Life is Liz (LiL, #1)

Chapter 66: Intricate Thoughts

"Aww, you are the cutest. I ship it!"

I rolled my eyes at Jack's proclamation, but couldn't hide the smile tugging on my lips.

"Hey!" Jere began. "You didn't bake me cookies for our reconciliation."

Alex shot him a look that could have said a lot of things. One of them being 'Are you fucking kidding me?' or maybe he meant it to be a 'You're right. I'm also not in love with you so deal with it!".

God, I just couldn't let it go.

I cleared my throat. "Alright, everybody's getting one cookie." Reluctantly,-and solely because I knew they would pester me until I gave in-I shared my present with the three.

"Eww," Jack spoke around a full mouth, having shoved the entire cookie into it at once. "Please, don't bake me anything if we ever have a fight in the future."

Through the rearview mirror, I watched as a crease formed in the space between Alex' eyebrows. Oh no. He'd put so much effort into it and now had to suffer through their inconsiderate feedback.

I dug my elbow into Jack's side. In response, he shot me a questioning look which I returned with my own pointed one.

"They're not that bad. Can't hold a candle to yours though," Jere commented.

"Well, I like them. They're delicious, in my opinion."

Maybe my assessment was partly related to the fact that he went to such lengths as to bake them in the first place and slightly bias, but I supported my opinion one hundred percent.

I shot the three of them a warning look to know not to say something insensitive around him. Seemingly, they understood and kept their mouths shut.

We'd driven for half an hour when my stomach twisted and nausea rolled over me like waves. I'd only taken one bite of cookie and drank lots of water all morning and was exhausted thanks to the sleepless night I'd shared with Sam, but that wasn't all the universe handed me today. No, because, all of a sudden, I couldn't breathe. Looking back at it now, the moment I'd stepped into the car and got settled in the middle seat, there was a feeling there I hadn't felt before.

The feeling of a hand wrapping its fingers around my heart.

The more we'd driven, the more often somebody bumped into me throughout the drive, the tighter the fist squeezed. And now? Now, as the outer thighs of both guys pressed against my own and their forearms brushed every so often against mine, the grip was unbearable, so tight that I was sure the muscles were squelching out on both sides like a dog's squeaky toy.

Instantly, I tried to make myself small, maneuvering my limbs away from theirs, but my friends only saw this as the perfect opportunity for more space and closed the gaps between us again.

I took a deep breath and tried to stay calm, but soon enough the grip of the foreign hand in my rib cage was so tight I feared my heart was about to explode. My breaths came faster now, trying to compensate the pain with air. But every single time their skin touched mine my heart constricted and I couldn't breathe.

I tried my best to stay unnoticed, but the sound of ragged breathing drew their attention. Then they were consciously touching me, trying to help me, when really their touch was like walking through fire, the ache of my heart unbearable and, in turn, stole my oxygen. Distantly, I was aware of their questions and my name being called over and over again. Liz. Liz. Liz. But I couldn't answer, I couldn't speak, because there was no air.

My ears popped.

My throat hurt because it was so dry and I gagged a time or two while trying to swallow.