Kiss Me Slowly

Chapter 21: The Panic Attack

Pic above is Ethan

Chapter 21: The Panic Attack

I was shaking.

Son.

My throat was dry, and my palms were sweaty.

Well then, I guess you'd better hurry.

The same, jaw, the same figure, the same voice.

I have the gun. You don't.

I felt like I couldn't breathe.

Knock the kid out and bring him with us.

I couldn't get any air in my lungs.

Breathe. It's ok. Just take deep breaths. In, and out.

Denny. He told me to breathe. I took in a deep breath. And another. And another, until my breathing wasn't shaky. Less, at least.

They'd been talking. I wasn't listening.

"Because he is still a child! He doesn't need to be going around screwing whoever he wants!" Kristi was yelling. Carl was nowhere to be seen.

"I am—he is—not a child." Carter and his is father protested. His voice sent shivers down my spine—not the good kind.

"He is old enough to make is own decisions, so if he thinks that lying about his age because of his—" he pointed at me and I flinched— "morals, then so be it."

"How can you think this is ok?" Kristi shouted.

"He's his own man, he can do what he wants. Let him make the mistakes. Let him deal with it."

"So you don't think I should at least warn him?"

"No. He's fine by himself."

"If that's the case, then I'm sure he can manage living without us." Kristi said.

They all stopped.

"Are you kicking me—him—out?" Carter and his father asked quietly in unison.

"If he won't listen to me, then yes." She folded her arms.

It was quiet for a moment.

"He stays here." His father said. Kristi gaped at him. "That's final. Now get him out of my house." He glared at me. I gulped and stepped back. He eyed me again then left.

Kristi sighed. "Nathan, honey, let's get you home." She said softly.

"I can take him." Carter said gruffly, not looking at his mother.

"No." Kristi said.

"I'm taking him, and that's final." He scowled.

"You do not get to talk to me like that." She glared back.

"I can talk how I want, bitch." He sneered. My eyes widened. She clenched her jaw, but said nothing. "I'm taking him." He said again. "Let's go." He grabbed my stuff and my wrist and dragged me out.

I shot her an apologetic glance. She shrugged and waved me goodbye.

We were back on the road.

The atmosphere was tense. I was still shaking from seeing the man I'd hoped to never see again. Carter was glaring so hard that devil would've stopped and thrown himself off a cliff. He was speeding practically twice as fast as he needed to be.

We didn't say anything. I was too scared and shook to say anything. Carter was gripping the wheel so tight his knuckles where white.

Nearly two hours we drove in tense silence. He finally pulled into town. I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been hold when he slowed down. He pulled up to the Foster home.