Claire
I watchedSeth tumble down the stairs, wincing with every bump. Poor guy. It looked like it hurt. When he stood up, he dusted off his butt and glared at Jason. He shouldn’t be shooting death rays at Jason, it wasn’t his fault. He was just doing what I asked.
Ducking back behind the curtain, I walked back over towards my bed. Catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I gasped, horrified. Grabbing my robe off the back of the door, I draped it over the mirror before spinning it around and shoving it into the corner. The last thing I wanted to see right now was how hideous I looked. I felt bad enough, I didn’t need to see it as well.
Pulling the hood on my jumper up over my head, I crawled carefully back into bed and yanked the covers up to my chin. I was cocooned in a pile of pillows. I don’t know where Isaac found them all and the last thing I was about to do was ask, but I was grateful for them none the less. Just feeling snug and secure was helping.
A soft knock at the door came, and I knew who it was standing on the other side. “Come in, Jason,” I called out.
The door cracked open and he stuck his head through the gap. “You can come in,” I assured him. Nervously, he stepped into my room, looking everywhere but at me.
“He’s gone.”
“I saw. Thank you.”
“I know you may not want to hear this, Claire, but you might want to think about…shit…I don’t know, texting the guy. Calling him. Something. He looked…”
“Pissed?”
“Yeah, that too. But I was going to say worried.”
“He shouldn’t worry about me,” I dismissed already feeling like the world’s biggest bitch. The last thing I needed today was another guilt trip. Isaac already had that covered.
Jason shifted his weight and rubbed his arm. Clearly this whole thing was making him uncomfortable. Poor bastard. “Where’s Isaac?” I asked.
“He’s just ducked out to get a few things. He shouldn’t be long.”
I felt my pulse pick up. My breathing was becoming harder and harder. Sitting up, I pushed the blankets away and pressed at that spot on my chest that was hurting. Trying to take a breath, I started coughing violently. Through watery eyes, I looked up at Jason and saw that he’d gone pale.
“Claire! Claire! Talk to me. Tell me what to do!” Jason was trying to keep his voice calm, but I could tell he was panicking. Not that I could judge, I was so far gone tiny black spots danced in my vision.
“I…I…” I spluttered. I couldn’t get the words out. Reaching out, I tried to grab the water bottle someone had left for me, but with my clumsy, uncoordinated hands, I just knocked it to the floor.
It sent Jason scrambling. He was on his knees scooping it up and handing it to me, careful not to make any contact. “Small sips,” he instructed.
Doing as I was told, I took a sip of the water and then another. Focusing on Jason’s kind, worried eyes, I forced myself to take slow, measured breaths. In through my nose and then out through my mouth.
“That’s it, Claire. You’re doing great.”
Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out.
“You’ve got this. It’s just you and me. Focus on you and me,” Jason repeated as he mimicked my breathing.
Sitting there in the quiet, our gazes locked, we breathed through the exercise until my heart felt like it wasn’t going to bust through my rib cage and kamikaze on the floor. Not only would that be messy, but it probably wouldn’t be much fun either.
“You’re doing great. You feeling better?” Jason asked, sounding like a cheerleader, something I never thought my brother’s mechanic mate, who loved beer, pizza, and farting contests would ever sound like.
“Yeah. I’m sorry…” I started only to be met with him holding his hand up to me.
“Don’t apologise, Claire. You’ve been through a lot. Anyone in your position would be in the same state. Or worse.”
“Still. You shouldn’t have to deal with me.”
“I’m not. Isaac raced down to the shops. He had a list and everything, so he won’t be long. He just asked me to hang here until he got back in case you needed anything.”
“You don’t have to babysit me.” Even the thought of being a burden annoyed me. That’s the last thing I wanted these guys to see me as, some weak, pathetic, whiny woman who they needed to take care of. I could take care of myself. At least I’d thought I could.
“I’m not babysitting. I’m hanging out. There’s a difference.” Jason winked, trying to play it cool, something he definitely was not.
