Chapter 19

She blinked at him. “What’s the matter?”

“Gods, Cass, take it away. He’s about to have a panic attack,” Greg said.

Cassandra blinked again, and then she really looked at Aiden’s face. Whatever she saw there made her go pale. She closed the cap tightly and shoved the bottle deep into her backpack. “Are you all right?”

Aiden nodded, though he didn’t feel anything close to all right. He felt as if his heart was strangling his lungs. “Sorry,” he panted, working to calm his breathing. His throat still hurt.

“I’ll get you a cup of water. Will that be okay? Great,” Greg said when Aiden nodded. He put the two cups down, then jerked his thumb at the door. “I should let the nurses know you’re awake anyway.”

“Thanks, hon,” Cassandra said. She took Aiden’s hand and he held it gratefully, glad for the comfort. “You don’t have to apologize. I was the one who freaked you out. But, what happened? It’s just water. I haven’t touched it, other than put it in my bag. I promise. Oh, wait.”