Page 46 of Driving Me Mad (Sanity 1)

“Standing by the oven warmed me up.” I pull on the hem of her hoodie, letting my own fingers graze her skin. I smile when she shivers. “Maybe you should take this off and make us even.”

She lifts her head with a deadpan expression, and I grin, which makes her smile. “I could go put on some of that lingerie I bought.”

I dip my head to kiss her neck. “There’s no time for that.”

She pushes my shoulders. “That’s what you said last night. I’m wearing one this weekend, Trace. You can sit here and figure out which one I’ll put on. Give me five minutes and then you can come find me.” Brittany wiggles away from me to disappear into the bedroom.

If she wants to put on a sexy piece of lingerie, then I won’t stop her. I guess since she did buy them, she should wear them. Even if they will come right back off her body.

We went into town again this morning, but have spent our time cleaning up the cabin since we returned after lunch. That uneasy feeling from yesterday increases by the second. Brittany has slowly faded away. She was fine this morning, I thought. She just started spacing out and seemed to go numb. I couldn’t get her to smile or laugh or show any emotion. She claims she feels fine every time I ask.

On the way home, she stares out the window, never saying a word. Something’s not right here. The drive seems to stretch into eternity as my anxiety continues to build. When I finally pull into my driveway, I meet Brittany around the front of my car and drag her inside. We sit on the couch and I turn toward her, cupping her face to look at her.

“Do you feel okay, Britt? Be honest with me.”

She blinks. “Feel fine.”

There’s no emotion on her face. None. Before I can stop myself, I blurt out a lie. “I’m breaking up with you.”

Brittany blinks again. “Okay.”

Nothing. No confusion, hurt, or anything. I release her face, grabbing the back of my neck. “What are you feeling, Brittany?”

She stares at me.

“Tell me!” I demand.

“I…I feel…” She seems to search for the word. “Numb. I don’t feel anything really; haven’t all day.”

My heart hammers in my chest. Her new medication! Of course. That makes sense. But instead of my anxiety lessening, it heightens. “Stay right here. I’m going to get our bags.” She planned on going back to campus tonight, but she isn’t now. “You’re staying here tonight,” I add.

“I thought you broke up with me?”

“No, Britt, I was just trying to get some kind of reaction out of you. I’ll be right back, okay?”

She nods, and I head outside where she can’t see me crack. Without thinking, I pull out my phone to call Dr. Will Gunner. We actually attended the same university. We’re good friends, but I haven’t talked to him lately.

“Hey, Trace,” he answers.

“She’s a fucking zombie, Will,” I snap.

“What? Who?”

“Brittany Roberts! That new shit you prescribed has her feeling nothing!”

There’s a second of silence. “What is going on, Trace? How in the hell do you know how she’s reacting to medication that was just prescribed to he

r?”

“Because,” I take a deep breath, “she’s my girlfriend.”

“Are you crazy, Trace?” he asks with disbelief.

“She hasn’t been my client for three and a half years,” I quickly interrupt.

“But she was.”

“Well, she’s not now,” I growl.

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