Dare Trilogy | Book 3 Editing | ✓

3.23.5 | Lost Soul

Edited: November 09, 2020

| . . . C H A P T E R - 3 . 2 3 . 5 - L O S T - S O U L . . . |

The shattering of a glass caught all our attention and we looked for the source. My first instinct was to search for Khushi. Even from a distance, I could note the color draining from her face. Rushing towards her, I caught her just before she would fall from dizziness. The glass pieces by her foot was answer enough for me. She would never knowingly drink.

Someone did this.

"Khushi? Khushi, look at me." I tapped her cheek enough to get her conscious again but she was only gasping for air. I sat on the floor and gently placed her head against my chest, holding her still in my arms. A mix of panic and anger settled in. Tearing my gaze up to her friends, I demanded. "Who spiked her drink?"

They all gulped in fear, stepping back as if I would stride over and strangle them for an answer. The ladies didn't say anything, but the guy fumbled. "We – we d-don't..."

I ended his pathetic attempt to answer with an order. "Get me her purse."

She always kept a tab of her pills and her inhaler in there no matter where she was going. The twins crashed into each other when they tried to go get it from wherever Khushi might have left it – probably the table where they all were sitting.

"NOW!" I yelled and instead of turning in spot like lost puppies, they sprinted.

"Khushi...." I turned hearing Aarav's scared whisper.

I cupped his cheek, trying to assure him. "She'll be okay, champ."

Lavanya squeezed through the crowd to reach us and sat on her knees to get Aarav to look at her but he wouldn't tear his gaze away from Khushi. "Is she mad because I was mad at her?" He started to cry, "I promise, I won't trouble her anymore. I won't. Please ask her to talk to me na." His voice pleaded to Lavanya.

"It's not your fault, baby." She hugged him to calm him down. "She's not mad at you."

"Here." Someone forwarded the purse.

I grabbed it, pulled it open and without caring of it, dropped the contents on the floor. I rambled through it but couldn't find the tab of medicine. There was an inhaler but it wasn't going to help till she had the medicine first. I dug through the purse hoping it might have gotten stuck in there somewhere. Noticing a side zip, I tore it open and exhaled in relief.

"Water." I asked but the second pair of the twins was already holding it out. Opening Khushi's mouth, I popped the pill in and placed the glass over her lips. "Come on, sweet pea. Drink." I whispered, my other hand on her forehead, wiping the forming beads away as she barely held on to her consciousness through the wheezing.

She swallowed no more than a sip. Placing the glass to the side, I caressed her cheek with the back of my finger.

"That's it." I encouraged her softly, "Breathe. You're okay. Just breathe." I continued to soothe her as her wheezing slowed and her chest rose and fell with deep breathes to compensate for the lack of air in the previous minute.

After what felt like forever to me, her eyes finally fluttered open. Given my face was right there, I was the first person she saw. She tried to smile as if to let me know she was okay. "Better?" She nodded in response, but my heart needed to hold her close to assure myself. So, I pulled her in a hug. "How many times do I need to tell you to stop scaring me like that?"

She spoke though her voice cracked as if her throat was dry, "I'm okay... Arnav."

I pressed my lips to the top of her head, "Yeah." More than her words, it was having her heart beating in her chest and the hammering vibrate off to my skin that assured me till my own chest released the tightening it felt on the scare of almost losing her.