Page 104 of Beyond Rosy Irish Twilight

I shook off the memories creeping in, but it was only momentary. With every inhale, I smelled the blood around me. And when I closed my eyes, it was like I was back in time. I paced until my body felt tingly and my breaths no longer came easily. I was wheezing hard, trying to drag air into my lungs. Things started to go dark as I fumbled against the wall, trying to stay upright.

I vaguely saw Kate in front of me, saying something to me, but nothing was penetrating the fog around me. I slid to the ground as everything started to grow dark. I begged it to take me, to end the terror that seized my heart and refused to release its claws. Maybe I wouldn’t wake up this time. Maybe it would finally be over.

I blinked at the faint light above me. My head was killing me and my body ached, but one thing was very clear.

I was still here.

Things started to slowly come into focus and I noticed breathing was easier than before. In fact, it was as if nothing had ever happened. But as realization struck that I was okay, a sweeping depressive feeling washed over me. I thought for sure that I was dying, and there was something sad about waking up and realizing what I hoped was the end was once again squashed.

“Hey.”

I turned and smiled when I saw Asher beside me. He looked exhausted, but it was the worry in his eyes that really hit me hard. “Hey. What happened?”

I knew what happened. I didn’t need Asher to tell me I was fucked up.

“Kate said you had a panic attack. She gave you something to calm you down, but you passed out before it could take effect.”

I was back in my room at the mansion.Ourroom. Had I really been out that long?

“How are you feeling?”

“My head hurts,” I rasped, feeling like I was swallowing nails.

Asher grabbed a water off the nightstand and uncapped it, holding it up for me to drink. “You scared the crap out of me. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, it was just a moment,” I lied. It didn’t take a genius to see that he wasn’t buying that I was okay. But he had enough to deal with. I wasn’t even sure what happened at my father’s house yet. He didn’t need my crap on top of that. I would be fine, if only to reassure him that he had nothing to worry about.

“That was a pretty heavy moment,” he answered, not buying it.

I pushed up into a sitting position, sighing when he immediately stood and tried to help me. “Really, I’m okay now. It was just the thought of being trapped in that room. I don’t know what happened. I just couldn’t breathe. I think I just got claustrophobic.”

He nodded, but still looked hesitant to believe me. “Maybe you should just stay in bed today and rest.”

The thought of being trapped in another room made my skin crawl. “No,” I said a little too quickly. “I need some fresh air. It’s too stuffy in here.”

“So, I’ll open some windows.”

“My body is aching from laying down. How long have I been out?”

“All night,” he confirmed my suspicions.

“Yeah, that’s enough time in this bed,” I chuckled. “I need a shower and then I’m going to sit outside.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t push it.”

I rolled my eyes at him. “She knocked me out with drugs. It’s not as if I got a brain bleed,” I shot back.

His lips tightened in displeasure, but he couldn’t argue with that. I knew it wasn’t just worry for me that caused those dark circles under his eyes. He was still recovering from his own ordeal, and me adding to his problems was only going to make it worse.

“I’ll tell you what, if you stay in bed with me all day, I promise I won’t move.”

I really hoped he would let this go, but instead, a smile curved his lips and he crawled under the covers with me. “How can I say no to that?”

He must have been exhausted if he was willingly getting into bed instead of going back to work. His head hit the pillow and his eyes closed. I scooted closer and rested my hand on his chest. Immediately, his hand circled my back and drew me to his body. I rested my head on the crook of his shoulder and let my eyes slip closed.

After a few deep breaths, peace washed over me and I settled into his easy breathing. “Did you find out who attacked us?”

He was silent for so long that I assumed he was already asleep. But then he finally answered. “We have the ringleader.”

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