Feeling Faint (BxB)

Chapter 21

I've been at the bookstore for a few hours now and I'm beginning to get restless. Jay has been radio silent; no matter how many times I check my phone it's void of messages or calls from him.

The store has quieted down and I'm scrolling on my phone when Emerson interrupts me. "Ben, how many of those cookies are you going to eat?" I pause with a cookie halfway to my mouth and glance down at the bag. Oops. Well, I can't put this one back now.

She sighs and shakes her head, giving me a knowing look. "You're stress eating." She points out.

I set the cookie down with a sigh and grumble under my breath at her.

A tingle runs down my spine and a bad feeling spreads through me. I frown and check my phone again, but there's still nothing. I tap my fingers on the counter anxiously for a while before shooting him another text.

My brain is screaming that something is wrong. I bite my lip and set my phone down, trying to take my mind off him. I quickly realize it's nearly impossible to do so.

I drum my fingers on the table, awaiting some sort of response, but even twenty minutes later, nothing has come. The feeling that something is wrong is still there, settled in my gut, and I can't help but feel restless. I'm nearly trembling in anxiety at this point.

"Ben, the store has calmed down. I should be fine for the rest of the evening. Just go home and check on him."

I'm already off my stool and crutching away by the time she's finished her sentence. I say a rushed goodbye and move as fast as I can down the street, hoping that the premonition is just a fluke.

Jay's P. O. V.
I wake up with a start, now feeling much worse than before. My throat is absolutely killing me with how sore it is. My head is still pounding, and the nausea is incredibly strong.

As I sit up a lightheaded feeling washes over me, and I have to draw in a few shaky breaths. My stomach turns and I race down the hall, barely making it over the toilet.

If I thought my throat hurt before it's nothing compared to this. By the time I've finished emptying the contents of my stomach, it hurts so bad I'm not even sure I can speak.

Not to mention, the dizziness has only gotten worse. There's black spots swimming in the picture of the spinning room, but somewhere through my confused haze I remember that I promised to call Ben. I just need to make it back to the bedroom.

I rise on shaky legs and start my way out of the bathroom but everything is spinning too much. I try to lower myself to the ground but I can't even tell up from down anymore and everything goes black.

Ben's P.O.V
I finally make it to my apartment and try to shove the keys into the lock hurriedly. For some reason I just can't get it open the first couple times and I find myself cursing under my breath.

It eventually opens with a click and I rush in, haphazardly throwing my keys and the cookies on the counter.

I turn to start down the hall, only to momentarily freeze in shock at the sight of Jay's unconscious body on the floor.

I shake myself out of the initial shock and hurry over, lowering myself onto the floor by him. I shouldn't have left him alone.

I bite my lip and frantically scan him over for apparent injuries, but luckily there don't seem to be any.

I gently shake his shoulder, trying to wake him up. "Jay." I repeat a few times, until his eyes finally begin to flicker open. I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.

He tries to sit up, but sways dangerously. "Lay back down." I say, gripping his shoulders to steady him.

He complies and blinks up at me for a few moments before speaking. "You're supposed to be working."