Page 55 of Silent Desires

I silently stand up and walk around the coffee table and head towards him, watching as he smiles warmly at me. As soon as I’m close enough, he gently pulls me into a hug, his arms somehow missing any major injuries. “Hi, Mina,” he whispers in my ear before he releases me.

I turn to Tucker, who’s sitting right beside Gideon, and he pulls me close and wraps me in a huge hug, making me hiss in pain. He manages to press on my arm, back, and side all at the same time, the pain too much to ignore.

Heimmediately releases me, his face etched with concern. “Did I hurt you, Sugar?” His eyes, shadowed with worry, sweep over me like he’s cataloging every inch of my exposed skin, afraid he’s missed something.

I shake my head, he didn’t cause my injuries, so I’m not technically lying.

“But youarehurt,” Tucker states, not letting me avoid answering. “Show me where.”

I shake my head and gently pull away, heading to Ben. I saw him in the kitchen but didn’t say hello yet properly. I sense the tension thick in the air, but choose to ignore it. Ben gives me a gentle smile as I approach him.

“Hey, Princess, I missed you.” I pull my phone out of my pocket to type a response and show him.

Me:I missed you too. I’ve only met you once though, doesn’t that seem weird?

“Does it feel weird to you?” he asks with a tilt of his head. I think about it for a second, but it doesn’t seem weird at all. We were texting each other on the weekend so even though this is only the second time seeing him in person, I feel like I know a lot about him already. He’s funny, he likes gadgets and computers and playing video games, and he’s really smart. I shake my head to answer his question.

“Good,” he says, giving me a warm smile and kissing the top of my head as he pulls me in for a quick, gentle hug. “Go sit between Atlas and Dom, and we’ll bring lunch in here for everyone.”

“Nope!” Tucker, suddenly standing in front of me, stops my path and grabs my hand, bringing me to the other side of the couch where Gideon is sitting, and pulls me down to sit between them. Then proceeds to glare at Domand Atlas. “You two and Ben get her during third period. So we get her now, right Gideon?”

“Actually,” Gideon says thoughtfully, “You get her for gym class, so, to be fair, I should get her to myself for lunch period.”

“No way, I’m teaching a class, I can’t spend quality time with her!”

“Semantics,” Gideon says with an eye roll.

My wide eyes dart back and forth between them all. Are they—Are they fighting over spending time with me? Why? They don’t really know methatwell. This seems… weird. I mean, it doesn’tfeelweird. It actually feels really nice, being wanted by people I actually like. It makes my heart feel all warm and cozy.

Food is placed on the coffee table in what they call a buffet style. There are tiny burgers they keep calling sliders, a salad and macaroni and cheese. Gideon and Tucker make sure to keep my plate full, no matter how much I eat. It’s cute, but I’m only able to eat one and a half sliders, along with a little bit of salad and macaroni.

“So, Sugar, what did you get up to this weekend?” Tucker asks me casually as everyone finishes eating and leans back in their seats.

My body goes from relaxed to tense in an instant, as I’m immediately reminded of the horror show that happened and what almost happened when Simon visited on Saturday. Dark spots cloud my vision, and I realize I’m not breathing. I try to take a breath, but it comes out short, and I can’t get in enough air. My vision gets cloudy as I clutch at my chest and throat, desperate for air. The room is full of loud noises, but they all blur together, and I’m unable to disguise one voice from another.

A memory surges in my mind, trapping me in the past. I can feel the pain of being thrown into the dresser, the feeling of the shower curtain wrapped around me, as the water poured over my head, drowning me as I coughed and spluttered. I feel Simon holding my face up to the water, yelling at me.

A voice starts to break through my nightmare. Someone is yelling my name in the distance. Are the guys here to save me? They shouldn’t bother, it’s too late. That’s the last thought I have before complete blackness surrounds me.

Chapter thirty-six

“So, Sugar, what did you get up to this weekend?” As soon as the question leaves my mouth, I feel her body freeze up beside me. “Sugar?” I ask, turning fully toward her. I rub my hand on her upper back, trying to get her to look at me. “Mina, Sugar, can you look at me?”

“Shit, it’s a panic attack!” Gideon growls, pulling her plate away and turning her chair so he can kneel in front of her. He grabs both of her hands as he tries to talk to her. “Look at me, come on, Love. I need you to take a deep breath. Mina, Honey?”

His voice grows desperate when she doesn’t respond. He places his hands on her cheeks. “Come on, I need you to breathe!” He raises his voice slightly, tilting her head up to him. Her eyes are vacant, staring at nothing. It’s terrifying. She’s not breathing, and he can’t seem to reach her.

The others gather around us, all calling her name, trying to get her to breathe. I grab her hand and hold it tightly between mine, kissing her knuckles and afraid to let her go.

The moment her eyes roll back and her body goes limp, it feels like my heart literally stops. I catch her before she moves an inch and hold her against my chest. Her face is tilted up and I stroke her hair back from her face, watching as a drop of water falls onto her cheek. I wipe it away beforerealizing it’s coming from me. I’m… I’m actually crying. I don’t remember ever crying before.

“Tucker?” I hear Gideon say softly. I lift my gaze to where he’s kneeling in front of us. “She’s going to be okay. She’s breathing normally now.” I nod, looking back at her to watch her chest rise and lower steadily. I can feel more tears forming in my eyes.Why am I crying?

“It’s not your fault, brother,” Dom says, placing his hand on my arm. I grind my teeth. Of course it’s my fault.What was I thinking, asking her that?There’s obviously something going on at her house.

“Look at me, Tuck.” My eyes meet Dom’s. “It’s not. For all we know, she was just hanging out in her bedroom all weekend and nothing happened.”

“Then why did she panic?” I ask, looking back at her face.

---