Twisted 𓍼 [complete]

Twenty-Six: Pep Talks and SOS Signals

PEP TALKS AND SOS SIGNALS
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aka: where Cali is needed.
commenting and voting helps me update and I love reading them, so pls don't be a ghost reader!!

It was late, Conrad and Calista were curled up together on her bed, her on her phone while Conrad stared at the ceiling. The easy silence between them a comforting contrast to the thoughts racing inside Conrad's mind.

Conrad shifted slightly, tracing random patterns on her arm. He glanced at Calista, his expression filled with hesitation, "Calista..." she looked up at him, but her face fell at his expression. He continued before she could say anything, "can we talk about something?"

She turned off her phone, immediately sensing the tone in his voice. Her eyes scanned his face, trying to figure out what was on his mind, "Are you ok?"

He took a deep breath, struggling to find the right words. "I remember...I've been..." It was like he couldn't find the right words. Calista sat up fully, her patient expression making it easier for Conrad to get the words out, "I've been having these..." he remembered his conversation with Cleveland. "...panic attacks lately. At first, I thought it was just stress, but it's been getting worse. I remember you had them too, back when your dad..."

Calista suddenly felt her body ache thinking about her mental state around the time her dad decided he just 'wasn't happy' with the family he had. She set her phone on the desk and reached for his hand and squeezing it.

Conrad's grip tightened around her hand, grateful for her presence. "It's like everything starts closing in on me, and I can't breathe. I keep thinking about what you went through. What helped you get through it?"

It took her a moment to collect her thoughts. "I felt like I was always on edge, like I couldn't trust my own feelings. What helped me was finding ways to ground myself when it hit me at once." She took a deep breath, "simple things, like focusing on how many objects were in the room or practicing deep breathing. It helped me regain a bit of control."

Conrad listened intently, his eyes searching hers. "Did it actually help? I mean, did it make a difference?"

Calista nodded. "It took a while, at first it seemed stupid, but the grounding techniques made me feel less overwhelmed. And talking about it, like we're doing now, took some weight off. Even though I didn't know it at first, it felt better to share what I was going through rather than keeping it all inside."

She remembered the night Conrad snuck up on her while she was lost in her drowning thoughts. She remembered how it was the first time she opened up to anyone that much. It took such a burden off of her, and now that she knows he was struggling, she wanted to do the best she could.

Conrad's face softened, a hint of relief in his eyes. "Ive been wanting to tell you but..."

"It is hard," Calista finished for him, knowing exactly what he meant. She nodded softly, "but I'm here for you."