. But she doesn’t verbally respond, only nodding her head steadily.
I drove around the parking lot to find a visitor car park. Luckily, most people are out partying tonight, so the amount of parksis endless.
“Wait here,” I opened the car door for Jaz again. This time, she says something.
“Why do you…keep doing that?”
I smile sheepishly, my cheeks heating. “I am a gentleman, Princess.”
A laugh escapes Jazmine’s throat and a wide smile is spread across her lips. Holy shit.
“Do it again,” I reply before thinking. That noise right there, it’s my favourite—like a drug that gives you an endless high.
“What?”
“Laugh, smile. Both if you want,”
“That’s not how it works Theodore,” Jaz says, but I see her try to thin her lips from a smile to an unfazed expression.
I shake my head. “Come on.” I say, guiding her inside.
“You don’t even know where you’re going,”
Jazmine’s voice echoes through the parking lot. I look around, forgetting my surroundings. Right. I let Jazmine lead us into the elevator. The trip was silent, but I kept flicking between Jaz and the ground.
The closer we get to her apartment, the more excuses come to my mind. How do I convince her to let me stay? I want to make sure she is truly okay before I leave her alone. The thought comes with waves of nausea and an increasing heart rate. What if something happens when I leave and she can’t contact me? Or anyone else?
“Theodore?”
I swallow, forcing my fears away. “Yes?”
