thing coming if the thinks for one goddamned minute that I’m not gonna kick his ass for laying into you like that. He’s got no fucking right…
“Rhys,” Xavier muttered, recognizing the voice inside but refusing to grasp what was happening. Not if he wanted to maintain his sanity.
“Xavier.”
He lifted his head to see Addison’s stricken expression before she reached for him a second time. This time he made a no effort to pull away. In fact, he felt drawn to her, wanting her near.
And what the fuck was up with that?
Addison got a firm hold of his biceps and he angled his arms up to clamp onto her forearms.
They stood linked for several minutes, heads bowed in silence, before either one of them spoke.
Except…
Silence was in the air between them, but not inside his head. He could still hear Rhys’ voice, though it was garbled beneath the still-thundering sound of his pulse.
He watched as she finally lifted her head, the panic gone and replaced by an anxious expression that didn’t suit her delicate features at all.
“Rhys is in there, isn’t he? I can’t hear him anymore. Is he there? Do you hear him?” He could only nod. Was this even fucking possible? How the hell…
“Is he all right?” She gripped his jacket harder, mashing the leather inside her small fists.
He opened his mouth to answer but didn’t know how to respond. He shook his head.
Taking a deep breath, she squared off her shoulders and nudged him back towards the chair to sit. Once he slumped into it, she kneeled in front of him, still holding tight.
“You have to talk to me, Xavier. What do you hear?”
He shook his head again. “It’s…loud. I can’t…make out…”
“Listen to me. You have to concentrate on slowing your breathing. You’re about ready to hyperventilate.”
No, he fucking wasn’t!
He glared at her through the white dots spotting his vision as he listed to the side.
Jesus Christ, he was acting like some crazy-ass, hysterical woman.
He let Addison shove his head between his knees, feeling every bit the Nancy as he focused on his breathing. Hot damn if she wasn’t right though. The pulsating faded away as the flow in his veins evened out, and he was left with a much clearer memory of Rhys’ voice.
At least he hoped it was a memory.
Addison? Dammit woman, answer me!
Okay, so maybe it was a hallucination.
He cringed as a new pressure blossomed in his head, as if someone was shoving at him from the inside out.
All right then—a very vivid, and somewhat volatile, hallucination.
“He’s asking for you,” he admitted in what couldn’t possibly be his own voice.
The voice cut off, then, Xavier?!
“He knows my name.” His gaze darted to Addison’s face as she broke out into a huge grin and released the sleeves of his jacket.
“Well, duh. He’s your brother.”
Xavier?! What the fuck?! What did you do to Addi?! Where the hell is she?! What did you do?!
His brow creased. “He’s…yelling. He thinks I did something to you. I… You did this.” Are you talking to her?! Is she okay?!
She held up her hands, palms facing him. “I didn’t do anything. Rhys did this.” He leaned closer and whispered, “He’s still bitching at me.” Damn straight I am, and I’m going to keep bitching until you answer me! What. The. Fuck.
Did. You. Do.
Tipping forward, she matched his position, and then said quietly, “Why are you whispering?”
“So he can’t hear me.”
I can still hear you, asswipe. Jesus! I can’t believe we came from the same fucking gene pool! Were you always this dense? How did I never notice this before?!
She leveled her eyes at his. “He’s in your head. He’s gonna hear you regardless if you whisper or shout. Hell, if you just think the words, he’s gonna hear you.”
“Can he hear you?” Xavier asked already knowing the answer.
Is that Addison? Is she okay? And you better fucking answer me this time if you know what’s good for you! I’ll give you a brain
“Rhys,” Xavier muttered, recognizing the voice inside but refusing to grasp what was happening. Not if he wanted to maintain his sanity.
“Xavier.”
He lifted his head to see Addison’s stricken expression before she reached for him a second time. This time he made a no effort to pull away. In fact, he felt drawn to her, wanting her near.
And what the fuck was up with that?
Addison got a firm hold of his biceps and he angled his arms up to clamp onto her forearms.
They stood linked for several minutes, heads bowed in silence, before either one of them spoke.
Except…
Silence was in the air between them, but not inside his head. He could still hear Rhys’ voice, though it was garbled beneath the still-thundering sound of his pulse.
He watched as she finally lifted her head, the panic gone and replaced by an anxious expression that didn’t suit her delicate features at all.
“Rhys is in there, isn’t he? I can’t hear him anymore. Is he there? Do you hear him?” He could only nod. Was this even fucking possible? How the hell…
“Is he all right?” She gripped his jacket harder, mashing the leather inside her small fists.
He opened his mouth to answer but didn’t know how to respond. He shook his head.
Taking a deep breath, she squared off her shoulders and nudged him back towards the chair to sit. Once he slumped into it, she kneeled in front of him, still holding tight.
“You have to talk to me, Xavier. What do you hear?”
He shook his head again. “It’s…loud. I can’t…make out…”
“Listen to me. You have to concentrate on slowing your breathing. You’re about ready to hyperventilate.”
No, he fucking wasn’t!
He glared at her through the white dots spotting his vision as he listed to the side.
Jesus Christ, he was acting like some crazy-ass, hysterical woman.
He let Addison shove his head between his knees, feeling every bit the Nancy as he focused on his breathing. Hot damn if she wasn’t right though. The pulsating faded away as the flow in his veins evened out, and he was left with a much clearer memory of Rhys’ voice.
At least he hoped it was a memory.
Addison? Dammit woman, answer me!
Okay, so maybe it was a hallucination.
He cringed as a new pressure blossomed in his head, as if someone was shoving at him from the inside out.
All right then—a very vivid, and somewhat volatile, hallucination.
“He’s asking for you,” he admitted in what couldn’t possibly be his own voice.
The voice cut off, then, Xavier?!
“He knows my name.” His gaze darted to Addison’s face as she broke out into a huge grin and released the sleeves of his jacket.
“Well, duh. He’s your brother.”
Xavier?! What the fuck?! What did you do to Addi?! Where the hell is she?! What did you do?!
His brow creased. “He’s…yelling. He thinks I did something to you. I… You did this.” Are you talking to her?! Is she okay?!
She held up her hands, palms facing him. “I didn’t do anything. Rhys did this.” He leaned closer and whispered, “He’s still bitching at me.” Damn straight I am, and I’m going to keep bitching until you answer me! What. The. Fuck.
Did. You. Do.
Tipping forward, she matched his position, and then said quietly, “Why are you whispering?”
“So he can’t hear me.”
I can still hear you, asswipe. Jesus! I can’t believe we came from the same fucking gene pool! Were you always this dense? How did I never notice this before?!
She leveled her eyes at his. “He’s in your head. He’s gonna hear you regardless if you whisper or shout. Hell, if you just think the words, he’s gonna hear you.”
“Can he hear you?” Xavier asked already knowing the answer.
Is that Addison? Is she okay? And you better fucking answer me this time if you know what’s good for you! I’ll give you a brain
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