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The annoyance is in his every movement as he crouches in front of me, but at a descent enough distance away so that tongues won’t wag.
“I expected better of you, Andie. I thought you’d have at least been ready to listen to the class today, participate, but you had no interest. All you seem to want to do was talk to Jeremy!” he spits my friends name out like it’s dirt on the floor. “And then, you run out of the class.” He sighs and looks around.
“Just go, Sawyer. I’m sure you’ve got better things to do than talk to me.” I rest my cheek on my knees, looking away.
“This isn’t over.”
I sense that he’s gone so before he changes his mind and heads back toward me, I clamber to my feet and start swaying.
Stumbling and unable to get my balance, and just when I’m about to hit the ground, I feel strong arms wrap around my waist. “What the fuck, Andie,” Sawyer whispers and lifts me against his chest. His strong arms tighten around me while I rest my head on his shoulder, keeping my eyes closed.
“Thanks,” I hear him mumble and then we’re moving and minutes later I feel the cool air conditioning as we enter a building.
Doors open and my eyes stay closed because it’s easier than facing my embarrassment of the morning. I hate that I suffer with anxiety, and I especially hate how Sawyer saw me along with the other students in the class.
“Place her on here.”
My eyes snap open at the voice of one of the college nurses.
“Hey, Andie. Another attack?” she asks, and ignoring Sawyer who stands next to her with a puzzled look on his face, I answer, “Yeah.”
“Okay, honey. I’m just going to check you over to make sure you’re fine, and then you can rest for a bit before I call your friend to come and help you back to your apartment. Jeremy, right?”
I nod.
“Jeremy’s busy. I’ll call someone to come and get you.” Sawyer hovers and when the silence starts to become uncomfortable, he adds, “Could you give us a minute please?”
The nurse looks between us both and frowns but does as requested.
“What attack?” he asks as soon as we’re alone.
“I suffer with anxiety. I usually take meds before the class I take or if I have to do a presentation—anything that involves having attention on me. I don’t take meds when I’m the one attending the class because I’m usually okay.” I sigh. “Except today was the worse class I’ve ever been in.”
“I drew attention to you...because I was furious to walk into the room and find you so engrossed in conversation with Jeremy that you didn’t even register I was there.” He brushes his hands through his hair. “I was jealous...and I’m responsible for causing this.”
“I’ll be okay,” I try to reassure him but I don’t have it in me as a headache is starting across my brows.
“I’m going to call Pattie to come and get you. Please don’t go anywhere with Jeremy.” He takes my hands. “I know I don’t really have the right to ask you that after how I’ve behaved today, but please let me do this.”
I’m too tired to think. “Okay...you better go.”
He softly brushes a kiss across my lips. “I’m sorry.”
Once he’s left the nurse checks my vitals and leaves me to sleep until I’m being shook awake, what feels like minutes later.
“The nurse said to wake you as she may need the bed,” Pattie says hovering over me. “You’re pale. Perhaps you should stay where you are.”
“I’ll be okay. I just need a drink of juice.” I swing my legs over the side of the bed and smile when she punches the straw into a carton of orange juice.
She shrugs a grin on her face. “The nurse said you’d appreciate it.”
With a slight nod, I drink the juice and feel unsettled. It bothers me that Sawyer was jealous enough during class to make a point of challenging me in front of everyone. What was wrong with leaving it until the end of class like he’d initially suggested? It doesn’t make sense and if I’m honest, I feel it was unfair of him to do that.
He’s the one who said our relationship had to be left at the door, and I agreed. But yet he’s the one who didn’t like it.
“Are you cursing my brother out?” Pattie asks, her head tilted to the side while she studies me.
With a wry smile as I finish the juice, I reply, “Not really.” I sigh and toss the carton into the trash. “He’s never drawn me out in class before like he did today. I’m annoyed that he did and, I guess, upset. He did it out of jealousy, which he admitted. He just can’t keep doing it.”
