Stole My Heart

47. Amen

We went back to her house and got ready for bed. We had already cleared it with my parents that it was alright that I stayed the night. They were getting used to the idea of me staying overnight at my girlfriends.

"I had a lot of fun tonight," Tay told me as she traced her fingers down my torso making me shiver.

"I did too," I leaned forward and kissed her forehead, "Let's get some sleep."

After we left the college campus we went to a diner and shared fries and a milkshake. I loved how cliche it felt. I waited until her breathing evened out, letting me know she was asleep, before falling asleep myself. I was awoken by thunder after what seem like a minute later. I was immediately frightened.

"Peter," Tay whispered.

I guess I woke her up when I jumped.

"Yeah?" I tried to say but another crack of thunder sounded, and I jumped again.

Tonight, would be an instance when I would go get into Mom and Dad's bed. They never cared. They always expected me on stormy nights, since I had been scared of storms since I was really little.

"Are you ok?" she sat up beside me and told her Alexa to turn the lights on.

She looked adorable. Her hair was a mess, and she was rubbing her eyes.

"Yeah," I replied in a shaky voice.

The wind picked up and a bolt of lightning was seen through her window. I squeezed my eyes shut and took in a deep breath.

"C'mere," she laid back down.

I did too, but I was embarrassed. She stretched her arm out and I laid my head down on it. Her other hand began petting my head and arm. She was now spooning me instead of me spooning her. My breathing started to get back to normal, but another wave of thunder and lightning happened, one right after another. I inhaled sharply and tears began to sting my eyes. I held them in though. I was not about to cry over a thunderstorm in my girlfriend's arms. Nope. Not happening.

She held me a little tighter when she felt me tense back up, "Shh, you're ok."

I laid in her arms, trying to wait out the storm for what felt like hours. Another crash happened, taking the power with it. That's when I lost it. The tears started silently, and I started hugging myself. Over everything, I wanted my mom. I felt Tay reach over and grab her phone, turning on the flashlight. She sat Tickle up and lifted herself and me up to lean against.

"Hey, look at me," she said gently, raising my face to meet hers, "You're going to be ok. You're safe. Keep taking deep breaths. In and out," she told me running her fingers through my hair again.

I was on the brink of a panic attack. I really hate thunderstorms. It's a form of PTSD but it only bothers me when it storms. When I was small, Leena, George, and I got swept up into a tornado. It was supposed to go the opposite direction, but it turned around. We were in the bathtub with a mattress over our heads and it picked up the whole thing. I don't remember much of it, but I remember how terrified I was. It was the most scared I've ever been. None of us were severely hurt, but I had broken my arm. Obviously, we had to get a new house and we lost everything that was in the house.

The door to her bedroom opened and I jumped again. It was Carter was a glass of water. He brought it over to Tay and left. He said nothing and I appreciated it. She handed me the glass and told me to take small sips of it. I was shaking and psyching myself out. I needed to get out of my head, but I was struggling.

Tay, of course, noticed, "Peter, what is your middle name?"

"What?" I asked, unfocused.

"Your middle name, what is it?"