For My Soul

Chapter 14

Hiya, happy reading lovelies:) (Wattpad isn't working well today, hope this works lol)

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River's POV

I follow Amelia out of the lecture hall and through the lobby towards the exit of the building. She paused for a moment as she exited, letting me catch up with her.

But her pause wasn't because she was aware I was trying to make sure she was ok. It was because just as she walked out of the hall, another lecture had been dismissed, meaning that to get out of the building, Amelia had to push through a crowd of a hundred other students to find the exit.

It was crowded, as it usually is, but for some reason, I knew this was not good. The way she pushed through seemed uncharacteristic. She usually moves in a way that means she isn't noticed. Right now, Amelia doesn't seem to give two shits about that.

She bundles through everyone, and as soon as she gets outside, she jogs down the few steps and heads around the corner, around the back of the building. Of course I follow. We walk down the path, the brick wall sandwiching us between the building and the back of a bike rack, grass on either side of the shed rack.

"Hi." I say hesitantly.

She had her back leaning on the wall and she was just breathing, her hand on her middle, her eyes closed.

She lets out a quick gasp and then she shakes her head to herself, lifting her other hand to tell me to not come any closer, her bag falling off her shoulder in the meantime and as she tries to stop it, her belongings go tumbling to the floor.

She follows the bag down, her legs buckling and she sits on the cold floor. But despite this looking like she sort of gave up trying to gain composure, she keeps her hand raised to tell me to stay away.

So I helplessly keep standing there, watching as she struggles to regain control of her breathing.

I stare in utter stress, with guilt radiating of me. I hate this. I hate that I am just watching as she glares at the ground and desperately tries to steady her breathing.

So I break my silence, not being able to just stand here any more. "Drink some water, Amelia. It always helps my sister when she can't breathe, regulates your system, please."

Amelia doesn't look at me, but her eyes do move to her bag so I gather that maybe she is searching for her water bottle. I had watched it tumble out of her bag with the rest of her things five minutes prior, so I step forward and pick it up for her, handing it over.

She unscrews the lid, and she drinks, her hands shaky.

I watched until her eyes, slightly tearful but not at all streaming, glance from the patch of grass in front of her to me.

As our eyes connect, I don't know what on earth to do now. I decide instead of standing here, looking helpless, to sit down on the cold ass pavement next to her. "I am so fucking sorry."

"It was the crowd." She says, her voice not quite stable. "Not you. Don't worry."

"I am sorry I was rude," I say. "I did not mean to upset you at all. Ever."

Amelia seems to shake it off and she breathes out steadier. "It was the crowd. You triggered my anxiety, but usually I can stop it- it was just a lot of people in my way when I was trying to escape."

"I know. It was even hard to follow you out here."

"Why did you?"

"I wanted to make sure you were ok."