“Breathe, baby. I’m here.”
Voices in the background. “Is she okay?” “Should we call 911?” “Back up and give her a minute.”
The memories release me and I inhale deeply, like I had been dropped at the bottom of the ocean and have made it to the surface just in time before all my oxygen is used up. My arms relax, my grip lessens from the table, fingers falling away to hang loosely by my sides. I feel myself being lifted and settled back down into a warm embrace. I bury my face deep into a familiar masculine chest that’s rising and falling in a soothing rhythm.
“That’s it. Just breathe with me, Liz.”
Liz?
“Jayson?”
His large hand continues to knead my neck, his other hand applies pressure to the back of my lower spine. Another memory comes. We’re sitting on a branch high up in a tree. He’s holding me, my back to his chest, as tiny twinkling stars flicker all around us like fireflies. I’m falling again into the dark chasm that exists in my mind, being pulled under. I fight it, wrapping my arms around Jayson.
“Don’t let go,” I manage to say.
“I’ve got you. Stay with me.”
“Jay, what the hell?” Ryder’s voice booms out.
“Ryder, what should we do?” Meredith worriedly asks him.
I’m stuck in my own little pocket right now. Everyone else seems so far away. I grip Jayson tighter and listen to his softly murmured words in my ear, absorbing his strength, needing him to keep me in the present so I don’t disappear back into the past.
I hear Ryder say, “Can you guys just clear out and give us space. We’ve got her.”
I hear Trevor. “Elizabeth has my number. She needs anything, you call me.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Ryder replies.
I hear Meredith. “Please call me and let me know how she is.”
I listen to the sounds of shuffling, zippers being pulled, and finally, a door opening and closing. Then silence.
I feel Ryder next to us, his hands joining Jayson’s to rub circles on my back, up and down my arm, down my hair.
“Don’t tell Daniel,” I mumble out.
“Elizabeth.”
“Don’t tell Daniel,” I repeat again, my voice stronger.
Ryder gruffs out a sigh as Jayson says, “We won’t.”
“What happened?” I don’t think Ryder is asking me.
Jayson answers, “I don’t know. I got here and Meredith was yelling. Liz was white as a ghost, frozen in place. Scared the shit out of me. She was breathing weird and staring off into space.”
“One of her memory blackouts?”
“Pretty sure, yeah. I didn’t know they were this bad though. It’s like she checks out.” Jayson moves his hand from my neck and cups the back of my head, fingers tangling in my hair. The slight pinch of pain helps ground me. “What are you doing here?” he asks.
“What areyoudoing here?” Ryder repeats back.
Neither answer.
I don’t know how long I zone out. I remain in Jayson’s hold as he and Ryder talk. When I finally reconnect to the present, I lift my head to see Jayson’s concerned gaze on me.
“There she is.” He smiles and presses a gentle kiss to my cheek. I lean back and see Ryder watching us silently.
