Of course, she can’t tell him everything.
“You can think about it,” Joel adds. He puts a hand on hers. “But I would love to live with you.”
Cassie opens her mouth to say something, but she’s finding it hard to get the air to speak. In fact, she realizes all of a sudden that breathing is becoming increasingly difficult.
“I know this is a little sudden,” he says quickly, when he sees her face. “Don’t feel pressured at all. If you don’t want to, it’s fine.”
She wants to tell him that the reason she’s not saying anything has nothing to do with his proposal to move in together. But all she can manage is a hoarse gasp. Her airway feels like it’s closing up. She hasn’t felt this way in years. Not since the last time…
Peanuts.
Oh my God, are there peanuts in this food?
But there couldn’t be. She ate the exact same meal last night. It doesn’t make any sense.
“Cassie?” Joel looks alarmed. “Are you okay?”
She can’t get out the words to answer him. As she gasps for air, she manages to get to her feet and find her purse on the table by the door. Thank God Joel pushed her to get that Epi-pen. She searches for it within her bag and…
Where is it?
The situation is becoming increasingly urgent. She barely can get in any air with each breath. She fumbles through the contents of her bag with trembling hands. The pen must be in here somewhere. She put it in there. And she definitely never took it out.
And then she can’t look for it any longer. Her airway is closing off and her vision is going black. The purse falls from her fingers, and she sinks down to the floor as Joel stands over her, telling her to hang in there. As if she could…
Chapter 43: The New Girl
“Cassie…” Joel’s voice is clearer all of a sudden. “Cassie, please open your eyes. Please…”
The tightness in Cassie’s throat is still there, but it’s not as bad as it was when she blacked out. She gulps for air and it’s the best feeling in the world. She blinks her eyes and sees Joel’s face over hers, his eyes filled with concern.
“Joel,” she gasps.
His shoulders sag with relief. “Hang in there. I called 911. The ambulance is on its way.”
A minute ago, “hanging in there” felt impossible. But now she is able to get in air again with each breath. Something has changed. “You found my Epi-pen,” she manages.
He shakes his head. “No, I didn’t.”
“But…” She coughs. “Then how…？”
He hesitates. “I used my own Epi-pen.”
“You need an Epi-pen?”
His hesitation is longer this time. “Well, no. But when you told me you stopped carrying one, I got nervous and I wrote myself for one so I could have it… just in case.”
She could be angry with him for not trusting her, but she isn’t. The fact of the matter is this man just saved her life. He’s been carrying that pen around just in case because he was worried about this exact situation, and if not for that, he’d probably be attending her funeral in a few days. He saved her life.
It is the most romantic thing she can imagine. It’s more romantic than Wuthering Heights. It’s more romantic than Marv and Bea.
“I love you,” she whispers.
“I love you too,” he whispers back.
Chapter 44: The Ex
Joel has turned off the WhereAmI app, just as he promised he would. When I open it up, the app reports his location as not found. I wonder if Olive has access to the app now.