Page 32 of Change

My skin felt clammy and cold, and my stomach cramped and churned. The earlier pain had returned with a vengeance, and a red shadow hovered in the corner of my vision.

“F-fine.” I shuddered. “Just cramps.” It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t my menstrual cycle causing me to feel nauseous.

What just happened?

“Cramps that make you faint?” Bryce asked in disbelief.

“Yeah—” I waved my hand weakly in the air. “—happens all the time. ‘Tis normal,” I muttered, trying to right my thoughts.

This had never happened before, but Finn did mention once that I might be able to see the future. Could this be…

I needed to talk to an expert.

It was difficult to focus and my fingers and arms went numb.

Bryce hooked his arm under my legs and moved to his feet, and I fell against his chest as spots exploded in my vision. “I’m taking you to the hospital.”

“No!” I kicked out and pushed at his arms as nausea choked at me. “Let me go, I want to see Finn!”

“Finn?” Bryce almost dropped me in his shock, but all too-quickly regained his bearings, and his grip grew firmer. He stared down at me, brows drawn together and expression thick with caution. “What in the world canhedo—”

“Just let me go!” I was trying, but failing, to control my short breaths. But now my panic was for a different reason. “I’m not going anywhere. It’s fine.”

He couldn’t take me to the hospital against my will, we’d been over this already!

“No.” Bryce held me against him and nudged the still-open passenger door open wider. “If you’refaintingthen there’s a problem. We’re going. Don’t worry, I’ll stay with you.”

“Stop it!” Panic clawed at me and I struck out, my fist connecting to his jaw—and I didn’t even feel the least bit guilty about it. The force of the hit was enough to shock his attention, and he almost dropped me. “You promised you wouldn’t make me go!”

Bryce finally met my eyes and his jaw locked. “I know but—”

“What’s going on?” Finn was wiping his hands on a white dishcloth as he stepped off the patio. The domestic sight, however, didn’t match the sharp tone of his question or the wary way he regarded me and Bryce. Bryce, in response, grew still.

My pulse soared—I’d never been happier to see Finn in my life.

“Finn, help me!” I reached for my savior—my one last hope to save me from this monster.

Finn’s pale expression whitened further, and he dropped the rag on the stairs when he started across the short distance between us. “What’s wrong?”

I pushed against Bryce once more, but he held firm. “He’s going to take me to the hospital.”

“What?” Finn levelled furious eyes at Bryce as he reached for me. “You can’t do that!”

Bryce finally responded, holding out his arm to block the blonde as he grunted out. “Like you’re one to talk.”

“That was a completely different situation.” Finn’s eyes narrowed and his face turned red. His hand brushed my arm, but Bryce’s spazzing was enough to keep Finn from reaching me. “Stop doing that and fight me like a man.”

“I’m not going to fight you,” Bryce replied, squeezing me closer. His awful, scratchy shirt brushed against my cheek, and his heart was beating rapidly under my hand.

“Because you know you’d lose.” Finn grabbed my ankle, halting Bryce’s retreat.

“Will you just stop?” Bryce snapped, finally allowing his frustration to color his voice. “She justfainted. She needs to be seen by a doctor.”

“I didn’t faint!” I poked Bryce’s hard chest, hoping that the pressure hurt him more than it hurt me. Who was Bryce to speak for me? Besides, he had no idea what was going on and, because of that, was making assumptions again. But at least my protests had finally gotten Bryce’s attention. My brother raised his eyebrow at me as he waited for my continued explanation.

“I just…” I looked at Finn. It wasn’t like I could talk to him about this in front of Bryce. He was already overbearing enough, and we were just learning how to deal with each other.

The last thing I needed was him learning about Finn’s theory about me manifesting onmyoji abilities.