Page 84 of Tell No Lies

Knowing this suddenly made me miss him. I needed him with me.

I moved my head in what I thought was a nod.

“Alright, let’s get you standing up. Sound okay?” She was looking at me, apparently waiting for something.

My body moved automatically, and a few more minutes later, I was sitting again in a strange, cloth gown.

One finger was tracing the abstract pattern when the door opened. “Aubrey? Are you okay?”

I lifted my gaze toward the voice. Brandon was looking at me like I might disappear. He turned to the nurse, but I couldn’t hear their voices.

If Brandon is really here, is this whole thing real? Was I really just attacked in the studio by my friend?

The thought broke chills out across my skin.

“What’s happening to her?” Brandon’s voice filled the small room. He was suddenly in front of me, clutching my face in his hands. “Aubrey! Calm down!”

My body was shaking, convulsing painfully and completely out of my control.

After a blink, I was staring at the ceiling. Had I fallen?

Noises were growing around me, but I didn’t know where they were coming from. I felt a stabbing pain in my arm and let out a sob. Nothing made sense. My entire body throbbed in pain, and I was just so exhausted.

I felt my eyes falling just before I felt something warm on my face. I focused solely on finding the source. I looked around but only saw the creamy ceiling tiles.

Carter’s face jumped to the edge of my vision. I turned my head toward him, feeling even more confused. When had he gotten here?

“Aubrey! Listen to me. I need you to breathe.”

His words made no sense.

“Look at me, Aubrey! Breathe!”

Darkness was closing in around me.

“No! Stay with me, Aubrey! You need to take a deep breath for me.” Other voices were being mixed with his. Shouts about numbers and an obnoxious beeping sound.

I tried to focus on what he was saying. Breathe? Am I not already?

“You’re having another panic attack, Aubrey. You need to breathe.”

Wouldn’t I know if I was having an attack? I felt still.

Something was suddenly blocking me from seeing Carter, and a second later, I felt something against my face. I told my hand to move it. I wanted it off.

“No, Aubrey. You need oxygen, just until you calm down.” I felt a squeeze on my hand. I clutched whatever it was, needing to feel connected to something, anything real.

I could feel a change in my chest as if something was being loosened. The pressure was dissipating slowly, taking the fog in my head with it. Carter’s voice was a constant pull away from giving in to the darkness that promised relief.

With each small breath, I felt my body lighten. When I was feeling well enough, I squeezed the object in my hand.

Carter appeared over me with a look of pain and concern. “Are you okay?”

I nodded, understanding his words clearly for the first time. I reached up and pulled at the mask before he could stop me. “Brandon?” My voice sounded raspy, as if I’d spent the whole night singing along at a concert.

He was suddenly at my side. “Yeah?”

“You’re here?”