Chapter 2

My eyes widened in shock.

How did the emergency meds Dad put in my bag end up like this?

I snapped my head up, glaring at Jason, who'd carried my bag for me. "Where's my medicine?" I demanded, my voice tight with anger.

Emily let out an exaggerated "Oh. Claire, no need to be so formal with me. I saw your pill pack only had two pills, so I gave you my usual vitamins instead. There are nine in this pack."

I was shaking with rage, the pain in my chest spreading to my arms and legs. I couldn't even hold onto the pill pack anymore.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you not to mess with other people's things? Those pills are what keep my heart beating," I snapped.

Emily quickly grabbed the vitamins, her voice quivering, almost in tears. "Hey, if you don't like them, you don't have to toss them.

"These imported vitamins cost over two hundred dollars a pack. I wanted to quietly give them to you, so you could stay healthy."

"Em gave you these expensive supplements, and instead of being grateful, you're snapping at her and throwing her kindness back in her face," Jason said, taking the vitamins from Emily.

He grabbed my chin and forced my mouth open. "Come on, eat them. Don't waste Em's good intentions."

My face was wet with tears from the pain, and I tried desperately to turn my head, but I was pinned in place, unable to move at all. "I can't take vitamin A.

"The meds will react dangerously and my heart rhythm will go haywire. My heart can't take it."

Jason eased up a bit on my chin.

Emily started sobbing next to me. "Claire, if you don't want them, don't take them. But please, don't jinx yourself like that. It's all my fault. I promise I won't push my kindness on you again."

Jason's roommates rushed over to comfort her.

"Looks like someone's jealous of you, pretending to be sick to make you look bad," one of them said.

"Em, you're way too nice. You don't have to let Claire Grant walk all over you like that," another chimed in.

Jason, hearing that, forcefully jammed the vitamin pill into my mouth.

"Em's looking out for you, and here you are nitpicking and being so ungrateful. When did you turn into such a drama queen? I never realized you could be this unreasonable," he snapped.

The vitamin pill melted fast in my mouth, and the suffocating sensation spread upward from my chest. Every breath tugged at my aching heart, making the pain even worse.

I was so dizzy, I couldn't even tell if their cruel words or the medicine was hurting me more.

We'd been together for two years. When he signed up for that big construction contest, I ran all over the city, hitting up twenty-three different supply stores to hunt down the parts he needed.

I stayed up three nights straight with him, helping him build his model, and my fingers were rubbed raw and blistered.

When he was getting ready for grad school, like clockwork, I was up at five every morning to snag him a spot at the library.

I even compiled 102 pages of his wrong answers for him, and put my own thesis on the back burner to help him out.

Even this past summer, I even risked my life to shield him from real danger.

And what did I get for all that? He forced something deadly down my throat and tossed out a casual "drama queen" like it meant nothing.

"Jason, we're over," I forced the words out, my voice barely more than a whisper. My hands shook as I struggled to pull out my phone, desperately trying to dial my doctor.

"I'm at the Aurelia University Auditorium, my heart..." I gasped, but before I could finish, someone snatched the phone from my hand.

Before I could finish, my phone was snatched away.

Jason rolled his eyes and shut off my phone. "Will you stop already? Who are you trying to manipulate with this breakup?

"You're making such a scene, wasting public resources over your jealousy. Ambulances are for people who actually need them, not drama queens like you."

My throat tightened, and I gritted my teeth. "I'm barely hanging on. Hand me the charger, now. Call an ambulance."

The pacemaker beeped again, the 6% battery warning flashing in my face. I could feel that suffocating sensation, like my heart was about to stop and I was drowning from the inside out.

Some students, drawn by the commotion, glanced over. "Claire, is your heart really okay? You look like you're suffering."

"Help me..." I whispered, my voice barely audible, almost too weak for anyone to hear.

But Jason cut in, "She goes to bed at midnight and gets up at five every day. She's been doing that for months and nothing ever happened. She's being dramatic and faking it. Leave her be."

I watched in despair as the students turned away, the world spinning around me.

My heart was skipping beats, each one sending a stabbing pain through my chest, like a thousand needles pricking at me. Cold sweat dripped down my forehead.

"I'm not faking it. Feel my pulse," I forced out, barely able to lift my arm. My lips were torn from biting down so hard, the taste of blood flooding my mouth.

But it wasn't Jason who took my hand. It was Emily, wearing a gentle smile that barely touched her eyes.

She crouched down close to me, and in a heartbeat, her smile frosted over.

"Claire, let me check your pulse for Jason," Emily cooed, her syrupy voice worming its way into my ear. All I could picture was a jungle viper hissing at me.

"Get away," I rasped, my throat sounding like a busted bellows.

Her red-manicured hand rested on my wrist as Emily leaned in, her voice dripping with sweetness right by my ear. "Claire, you really don't get it, do you? You're way out of Jason's league, but you can't let go.

"Tell me. If I call out right now, will Jason side with you or me?"

I frowned, and in the next instant, her sharp red nails pressed hard against my wrist, right over the artery.

For a split second, it felt like my blood froze. My head spun, my limbs went numb, my veins popped, and my heart felt like it was about to explode out of my chest.

That suffocating, near-death sensation washed over me, and I lashed out, kicking at her with every ounce of strength I had left.

But before I could even touch her, she grabbed her stomach and fell back dramatically, crying out, "Ouch. That hurts."

"Claire, are you out of your mind? Bullying Em right here in front of everyone?" Jason gave me a rough shove and wrapped his arm around Emily.