Actions Speak Louder Than Fortune Cookies

32 - Panic (Sebastian's POV)

It was around midnight and Sebastian had just walked through the door with his luggage. He had spent the last week filming in hot ass Georgia, and with all of the airplane delays, layovers, and cancellations he was physically and mentally exhausted.

He was normally the type to unpack right away when he got home but he couldn't muster up the energy to do it at that moment. As soon as he shut his front door he pushed the luggage to the side and collapsed heavily, onto the couch, landing on his back. He had planned to sit for five minutes and then unpack but as quickly as he had laid down, he had fallen asleep.

------------------

Sebastian's phone began to ring, stirring him awake from his brief sleep. He looked blearily at the screen seeing it was 1:40 am. But he became even more confused in his sleepy state when he saw it was Alexa's name that was shining brightly on his screen below the time.

"M'ello?" Sebastian answered as he rubbed his face with his other hand.

"Hey, its Lex. I...I need your help. Please. I-It's Rylee."

His blood ran cold at her tone of voice. She sounded concerned. Afraid. Confused.
"What happened? Is she okay?" He asked, now very much awake, blood pumping. He sat up on the couch running a hand through his messy hair.

"I think she's having a panic attack. She asked me to call you. I didn't know what to do." Alexa said rapidly, concern still wrapping her voice. Panic attack? He didn't realize she was plagued by those. He had experienced them in the past and knew how she must feel right now. His heart ached for her as he could now hear what he guessed was Rylee in the background of the call, gasping for air, through hiccups and tears.

"Can you put me on speaker? I'll try to talk to her.." he patted his pants pockets and let out a silent curse when he couldn't find his keys where he thought he had left them last. He stood up and began digging through the couch cushions looking for the now lost item. If they hadn't fallen out when he collapsed on the couch, he hadn't the slightest idea where they'd be. Shit. Where are they?

Alexa must have immediately put it on speaker because he could now hear Rylee's ragged breathing and gasps much more clearly. He had never heard her like this before...so distraught and distant.

"Rylee...Ry... can you hear me?" He straightened up and began pacing in his living room momentarily forgetting the keys, trying not to picture how overcome Rylee must be right now.

He didn't get a steady response, only more wheezing and hiccups filled the phone line.

"Ry, its Sebastian. Come on, sweetheart. Take some deep breaths for me. Listen to mine." He said as he began exaggeratedly breathing in and out into the phone for her to mimic as he walked back and forth. It ripped his heart out knowing he wasn't by her side during this moment. He wanted to hold her...help her swim back up from whatever murky hell she was drowning in.

There was hesitation on the other end of the line for a moment, then he heard her speak for the first time and his heart sunk even further. She sounded torn to shreds.
"R-right. Br-" hicc "-eathe."
"But it's," she gasped for air briefly, "so hard."
"Why is it so-" she tried inhaling deeply again, "hard?"

"I know, it's hard Ry, but try for me," Sebastian's heart crumbled listening to her struggle to get out her feelings. He wondered if she had even meant to say that aloud. He tried his best to keep his voice steady, it wouldn't benefit her to hear him worry. He began the search for his keys yet again, looking around the front door where he had ditched his luggage. He was about to say fuck it and just run out the door at this point.

He could hear Rylee physically trying to slow her breathing. There were still many hiccups and gasps happening on her end of the line, but he could tell she was really trying her best to ground herself.