TWENTY-TWO!!... WE ARE MATES.

“Yes plum …”

My breath caught in my throat, a shockwave of fear crashing over me.

Nathaniel.

My heartbeat spiked up and started beating loudly against my chest.

I felt my grip on the phone loosen, my fingers trembling as if an invisible weight pressed upon them.

“No,” I gasped, my voice a strained plea. Instantly, my reflexes kicked in, and the phone slipped from my grasp, tumbling to the floor with a resounding thud.

My chest constricted, the world around me spiraling as panic surged. It was as if time folded in on itself, bringing back the suffocating grip of a traumatic memory. My breathing quickened, ragged and uneven, each inhale a struggle against the crushing weight of fear.

Frantic thoughts raced through my mind. My body felt like it was trapped in a vice, every muscle tense and trembling. I stumbled backward, my knees hitting the edge of the bed as I sank onto it, my world narrowing to the thundering of my heart.

Through the haze of panic, I could faintly hear the mu