Chapter 12
For the past week, Adina has been feeling down. She was stressed about upcoming mid-term examinations and her relationship. The cherry on top was the heat stroke. She was feeling helpless, exhausted, and tired. It was as if her struggles were a black hole sucking her will to do anything which scared her. This was the feeling she had been running from. This exact feeling she felt during her entrance exams and it made her do something stupid. She didn’t want to fall back into that. If she do there is no telling whether she would be able to come back.
“ ADINA!” Adina snapped out of her thoughts as Grey shook her forearm.
“ Ouch! That hurts!” though Grey thought he shook her lightly he forgot that Adina was half his size and a female.
“ You aren’t the one listening. I called you 3 times. Where are you so lost?”
“ Just thinking about the upcoming exam” Grey stared at her for a moment before asking
“ Is something wrong? Are you okay?”
‘Just how the fuck he always know?’
Adina told him that she was fine but Grey wasn’t the person who would listen and kept pestering her. Adina denied everything and didn’t tell him.
She was sure if he knew he would call her crazy. With all that pestering Grey realized that Adina didn’t wish to share so instead of trying to know the problem he tried cheering her up.
So they both ended up in their strolling spot away from the group talking about stupid stuff and sharing their past experiences.
“ So what was the lowest point in your life?” Grey asked that question but then Adina said she would tell him only if he told her his first.
At first, Grey teased her saying it wasn’t fair and the all-time classic “ Ladies first” but then he told her. His parents married young and had him pretty early. Being in their early twenties and having a baby they were broke as hell. They are well off now but back in the day, it was rough.
He remembers his parents not eating for the whole day but would feed him. They would save up most of their money so that they can buy a house. One time he got really sick but no one was home. It got so bad that he fainted. When his parents finally arrived and found their son on the floor unconscious they rushed him to the hospital. There they found that Grey’s appendix had ruptured and he needed immediate surgery. His parents didn’t think twice before sending him for surgery but that cost them all of their savings.
Usually after the surgery, a person can leave the hospital in a week if done right. That wasn’t the case with Grey. The surgeon was a rookie and it complicated the case.
Grey had to spend one and a half months in hospital.
By the time Grey finished telling his story Adina’s jaw was touching the floor.
“how the hell did you even cope with that? Fuck that Doctor! At least tell me you sued the hospital”
“ yeah, we did, and the judge ruled in our favour. Not only were my surgery and medical expenses were covered they also paid damages”
Adina was happy that it turned out good for them but now it was her turn to tell her lowest point. Adina didn’t want to tell him in fear of him seeing her differently.
(WARNING: SUICIDAL THOUGHTS)
“ Okay promise me you won’t see me differently after I tell you”
“ Why would I see you differently?”
“ just promise me”
Once Adina had his word she started
“ there was a time in my life when I tried to end it.”
“ end what?”
“ I tried to end my life,” Adina said slowly.
“WHY?” Grey’s voice was raspy and filled with questions. He always knew Adina went through a lot of shit in her life. For someone to be so mature at her age was rare. No one knows their way around stuff until they have been through stuff.
“ It was…. it was ….it…. it ….it just…..got too much…… everything was….. too much”
Adina was shaking uncontrollably and stuttering as she spoke. she was out of breath. NO! She was having a panic attack. If she doesn’t control it would get pretty severe.
Suddenly she felt arms around her. Grey pulled her into a bear hug petting her back and soothing her. “ SHHH it’s alright Adina. You are safe. No one can do anything to you. I would protect you”
With each word, Adina seemed to calm down more and more, or maybe it was because of Grey’s firm grip on her. Even though it was summer she didn’t mind the warmth of his hug. It was comforting.
His pets on her back his voice in her ears his scent everything soothed Adina. Once her breathing got normal Grey pulled away, somehow Adina didn’t like that he pulled away but didn’t say anything.
“It must have been hard to tell me. I am sorry for pushing you. All I was trying was to cheer you up but seems like I have done the exact opposite”
“ why are you apologizing. How can you know when I didn’t even tell you.”
“ You don’t have to tell me any further”
“ why not?”
“you might have another panic attack. I don’t want that”
Adina stared at his eyes and for the first time got to see his eye colour. She always thought his eyes were green.
“What are you staring at?”
“ I didn’t know your eyes were hazel”
Now Grey couldn’t help but stare at her in disbelief. This girl just had a panic attack but she shrugged it off as if it was nothing but pointed out his eye color. She was something.
Seeing the look of disbelief on his face Adina laughed.
“ if I have another panic attack would you that mean I get another bear hug?” Adina teased as Grey pushed her away slightly. They both laughed as the serious situation turned harmonious.
Adina’s mood improved as they both told each other more and more about their lives. Though they Adina left what she was telling perhaps for another day.
When Adina was on the way home she received a text from Grey.
“ Whether its past, present or future I would never see you in a different light so whenever you have panic attacks just tell me. I would hug you till you calm down”
Adina took a screenshot of that text and saved it in her favourite album.