THOSE SUMMER NIGHTS

[25]

Where Atlas stood watching all of this unfold, he took in a breath and walked towards us. He offered me his hand, "I brought the car. I'll drive you home."

I looked up at him and felt the effects of that one text message, weigh down my shoulders. Leah cut in, "Don't let her overexert herself. We'll be right over once we clean up."

I nodded. I love them so much it hurt.

I lifted my hand and took Atlas's hand, attempting to lift myself up. Once I was standing on my own two feet, I ran my hand through my hair and took a breath. As I exhaled, a sharp stab of pain ran through my head. I winced.

Atlas looked at me and with a look of finality on his face, he moved around me and lifted me up. I let out a wince as the pain in my head multiplied. I gripped his shoulders in fear of falling and landing on the sand.

Atlas's hand that rested under my back, rubbed up and down causing me to start breathing normally again.

"Relax," He whispered, "You're okay."

I nodded, gulping quietly as he started to walk towards where I assumed the car was parked. With a sigh, I rested my head on his shoulder and looked up as he continued walking. Every angle and I swear to God, he just kept getting more and more perfect.

As I tried to distract myself with anything and everything, that shake in my heart started to come back. The fear, the anxiety, the hopelessness that I felt almost a year and a half ago was coming back. I was going to spiral back into the mess I was all those months ago.

As Atlas stepped onto the sidewalk, I noticed the car parked a few feet away. I placed my hand on Atlas's chest, asking him to stop. He looked down in question, "I can walk the rest of the way."

He shook his head, smiling softly, "It's okay, Eden. I got you."

Redness flooded my cheeks and I looked away as he walked the few steps to the car. He rounded around the back of the car and reached down, pulling open the door. He set me down on the leather seat and I let out a sigh as I curled into it. Once Atlas closed the door and walked around and slipped into the car, I laid my head down on the armrest in the middle.

I swallowed back the urge to cry as Atlas pulled the car into drive. With each second of the drive, a memory of Keldan and I would resurface. My upper lip curled in pain and anger and I squeezed my eyes shut to stop the tears. The lump in my throat felt heavy and thick as I tried to think about something else.

Before long, the torturous drive was over. We arrived in front of the house and before Atlas parked, my hand was already on the door's handle. I wanted to hide in my room and curl up on the floor as my brain spilled out faster than my tears could.

When Atlas parked the car, I pulled open the door and stepped out. Stars clouded my vision and I blinked them away. I looked to my left as Atlas walked up next to me. He waited for me to say something, but I wish I had something to say. Something that'd explain what was going on with me and my fucked up head.

I pressed my fist to my head and took a breath. Atlas placed his hand on the small of my back, making every nerve that laid dormant under my skin come alive. I took in a breath as my hand dropped from my head.

"You're okay," He said, reassuring me of something I wasn't so sure of. I nodded and with that, we walked to the front door. He opened the grand, wooden door for me and let me in. He walked through and closed the door behind him.

The smell of food met my senses and the need to throw up washed over me. Any other day, I would've melted at the heavenly smell, but now...

Now, I could throw up and throw up and melt into a small puddle after. I felt like trash.