"I can't breathe!" I screamed, taking deep breaths of air in desperation because they were stuck in my throat and wouldn't reach my lungs. "Anaís, look at me." Logan's voice sounded more demanding this time. I obeyed him, meeting those grey eyes. "You're okay; you're having a panic attack. You're going to be okay." "I'm going to die," I murmured, terrified. "You're not going to die; try to control your breathing." "I can't breathe." I grabbed my chest tightly. I'm going to die. I'm going to die. I can't feel my limbs. I can't breathe. Soon my heart will stop; I'll have respiratory arrest. These thoughts kept running through my mind, terrifying me. "You're hyperventilating; you're not going to die," Logan assured me, holding my face carefully. "This is going to pass; you're going to be okay." Lie. Lie. He lies. You're going to die. The security in his beautiful eyes calmed me a little, but it wasn't enough to stop the repetitive thoughts that had me shaking with fear. I'm get
Too much… What Logan was making me feel was too much; that electrifying feeling that ran through my body was so unfamiliar. It had been so long since I had felt something like that—something so good, so positive. My senses were overwhelmed; his lips moved firmly over mine, claiming and giving at the same time. His kiss was not only possessive; it was filled with so many emotions. Had he felt all this for me all this time? The desperation in his kiss weakened my legs, making them weak and trembling. Wet lips, quickened breathing, hands on my face—caressing, holding, as if he knew how emotionally fragile I was. Someone loves me; someone is attracted to me. Those thoughts brought tears to my eyes. I didn't know why, but it meant so much to me that someone cared. I wrapped my hands around Logan's neck, pulling him closer to me. We weren't close enough; maybe we would never be, but I would try. His thumbs caressed my wet cheeks, and he gave me one last short kiss before he pul
Entering the café, I began to find a table while Lyra and Yang-zi went to get the hot chocolate. I sat down, resting my chin on the palms of my hands. My eyes wandered over to the food section, and I was surprised to see a very familiar face there. His green eyes met mine, and I realized how much I missed him. Xander said something to the person next to him and walked over to me. He was wearing his cafeteria uniform and a chef-like hat. "Hey, weirdo," he said to me when he got to the table. He looked very nice in that outfit. "Hi, what a nice surprise." "Yes, I have a new job to entertain myself. My psychologist calls it shock therapy—exposing me to my fears." He paused for a moment. "You know, there are a lot of germs and contact in the kitchen." "Oh, I didn't know there was such therapy." Xander shrugged. "Me neither. Let's hope it works out." His eyes fell on the bracelet around my wrist. "I see you liked my gift." I ran my fingers over the bracelet, remembering how I
Where are you? - Dr. Newman's soft voice rang in circles in my mind. The hypnosis session had started some time ago; I couldn't remember how long. After I took a pill, the doctor had done a series of relaxation exercises.I felt confused, as if I were between asleep and awake, but the doctor had explained to me that that was the goal: to put me in a state of relaxation so deep that we could access my subconscious.-You're very relaxed, you're safe. - He enunciated each word slowly, the sound of his voice seeming so far away. -Don't think about anything, just imagine white around you, emptiness.-White... empty... - I murmured.-Now I want you to think about something in a positive way, he began. You are going to remember the beautiful house in the mountains that your father bought. Did you like that house?Yeah.-How was it?Very big, with stairs and wooden floors, - I smiled, - What I liked most were its big windows.You liked it a lot; now I want you to go to that house. I'm here wi
My footsteps echoed down the long hallway on the second floor. I was already feeling comfortable walking through, having come from Dr. Newman's office. This floor looked a lot like the first and definitely not creepy like the third. There were patients walking around freely, but there were also some closed doors like on the third floor. I assumed there were more stable patients than others. After passing by a skinny girl with greasy hair who was whispering to the walls, I looked up and stopped dead. Mason. I stopped breathing as I watched him walk in my direction. No straitjacket, no restraints. I'd never seen him standing, and I was struck by how ridiculously tall he was. He was thin but not skeletal, and his black hair still looked messy, as if he ran his hands through it constantly. The difference in the color of his eyes always surprised me. His face, however, made me frown. He had a large bruise under his left eye, and his lower lip was split. What happened? I remembered
He started walking down the hall. I swear I could imagine the huge smile on his face at that moment. "Let me go!" I screamed, only able to see the ground and the back of his feet. "No." "Logan!" I screamed, frustrated. "Yes?" he asked in a mocking tone. "Let me go! I have something very important to do! Jasmine me—" "Blah," he cut me off. "Blah, blah." "You are so immature." "I know." He wasn't even going to deny it? My God, he was arrogant. "Let me go! I swear if you don't put me down, I'm going to..." I threatened, trying to sound serious. "You're going to what?" he joked, chuckling. "I'm going to do something really bad to..." My voice trailed off as I looked at his very shapely ass. I had never noticed that before. Logan had a really nice ass. Logan continued walking as if nothing was happening. "Did I weigh nothing? He doesn't even look tired." "Logan, if you don't put me down, I'm going to scream so loud your ears will bleed." "Really?" I could hear t
Logan's words echoed in my head. I could get lost in those deep, gray eyes. I couldn't believe he thought I was strong; I'd never thought of myself as a strong person. Logan stroked my cheek gently, using his thumb to wipe away my tears. "Don't cry," he whispered, his voice sounding so soft. "I don't like to see you cry, Anaís." I... I just didn't finish my sentence; my voice was weak. "Shhh." He pulled me towards him and hugged me. I buried my face in the crook of his neck and shoulder. Instantly, his scent calmed me. I felt safe and protected in his arms. Even I didn't know why I was crying. No one had ever understood me the way Logan did. His story was so sad, and I knew he had probably dealt with a lot of pain, a lot of guilt like I had. His voice soothed me. "Everything will get better, Anaís. I know it feels like this pain is going to last forever and that you'll never be able to be completely happy, but you will be, I promise." He kissed my hair. I don't know how
A steaming cup of chocolate appeared in front of me. I turned slightly to look at Logan, who gave me a closed-mouthed smile. "What were you thinking?" "In a dangerous and unstable patient..." "Nothing." We sat and talked for hours about the most trivial things in the world, and it felt so good. I felt normal, without worries, without fears. I allowed myself to forget everything that had happened, the pain, the sadness. I wasn't the patient with all those depressing diagnoses; I was just a girl, having a pleasant conversation with the boy she liked. It was already past midnight when I began to feel sleepy. The two of us were facing each other, with our sides against the sofa, our heads resting on it. The intensity of Logan's gaze left me breathless. "Are you sleepy?" I nodded, yawning. "Just a little." "Okay." "Do you really not remember anything about that night?" I tensed up a little, forgetting that he had read my file. "Not much." "You don't remember anything ab