“Th-thank you,” she stammers, her voice barely a whisper.
Heart hammering in my throat, I slowly guide her over to the recliner, hoping with everything in me that we make it. Every step is slow and wobbly. When we’re close enough, she crashes onto the plush cushions and closes her eyes, taking deep breaths.
“Niki, talk to me,” I urge, keeping a hand on her arm like it’ll somehow keep her grounded. “What do you need? Do you want some water?”
With her eyes closed, she shakes her head side to side. “Can you bring me my phone?”
I open my mouth to argue, but I know better. Besides, she’s probably going to call Sebastian.
Where the hell is he?Shouldn’t he be back by now?
I don’t know what kind of true love bullshit they have going on, but it’s a little sus how she gets super fainty any time he’s gone for too long, but seems to perk back up as soon as he’s near. I hurry back to the kitchenette and snatch her phone off the counter.
She swipes a finger over the screen, blinking rapidly like she’s trying to keep her eyes open, and the phone clatters to the floor.
“Shit,” she whispers, and my heart sinks further.
I drop to my knees and retrieve the cell, swiping through the phone to find Sebastian’s number for her. “Do you want me to call him?”
“Yeah.” She sounds out of breath. “Just ask him how long he’ll be…”
My insides twisting into a pretzel of nerves, I punch the call button, bringing it to my ear. If he doesn’t answer, I might break down and call for an ambulance just in case. They can at least check her vitals and make sure she’s okay.
I wait a second, and my stomach plummets when a ringtone erupts from the back of the bus, where their room is.
Hijo de puta.
Sebastian didn’t take his phone.
Chapter 9
Joseline
Niki leans her head back and her eyes flutter.
Shit, shit, shit.
“Hopefully he’ll be back soon,” she murmurs. “He should be…”
“Whatever you need, I’ll get it for you, Nik,” I assure her, setting her phone aside. “Seriously, don’t feel bad or anything. I’ll wait on you hand and foot if you need me to.”
My stomach turns when I think about all the cleaning she was doing when I got here; that probably didn’t help the situation. She needs to take it easy and not overdo it.
A weak smile finds her face before quickly disappearing. “Thank you so much, Jos. It’s not that though… Sebastian will know… what to do…”
Her head slumps to the side suddenly, and adrenalineslams through my veins. I shake her arm anxiously, “Niki? Shit, Nik. Don’t do this.”
Not knowing what else to do, I throw the lever on the side of the recliner and the kickstand pops up. In my head it makes sense; I’ve seen people prop their feet before when they were feeling faint.
Why the fuck am I not better equipped for this?
I don’t feel helpless often. Most of the time, I can keep a level head in stressful situations. I get shit handled and then fall apart later. But something about seeing my best friend slumped in the chair, pale and nearly unresponsive, flips a panic switch in my brain, and I can’t think.
“Niki,” I say her name over and over, like it’ll somehow bring her from the edge of fainting. That’s what happens in movies, right? “Are you okay?”
“Mmm,” she hums softly. “I’m fine. Just… need Sebastian.”
Her head lolls again, and a frigid wave punches through my system. She can lie to me all she wants, but my instincts are screaming at me to do something. She doesn’t need Sebastian, she needs a doctor.
