Page 57 of Shattered Silence Duet

“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 36

Tucker

“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 hercheek. I wipe it away before realizing 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.

“We know she suffers from them. It might not have been related to your question. Anything can set them off. We just don’t know,” Gideon adds.

“And now we can’t even ask,” Max grumbles.

“It’s probably best we don’t. She’s clearly not ready to talk about it,” Dom states.

“Shit, guys, we have to get back to school. Lunch is almost over, and you have class,” Gideon tells us, looking angry that he has to leave. I feel the same way, I don’t want to leave her now, not in this state. I want to make sure she’s okay and not upset with me.

I hold Mina tighter against my chest, kiss her head, and softly nuzzle where her neck meets her shoulder, taking in her scent to get me through until I see her again. As I stand up, I lift her in my arms.

Ben steps in front of me. “Alright, man, time to hand her over. You can’t take her back like this.” He gives me a small smirk, and I pass her gently into his arms. I watch her for a minute to make sure she’s still breathing, then kiss her forehead before heading back to school. I hope I can see her in gym class. I need to see with my own eyes that she’s okay.

Chapter 37

Ben

Ilook down at the sleeping beauty in my arms as I lean back on the couch. Dom sits beside me, holding her tiny feet in his hands, and Atlas sits on my other side, his fingers playing with her hair like it’s the most delicate thing in the world.

“Dom, we have to figure out a way to get her out of that house,” I say with a sigh.

“I’ve been thinking the same thing,” he says, his eyes glued to her unconscious body.

“I know we still need to have the conversation, but I don’t think I can wait until she turns eighteen, what if she’s being hurt at home?”