Read Online Licorice Whips by Bridget Midway - Free Book Online Page B

not like she wanted to cry, but rather scream, only nothing would come out of it. Her pounding heart drummed out of control.
    She stopped her march long enough to realize that the world started to blur in her vision. Squiggly colorful lines replaced distinct figures.
    Oh no, no, no, no!
    “Uh, I’m not going to talk about him.” She glanced up at the light blue sky and hoped to be able to get herself together.
    “Did you break up with him already?”
    “How did you know–”
    “You mentioned before that he would be your soon-to-be ex.”
    Damn, this man had listened to every word she’d said even when she hadn’t said anything to him directly.
    Although Nikla liked that trait, she couldn’t think about him right now. She balled her hands into fists, clutching the papers she held until they wrinkled and crinkled under the grip. She started breathing in and out of her mouth, panting so hard she started to feel lightheaded.
    “Oh, God.” Nikla hadn’t expected to feel a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head and caught Sweet staring back at her.
    “You’re having a panic attack.” His tone was slow, low and easy.
    Even though he delivered the message in a calm, matter-of-fact way, that didn’t prevent Nikla from exclaiming, “No shit!”
    She didn’t normally curse at strangers, but she felt her world spiraling out of her control. Nikla put her hand against her chest and tried to remember all of the tricks her doctor had told her.
    “Come inside and sit down.” Sweet turned her shoulders and tried heading her into Decadent Treats.
    Even without being able to speak, Nikla shook her head and instead moved toward her car. She managed to unlock the car door before she collapsed onto the parking lot next to it.
    Her lungs burned the more she gasped for needed breath. She wanted to scream for allowing herself to lose control.
    Nikla felt an arm go around her waist. Someone pulled her up and placed her limp body in the back seat of her car.
    “Just...want...to...go.” She stammered her statement as her hands shook.
    “Not in this condition.” Sweet seized her car keys from her hands. “Stay right here.”
    He ran off, leaving her to wonder where he went and what he’d planned on doing to her. Her luck, he would take embarrassing pictures of her and post them over the Internet.
    Faster than she could think the worst, Sweet came back with a brown paper bag.
    “Sit up.”
    With his commanding tone, she felt compelled to do whatever he requested. She sat up as she gripped the door and car seat.
    Sweet opened the bag and squeezed around the top portion. “Over your mouth and nose and breathe in and out.”
    Without question, she placed the bag in position and took in a deep breath and breathed out. She’d been through this before. It did surprise her that Sweet recognized the signs and knew what to do.
    “Is there someone who can pick you up?”
    Nikla thought about her father. He’d been with her many times when these attacks had crippled her. He would have just told her to stop being a baby and suck it up. She didn’t need that right now.
    Deana would have paid more attention to Sweet than her. Who would blame her? Despite him being a part of a place she wanted to see shut down, he had been kind to her and really didn’t have to be.
    Nikla shook her head at Sweet’s inquiry.
    “I’ll call for an ambulance.”
    Sweet started to stand when Nikla grabbed his wrist to still him. She looked over the rim of the crumpled paper bag and shook her head.
    “Okay, no ambulance.” He wriggled out of her grip. “You can’t stay here like this. I can take you home. I’ll drive you and just take a cab back.” He held up her keys, a reminder that he had taken control of this situation.
    Nikla found her voice to remove the bag from her face to answer him. “No. You can’t.”
    “Yes, I can. Your only choice is whether you want to be taken there sitting up here in the front seat or lying down in the back