"Carrie? What's wrong?"
Mike opened the door of his hotel room, revealing a crying blonde in a tank top and polka dotted pajama pants.
"I'm-I, I'm having a p-panic attack and I-I need you to-to calm me down." Carrie sobbed uncontrollably, her entire body shaking with each cry. She could hardly breathe she was crying so hard. Mike had never seen her like this.
"Come inside." Mike pulled her through the door, wrapping his arms around her. He honestly had no idea what to do. He led her over to the bed, guiding her to sit down beside him. Still, her crying hadn't slowed at all. If anything, Mike felt like it had gotten worse.
"What can I do? Can I get you something? What do I need to do?" Mike was completely clueless. He felt stupid. She needed help, and he didn't know how to give it to her.
"Just hold me." She finally muttered, her head in her hands as she sat beside him.
Mike hesitated for a second, unsure of what to do. Truthfully he was almost afraid to touch her in such a fragile state. He felt like he might actually break her.
When she continued to cry beside him, Mike finally wrapped his arms around her small shaking body. He leaned against the headboard and held her tightly against him. He wasn't sure whether he should say anything, so he didn't. He decided that she would say something when she was ready to. Instead, he rubbed her back and held her close, his heart feeling as though it was being stabbed with every sob that escaped his fiancés mouth.
For 32 minutes, according to the clock Mike watched, Carrie continued to cry. Her sobs would begin to subside, then they'd quickly rise as she got worked up again. Mike sat quietly, holding her against his body and letting his fingers thread through her hair. Still, he had no idea why she was crying. She had been fine just two hours ago when they'd finally split to their separate hotel rooms after the rehearsal dinner.
"What's going on?" Mike asked once she'd finally calmed down. She sat up from his lap, glancing up at him for a second before looking down again. Her face was red and blotchy, her eyes puffy from the tears. She was taking deep breaths, trying to calm herself down.
"Sam." She muttered, taking another long breath. Her voice was shaky and horse.
"Sam? What about him?" Mike placed his hand on her thigh, rubbing it softly.
"He's trying to stop me from marrying you tomorrow." Carrie wiped her face with the top of her hand. Tears were still slipping from her eyes.
"What? You've seen him?" Mike was confused. He didn't understand what she was saying, and he hated himself for it. She didn't need to be questioned right now, she needed his support, but he didn't understand what was going on no matter how hard he tried.
"No." She shook her head. "He's in my head. He won't stop."
Mike suddenly understood what she was saying. She was afraid of getting married. Her brain was trying to talk her out of it.
Mike took a deep breath. He wasn't sure what to say next.
"Do you want to cancel the wedding?" Mike asked nervously. He was afraid of the answer that was going to come out.
"No, no, no." Carrie shook her head vigorously. "I love you. I do, I promise. I just-his voice is swarming my head. All the horrible things he said to me, the thoughts he instilled in my brain. I couldn't make them stop."
"I'm just so scared." Carrie muttered, her voice quiet. She was close to tears again.
"Are you afraid that-that I'm going to hit you?" Mike felt his heart sink into his stomach as he said the words aloud.
Carrie made eye contact with Mike for a split second, biting her lip to stop herself.
"I'm sorry." She whispered. She began to cry, lowering her head in shame. "I'm so sorry."
Mike watched Carrie break down in front of him and again, he had no idea what to do.
"What can I do? You know I would never hurt you. How can I prove it? Do you need some space? We can postpone the wedding, I can-"
Carrie shook her head. She sniffled, trying to stop herself from crying. "I just need you to hold me and reassure me that all the things he told me weren't true. I just need you."
And that's exactly what he did.
He held her in his arms, snuggled under the blankets of the large bed. He told her how much he loved her over and over again.
For hours, Mike stroked his fiancés hair and listed all the reasons why he loved her, calming her down as her breathing finally settled.
Carrie clung to him closely, smiling with her eyes closed as she listened to his voice. She listened intently until she finally fell asleep in the wee hours of the night, knowing that tomorrow would be the beginning of the best days of her life. Mike was the perfect man for her, and she didn't have a worry in the world.
