Fighting For Love

Chapter | 20

Matthew gave me a quick look up and down before stalking toward me with a sly smirk on his face. I tried to back away, knowing was about to happen, but unfortunately I wasn't fast enough.

"Aw little Nol is all grown up!" Mathew exclaimed as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders, holding me in place, while his other hand found my already messy brown curls.

"Ugh, stop." I groaned as his knuckles dug into my skull. Matthew chuckled as he removed his arm from my shoulders, letting me go. However, once he did I suddenly felt very unsteady on my feet. It was as if the world had suddenly began to turn on its axis. I blinked a few times as black spots began to cloud my vision and my ears started ringing.

This could not be happening right now.
I could not pass out right before my date with Lindsay.

To my dismay, at this realization, I felt the familiar prickle of anxiety begin to form in my stomach as my breathing picked up and my heartbeat rapidly increased. I felt Matthew's hand on my shoulder but I couldn't quite make out what he was saying. I vaguely felt someone guiding me to the table, but I couldn't decipher who it was. I could feel my mind and body starting to drift into a sea of nothingness as the world became fuzzy around the edges.

Just breath, I told myself as I tried to get a better grip on reality. I pressed my hands down, feeling something hard beneath them. That would be the table, I thought as I tried to take a deep inhale. Next I closed my eyes, focusing solely on the voices circulating around me. It was muffled at first but after a few second I was able to make out Matthew's gentle voice, oddly calm, like always.

"You're okay, Nol. Just take some deep breaths. Everything is going to be all right."

Deep breaths. Everything is going to be all right.

I repeated his words in my head as I did my best to control my breathing and ignore how heavy my head had begun to feel.

In two three, out two three. In two three, out two three. In two three, out two three.

I continued counting, my panic easing a little and my chest loosening with each breath.

"There you go Nol, you're doing great." It was Sophi's voice now that filled my ears.

After a few more minutes of counting I was finally able to get my breathing under control. Thinking it would be safe to open my eyes now, I slowly slid them
open, regretting it almost immediately as the kitchen began to spin once again.

I felt my body tilt to the the left, but luckily Matthew's arms caught me before I could fall off my chair. I snapped my eyes back shut, hoping that everything would stop spinning if I did. But somehow, it almost felt worse when I closed my eyes. I suddenly felt like I was on a boat surrounded by waves as the dizziness was replaced with a weird rocking sensation, and I felt seasick.

"Nolan?" Matthew's voice suddenly broke through the waves, "I need you to tell me what's wrong, okay?"

I gulped as bile began to rise in my throat. "Dizzy." I managed to force out, my voice sounding hollow and weak even to my own ears. I tried to tell him I was going to throw up and needed a garbage can, however, all that came out was mumbled gibberish as the fuzziness in my head expanded to the point where I could barely focus on anything else.