Fake Love - Jaxson Kidman Page 0,55

me down to the couch and sat on the table next to the couch.

I opened my eyes. “Sorry I fucked up your run.”

“Why did you try to chase me?” she asked.

“You were crying,” I said. “I wanted to check on you.”

Gia put a finger to her lips telling me to shh.

Val walked into the room. “Okay, here we go. A cold washcloth to start. Let me see what’s going on here.”

She hovered over me and looked into my eyes.

She touched my wrists.

Then the palms of my hands.

Next her right hand rested on my chest.

“I’m going to apply pressure,” she whispered. “Not hurt you though. Just pressure. I need you to take big, deep breaths as I do this.”

“Mom, please stop,” Gia said.

“She’s backed up,” Val said.

“What?” I asked.

“Backed up?” Gia asked. “Like she has to use the bathroom?”

“No,” Val said. “Her mind. Her stress. She’s got everything twisted up right now. Not to mention running after you, Gia…” Val looked at me. “Don’t ever try to chase her down.”

“Lesson learned,” I whispered.

“Come on,” Val said. “Deep breaths. Good thoughts. Better vibes.”

I took deep breaths.

Val hovered over me.

Pressing on my chest. But not too hard.

It was weird at first but then I felt comfortable.

A huge sense of comfort washed over me.

“Let it out,” she whispered to me. “All you’re holding in.”

“Maybe she’s trying to remember stuff,” Gia said.

I looked at Gia and nodded.

“That’s what you were doing,” Val said. “Okay. You can’t force your mind to do something it doesn’t want to do. You overwhelmed yourself.”

“Then you saw me running and tried to chase me down,” Gia said.

“That’ll do it,” Val said. “That, plus some dehydration. Gia, go get some water for Winter. She’s going to be just fine.”

Val moved her hands away from me and I slowly sat up.

I felt better.

Just weak.

She sat down across from me and studied me.

“Rough day,” she said, not asking.

“Yeah.”

“Try not to think so hard. You really set yourself off there.” Val stood up. “I’m giving Tina a call.”

Great. Just what I need. My mother involved.

Val left the room and Gia came back with a glass of water.

I drank it and felt better.

“You scared me,” Gia said.

“I scared myself,” I said.

“What were you doing there…”

“I didn’t see you today,” I said. “I went to BFH for a little bit. It got tense with Noah, Easton, and Xavier. So I came home to try and think. Everyone keeps saying things and I’m…”

“I’m sorry you saw me like you did,” Gia said. “That wasn’t my finest moment.”

“What was it about? Tell me. Please.”

Gia stared at me.

I let a minute or two pass.

Then I heard my mother’s voice.

“Where the fuck is she?”

I put my head back and groaned.

“Winter? Are you okay?”

“She’s fine now,” Val said. “She just overdid it with the thinking.”

“Too much thinking?” Tina asked.

“I’m fine,” I said. “I was thinking and running then-”

“Why the fuck were you running?” my mother asked. “Was someone chasing you?”

“No,” I said.

“It’s my fault,” Gia said.

“It’s nobody’s fault,” Val said. “Everyone just stay calm.”

My mother looked at Val. “Thanks for helping her.”

“Always,” Val said. “It’s tough being a single mom.”

“Yeah, it is,” my mother said.

Now that pissed me off.

She wasn’t a single mom.

She never was.

I wasn’t a kid.

She wasn’t doing me any favors.

I pushed from the couch and stood up.

“Let’s go home and relax,” my mother said. “Take a shower and unwind.”

I nodded.

I looked at Gia again

She hurried to hug me.

“I’ll stop over later. I’ll tell you everything. Just go rest.”

I hugged her back.

I thanked Val but that wasn’t good enough.

She wanted a hug too.

Then I was face to face with my mother.

Don’t worry, I did not hug her.

I showered, ate, then took a nap.

When I woke up, it was dark outside and I felt back to normal.

Whatever happened on the beach was weird.

I wasn’t sure if I believed in Val’s thoughts on standing in the sun naked or taking deep breaths and all that stuff, but it seemed to work for me. Minus standing in the sun naked.

I had completely overwhelmed myself.

What happened with Noah, Easton, and Xavier. Trying to really figure out who was full of shit or not. Hint - everyone was full of shit.

It was because of that stupid kiss with Noah that I let his words linger in my head as though I couldn’t remember what had happened.

Then I made the dumb decision to chase after a star runner like Gia.

Like I ever stood a chance of actually catching up to her.

The sun blasting on me.