Under the Bridge

chapter twenty three- "it felt like a lie"

I'M RUNNING FASTER THAN I EVER HAVE BEFORE; there's no air in my lungs, no breath to be found in my body at all. The only sound I can hear is the rising crescendo of the heart monitor; the screams I make are silent in the air, sound won't escape. The tubes are poking through my skin, refusing to leave as I do everything to pull them out. It's black around me, I'm naked, except for the scar located in the center of my rib, which is glowing red. The hospital tubes begin to wrap around my skin like snakes constricting my body. Just as I begin to suffocate and my bones begin to crack, my eyes open. 

"Breathe, Olivia, breathe." Liam is whispering as the air refuses to enter my body. He's facing me now, arms wrapping around my waist and pulling my body to him. My face is buried in his chest, I'm crying--silently sobbing, as he strokes my hair. "It was just a nightmare, it's over." He says in my ear, holding me tightly as the tears slow down a little. I pull my arms around him, clutching on for dear life. 

"I-I'm s-sorry." I stutter. 

"Don't be, please don't be." His voice is hoarse and low, filling me with a little bit of calm. "You're okay, it's gone. You've got me, I won't let anything bad happen, okay?" I find myself believing him, my breathing is slowing, my body is relaxing a little bit against him. He hugs me closely, squeezing me tightly as if he doesn't want to let me go until I'm completely okay. 

We fall asleep as an entanglement of limbs. I don't dream about anything at all. 

I feel relieved. 

* * *

"Olivia!" My name is called by a familiar voice in the hallway, and time stops. 

I haven't spoken to anyone in more than a few loose sentences since last night, when the nightmare scared any words out of my body. Liam had a worried eye on me all day, but calculus had just ended, and wherever his class was, it was far away from me. 

James seemed to know this, because he had me cornered. If I ignored him, I would be rude, and everyone around us would notice as I left the room. I was grabbing my binder, so Mrs. Rivera, James, and I were the only people here. 

"Can we talk?" He asks, slight worry in his voice. 

"I'm sorry, I have to go to class." I say, my words breaking at the sound as I toss my backpack over my shoulder. 

A hand on my hand. I swallow, nervously and look up. Clear blue eyes that have only lied and deceived. They look honest, at least a little, but I don't know, because I can't trust him. 

"I just wanted to say--" 

"Don't touch her." Liam Walker's voice fills the room. He's carrying a piece of paper, and he's facing Mrs. Rivera. 

"Call off your guard dog." James says, pleadingly. 

"Liam." I mumble, pulling my hand away. "I'm fine." 

He looks at me, the same worry in his eyes as yesterday. "I know." He says, handing the paper to the teacher, who just looks like a deer in the headlights. "Here's the extra credit work." He tells Mrs. Rivera. I would normally be raising an eyebrow and freaking out at the prospect of Liam doing more than he has to for college algebra, but there's too much going on in this room right now for me to even process what's going on. He turns back to me. "Are you coming, Olivia?" 

I know the meaning behind his words. 

Are you going to hear James out?