Page 45 of Thunderstruck
“Later,” I beg. It was bad enough that Carissa just saw me at my low, and I don’t need Ethan mentioning anything to my friends. I know he would.
The display lights up with a call from Derek, and I curse under my breath. Ethan must have already said something to him. I can only imagine the kind of things Derek might say with the limited information Ethan could have given him. He’ll infer the panic attack and make a bigger deal out of it than he needs to.
“Should I answer it?” Carissa asks, her hand hovering over the button. Her eyes are fixed on me.
I swallow, still fighting to take full breaths. I’m starting to notice the bitter taste in my mouth, but reaching for my water bottle in the backseat sounds too daunting. “I don’t know.” I love the guy, but I don’t think I have the energy for Derek either.
The call ends, and only a few seconds later it lights up again with Freya’s name.
I sigh, some of my lingering tension releasing with my exhale. “Sometimes I hate my friends,” I grumble, then nod even though I’m not sure I can have a conversation right now.
Carissa hits the button, and the car fills with Freya’s strong voice. “Coleman Evanson, what in the world is happening?”
“I’m fine.”
Carissa meets my eyes again, and her lips twitch with a smile before she mouths,Coleman?
I narrow my eyes, managing a full breath.Finally. Now, if I could just get my heart to stop racing…
“You do not sound fine,” Freya argues. “I heard—”
“Whatever Derek told you, he doesn’t know anything.” Stupid voice tremor. I sound awful, and I drop my head against the seat in exhaustion.
“Where are you? Derek will come so you are not alone.”
I scoff, shaking my head, but this conversation is working well to get me to finally relax. Or maybe it’s the way Carissa is biting her lip to keep from smiling, locking my attention on her. I wonder how soft that lip is. I swallow, forcing my focus away from Carissa’s mouth. That’s what got me into this mess in the first place. “I’m not alone, Peach.” I sound stronger now.
“Oh?”
“Hi again, Your Highness,” Carissa says, waving at the display even though there’s nothing there but the radio.
I crack a weak smile, grateful for the distraction. “You don’t have to call her that,” I whisper.
“But she’s a princess!” Carissa whispers back.
“Yeah, but—”
“What happened? Derek is worried.” Freya’s voice has dropped into a gentler tone, which I appreciate. When she gets worked up, she can get impressively loud. “And so am I. You have been struggling.”
Carissa’s smile slips.
I sigh. “I told you. I’m fine. Carissa and I had a run in with a pap.”
“I do not like it when you call them that,” Freya complains. “It sounds like my appointment with my women’s physician.”
Women’s physician?Carissa mouths.
I laugh weakly and shake my head. “Peach, you really need to work on sounding more human.”
“I am royalty, Evanson. I will speak how I speak.”
“Okay.”
“What did the photographer witness?”
I meet Carissa’s gaze, for the first time wondering what her perspective on the moment is. Did she think I was going to kiss her? Because I’m not sure if I would have actually done it.
But I wanted to.
