Page 45 of Imbalanced Minds

Chapter Twenty-Four

Iris

Arriving back to the apartment, Justin and Natalie disappear to the spare room while Cory and I go to mine.

We don’t speak for the first little while; honestly, I’m too scared to. What happened was so out of the blue it shook me up. I’m pleased he intervened; my inner self was letting go and beginning to crumple.

“Iris, are you okay?”

I can’t look him in the eye and tell him the truth; no, I’m not. Yet I can’t lie to his face either, so I hide. It’s what I’m good at.

The gentle touch of Cory’s thumb and index finger presses against my chin as he angles my face back toward him. Suddenly, I flick my eyes up so they meet his; looking into the depth of his blazing stare, my anxiety levels begin to spike.

I’m never too good in situations like this—situations where I have to speak my feelings or face my problems head-on. We already know my perfect solution involves my bedroom and wine. However, with Cory now by my side, that makes this incredibly hard—accurately speaking, it’s impossible.

Attaining any form of restraint to gather myself is hard; the alcohol flowing through my bloodstream isn’t helping either. My chest is becoming tightly restricted as I gulp the air I breathe.

I grab at my throat as if fighting for a release. My body’s stuck in a war with itself; body versus mind.

It’s like I’m suffocating. I’ve gone from being terrified to overwhelmed to totally out of control. I need to get my shit together, but I can’t. I have completely lost control.

Everything around me is quiet, except for the ringing in my ears. My vision is also wavering as I struggle to focus. My insides are burning and I can’t will it to stop.

I need it to stop.

Gasping in as much air as my lungs will tolerate, I notice my body floating through thin air. This is it; I think I’ve finally gone too far. I should have talked to him like I did at the beginning, but after tonight I no longer have the strength to.

White dots start to form in my vision, aware I’m about to lose everything. All fight in me is gone but my lungs continue to heave in survival—but it’s no use, I’m blacking out.

Shock hits my system as a wash of frozen liquid runs over my fully clad body. With the biggest breath I fear I have ever taken; I go to lurch forward but cannot move.

Shivering, I find myself cradled in a set of warm, solid arms. Becoming aware of my surroundings brings a wave of shock all over again.

This time, I’m fighting to get out of the cold. The wet droplets cascading over my body are causing my system to go into sensory overload; the torture being too much to bear.

“Angel, just breath. I’ve got you. The water will warm up in a second.” A familiar voice brings me back instantly.

I melt into the new warmth of not only Cory’s embrace but of the gentle stream that now surrounds me. Gradually my body relaxes, my lungs decrease in the agony that recently took hold and my mind banishes all deep, unwanted thoughts.

I’m crying so hard I wriggle in Cory’s arms causing him to curse. I’m overwhelmed and vulnerable. I’m weak and defeated. All I want is for it to be over.

Only once the tears have washed away and I find my confidence do I speak.

“What happened?” I ask into Cory’s chest, not yet wanting to look into the eyes that show unconditional love.

“You had an anxiety attack, Angel,” Cory whispers while nuzzling his face in the crook of my neck, “you scared me, sweetheart. When you started scratching at your neck, I knew something was wrong. Without warning, you collapsed, and I knew then I had to think fast. My instincts brought you here, in the shower. I couldn’t wait for it to warm up, but I knew the cold snap was my only chance to bring you back quickly.”

Lifting my head up, I see raw emotion written all over his features. The sincerity in his words, the worry etched in his brows becomes my undoing.

The love I have for this man is too strong to deny and the way my body reacts to his is irrefutable.

“Sweetheart, you keep looking at me like that and this will become a very, very dirty shower and I need to make sure you’re not going to have another episode.”

The stare Cory’s giving me has become primal, no doubt mirroring mine as the water continues to flow over us—joining us together. The lust running through my core is saying get your man while my head is screaming run!

Sliding out of Cory’s arms, I plant one leg firmly on the shower floor, followed by the other. Leisurely spinning around so we’re facing, I slowly tilt my head while staring up at Cory from under my full lashes.

Gradually bringing my hands to the hem of my dress, I gather the silky wet fabric and slowly start pulling it up until it’s over my head. I drop the soaked bunch of material on the marble tiled floor, thanking my lucky stars we have a large, walk-in shower.