Ch. 54 Ice Cream Sweet

I'm shaking,

and there are goosebumps 

all down my arms.

I wrap my arms around myself.

"Why is it so

COLD?"

I whisper.

He hears me

and turns on the heat

even though it's summer

and it's extremely hot outside

and after a few minutes,

he starts to sweat.

I don't talk again

because it feels like

I'll burst into tears

if I open my mouth.

And I don't want to do that.

I realize I've been holding my breath

and clenching my teeth,

so hard my jaw hurts,

and gripping the edge of my seat

so that my knuckles are white.

My stomach churns

and I want to throw up.

But I can't.

Not in the car.

I feel like I'm about to explode.

Matt speaks up

and I jump

because I had forgotten

he was even there.

"It's okay, Riley,"

he says quietly.

"It's okay."

He doesn't look at me.

He doesn't move.

He doesn't say anything else.

I let out a huge breath of air.

I relax my jaw.

I let go of the seat.

It's okay, Riley,

I think to myself.

I shut my eyes.

It's okay.

Author's Note

Tell me what you think! Leave some comments below. Thanks for reading.
--theladygraceling