Gravity

Chapter 5

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Soundtrack

Remedy – Adele
No river is too wide or too deep
for me to swim to you
Come whatever, I'll be the shelter
that won't let the rain come through

***

"This is Avery," Tyler repeats, struggling to process the fact that the three of us are in the same room together.

No, we're not just in the same room.

Avery and Tyler are roommates now.

Roommates.

As in living-together-for-a-year, sleeping-a-room-apart, have-to-see-him-every-time-I-visit roommates.

"This can't be happening," I whisper, taking a step back.

"Grace-"

Tyler places a gentle hand on my arm, attempting to bring me out of my frenzied state. I glance between him and Avery, who seems to have frozen in place.

"I-" my voice breaks as I pull away, mind racing. "I'm sorry Tyler, I can't be here. I can't do this."

"Grace!"

I turn around and rush to Tyler's room, closing the door behind me.

I feel my breathing start to quicken, but I can't seem to calm myself down like I normally would. My vision clouds around the edges as the panic sinks in.

"This isn't happening," I think to myself, suppressed memories of a summer I wish I could forget bursting to the surface.

I clench my eyes shut, trying in vain to calm my frantic mind. Everything around me seems to swirl and I can't breathe.

And suddenly, my mind is back in the bath tub and water is filling my lungs.

I'm drowning on dry land and I can't breathe.

"Grace," a voice softly urges, and suddenly hands are on mine. "Grace, come back to me."

I open my eyes and meet Tyler's pensive gaze.

He loops his arm under my legs and cradles me to his chest while we sit on the floor. I sink into his embrace, balling his shirt tightly into my fists.

"Shhhhh, just breathe," he instructs, rubbing circles into my back. "You're okay."

I bury my face in Tyler's chest, breathing him in and trying to calm my frantic mind. Focusing on his lips pressed to my temple and his whispered assurances.

"I am so sorry," I shakily murmur once I'm calm enough to speak, tilting my face to meet his worried eyes.

"Grace," he soothes, brushing my hair out of my face. "What the hell do you have to be sorry for? None of this is your fault."

"I don't know," I whisper. "I just- I can't believe things like this keep happening to me. I'm cursed or something, and now I've pulled you into it and-"

"Hey," Tyler interrupts, briefly pressing his lips to mine before pulling away and looking at me seriously. "Don't do that. Don't act like you're poison to everyone who touches you. You didn't pull me into anything, Grace. We're in this together."

"But this- this is too much," I say.

"I'm not saying that this doesn't suck," Tyler agrees. "Because it does. This really fucking sucks. But we can get through it."