Page 207 of Once in a Lifetime, Part 2

Mano forced his eyes open. The bank came back into focus. Reality. But it didn’t feel safe. The people around him blurred, twisting into something else.

“Mom…?”

A man raising a gun. “You too, kid.”

Pointed at him.

“Sweetheart… hands up. Like me.”

Mano dragged in a breath and let it out too fast.

“Mano… Are you okay? Talk to me.” Ody stepped in front of him, a hand grounding on his shoulder.

Nearby, a woman reached into her bag. Mano’s gaze locked onto it. A wallet. No. A gun.

His eyes widened. He tried to breathe, but the air wouldn’t come. The sharp breaths drew attention.

“Mano…” He kept his tone gentle. “Look at me. You’re here. You’re with me.”

The images kept coming, one over the other, drowning everything else out.

Ody’s hands moved to his shoulders, steady. “You’re here. With me.”

“Get me out… Ody, please—get me out of here.”

Ody guided him toward the exit. “Do you want to go to the car?”

Mano nodded.

Outside, the air hit his lungs harder, but it still wasn’t enough. Ody helped him into the passenger seat and rushed around to the driver’s side. “You’re safe. It’s over.” He cupped Mano’s face, steadying him. “Look at me. Mano, look at me.”

Mano’s eyes met his. Slowly, his breathing began to steady.

Ody kept his hands on his face, grounding him, until the panic loosened its grip. Mano’s chest rose and fell unevenly before finally settling.

Silence filled the car. Only then did Ody start the engine.

“You had something to do.” Mano swallowed. “Why don’t you go?”

“I’ll go another day.”

“I don’t mind waiting.”

“I’m not leaving you alone.” Ody looked at him. “Do you want to go home?”

Mano shook his head. “Would you mind if we… went for a drive?”

“Not at all.” Ody gave him a soft look. “Where do you want to go?”

Mano stared ahead. “Somewhere far.”

Without wasting a second, Ody pressed the gas and pulled onto the road. Traffic slowed them at first, but eventually the city thinned out behind them. They talked the whole way, about music, movies, anything that came to mind. The conversation flowed easily, one topic slipping into the next.

“I didn’t even realize when we got to Corinth,” Ody said, one hand on the wheel as he took a sip of his iced coffee. “I was driving, but I got completely lost in our conversations.”

“Same,” Mano said.

“Do you wanna head back?”