Sianna
BY THE TIME I MANAGEDto calm down and act relatively normal after Drake’s request, the chocolate cake was baked, iced, Rayden returned with his grandparents, and dinner was over. Trent’s kids arrived and were a bonus since Neha stole my attention and put some distance between Rayden and me. I accepted I was unfair to him but turning away from his kisses, untangling myself from his embrace as quickly as possible, and avoiding conversation with him, didn’t aid my state of mind. When we finally sat down to enjoy slices of the decadent treat I’d baked, I was on tenterhooks. My head buzzed, my pulse raced, and my stomach ached. While I blamed it on the lack of food, I knew better.
“You okay, babe?” I jumped at Rayden’s sudden whisper and brought a frown to his brow. “Jesus, you’re jittery. What gives.” Although he laughed, it didn’t reach his eyes. He was studying me with part concern, part confusion.
“Nothing.” I kept my gaze fixed on my fork, shredding the slice of cake I hadn’t eaten yet.
He leaned in closer. “Did my father say something to you?”
My gaze snapped to his. “No. Why?”Jesus, girl, you need to calm the fuck down. Just tell him already if you can’t handle this shit.The reproach blared in my ears, blocking out the sounds around me. I’d never come this close to losing my shit before, and I frantically gulped copious amounts of air. I tensed as my breathing escalated, suddenly scared that my lungs were starving. Abrupt heat sprinted down my spine, quickly scorching the rest of my body. I dropped the fork I’d been holding but didn’t hear the clatter. Rayden’s face faded, nothing but blurred lines I was struggling to make out. He said something, but my heart thumped so loud that all I heard was a consistent boom growing louder with each breath. Oh, my God.What’s happening.My body grew lighter as nausea slicked my throat. I glanced at my hand. It waivered, the image watery. I rapidly blinked, trying to focus.
“Sianna. Can you hear me?” Rayden’s voice echoed in my ear like he sat miles away.
“Ray?” I tried calling out, but darkness invaded my sight, stealing my words. Then silence.
“Babe?”
“Sianna?”
Several voices rang in my ear. I couldn’t decide who was calling me. “What—” I blinked in confusion. Rayden and Drake hovered over me, their faces masked with concern. “What—” The words stuck in my throat, refusing to come out. Oh, my God. What the fuck was happening.
“Sianna, are you okay, sweetheart.” I looked over Rayden’s shoulder. Carol stared down at me.
“Here, drink this.” Drake held a glass to my lips. My eyes on him, I sipped the cold water. The panic in his eyes inflamed those questioning grays. What were they asking me?
“What happened,” I finally managed, suddenly aware I laid on the kitchen floor with my head in Drake’s lap and my hand clenched tight in Rayden’s. They were both looking at me—concern, love, confusion. I couldn’t decipher their reactions—I didn’t want to.
“You passed out.” Rayden ran a light hand down my cheek.
“P-passed out?” Again, I blinked my confusion. He nodded.
I tried to sit up, but Drake shook his head. “Stay still. Have you eaten anything today, Sia?”
I caught Rayden’s surprised look to his father at the shortened version of my name, but he just as quickly glanced back at me. “I thought you skipped dinner because you were full of cake baking.” He chuckled. “Have you, babe? Eaten?”
My smile was awkward while I tried to hide my embarrassment. I couldn’t deal with this kind of attention. Not from these two men. I pushed up to sit. “I missed lunch, I guess.”
“And breakfast,” Tamara scolded from somewhere behind her mother.
“And you nibbled at dinner. Come on.” Rayden scooped me up.
Hot color stained my cheeks. “Ray put me down.”
Laughing, he placed me on the chair next to him as the rest of his family slid into their seats. “Of all days, you’d choose your birthday to pass out on me. My drama queen.” He decked my chin lightly. “You had me worried there for a second when I saw you fall.”
I uttered a low laugh then balked when Carol said, “Thank goodness Drake walked in when he did. He caught you as you fell off the chair.”
At the head of the table, he sat sideways on my left. I glanced at him, trying hard to keep my expression blank, and even though Rayden sat on my right, I remained wary. “Thank you,” I whispered.
“You can thank me by eating something.” Despite the scolding, I didn’t miss the care in his words. The message in his eyes was unmistakable. He’d feed me himself if he could. He poured me a glass of milk. I accepted it with a nod and brought the glass to my lips.
