Fight or flight instincts take over.
I thrash and kick, aiming for my attacker. My watch’s firm chirp is my trusty sidekick, cheering me on. But my punches soon lose their power, and my legs sink back into the bed.
I gasp for air.
It’s too much exertion. My energy sputters out before I can even get to a sitting position.
Oh no. Oh no.
Adrenaline speeds through my body, and my brain tells me to push, to get up, torun.
But I can’t.
All I can do is call for help.
As I open my mouth to scream, a rough hand covers mine. “It’s me.”
I smell a familiar fragrance, and my eyes zip to the shadow in my room. Finn leans forward, stepping out of the dark. Themoonlight caresses his square jaw, straight nose, and deep, bottomless brown eyes.
“Finn?” A sudden, striking pain shoots through every crevice of my chest. “Ah.” I roll over into a ball, tucking my head between my knees.
Finn’s hand withdraws. “I’ll call a doctor.”
“I-it’s fine. Just open that drawer.”
“Are you?—”
“Thedrawer,Finn.”
“This one?” He points.
I nod. “You can flip on the light.”
He does, and the soft lamp on my nightstand spreads an orange glow over the room. The pain that had been gripping me goes away as quickly as it rushed in, but my chest still feels tight. I straighten up slowly, taking deep breaths.
Finn rummages through my drawer. He’s wearing a black T-shirt and black pants. Darkness personified. I study him. Something’s odd. He seems extra on edge. His jaw is clenched, and his movements are jerky.
“What am I looking for?” he asks, rifling through my drawer.
I avert my eyes. “My pills. They’re in the little brown book with the gold lettering.”
“Here.” He shakes out a pill and sets it in my palm. To my surprise, he also uncaps a water bottle for me right away.
I swallow the medicine and sink into the pillows. The pills will take a while to work, but honestly, I already feel better.
Placebo effect for the win.
“Are you sure you don’t need a doctor?” Finn asks.
“I’m sure. These pills have been amazing at regulating my heartbeat.”
He makes a disgruntled sound in his throat.
I fold my arms over my chest. “What were you doing staring creepily at me in the middle of the night?”
“I got your text.”
“I sent that text hours ago. Why’d it take you so long to get here?”
