Everywhere, Everything. ★ STURNIOLO TRIPLETS

CHAPTER FIVE

"Nat!" Hands were all over me. Cupping my face. Pulling back my hair. One of the boys was pressed against my back, their hard chest the only thing keeping me upright.

    "Natalia, can you hear me?" Matt's voice was distant, drowned out by the panic pounding in my skull.

    Beads of sweat pooled along my hairline, sending a shudder through my body. Breathe, breathe. I tugged at the fabric of my sweater. "Off," I gasped, yanking helplessly at the hoodie's neckline.

    "You want this off?" Before I could get another word out, Nick's hands were at the waistline of my sweatshirt, quickly discarding it onto the dock.

    Damp air hit my exposed shoulders. Gasping, I brought my trembling fingers to my chest, knocking them rhythmically against my sternum. I'd read once that if you were experiencing an anxiety attack, gently beating your hand on your chest could help ground you.

"It's okay. You're okay." A low, soothing voice cooed in my ear.

Chris.

I relaxed slightly into his pounding chest. His heart was beating so fast it was hard to tell if the labored breath was coming from me or him.

A coolness settled over my lips.

Water.

I blinked frantically against the sensation. White dots spotted my vision.

"I think you're having a panic attack." Matt took my face in his hands. "You need to breathe."

I nodded against his touch.

"In through your nose," he whispered.

I tried to refocus my eyes on his mouth as he guided me. Shakily, I took a long, jagged breath in and held it.

"Good. Now, slowly release it through your mouth." He was mimicking the motions with me. After the third intake, my lungs started to relax. Matt's face snapped into focus. He dropped one of his hands to lift mine and lay it flat against my stomach.

"Breathe here."

I did as he said, filling my belly with as much air as it could hold. I concentrated on our hands through the flimsy fabric of my tank top. My stomach expanded several more times.

Nick was on his knees next to Matt, holding a half-empty water bottle in one hand, and my hair in the other. He'd gathered it into a ponytail, holding it off my neck.

I smiled weakly at him. "Thank you."

He nodded, lifting the bottle towards me. "Here, have some more water."

I wrapped my hand around the bottle, pressing its cool plastic to my lips. I took a few small gulps before handing it back to Nick. His face relaxed a bit once my breathing started to return to normal.

Chris repositioned himself to better see my face. "Do you want to stand up?"

I nodded. Matt and Nick each stuck out a hand for me to grab and gently lifted me to my feet. Their palms were clammy. I could only imagine how mine felt for them. Chris dusted off his jeans and stood next to me.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. His face hadn't quite calmed yet. A thin line formed between his brows.

My head was still a little dizzy, but the tightness in my chest had subsided. Tears pricked my eyes. I looked away from them. "I am so sorry," I started. "I don't know what happened."

Chris put his hand on my arm. "You don't need to apologize."

"Not at all," Nick added. "It just scared us for a second."