The Tower
Maze, 22, a free spirit with a rugged past life she keeps trying to escape from. Her parents, not knowing the traumas of her past, sent her off to their beach house to start college with her brother Dakota. Forcing her to straighten a lifestyle they assumed was her fault. Only to be met with the surprise of her brothers best friend living under the same roof.* My cheek burned as a tear came down. Why was I crying? This was supposed to be a happy moment. My chest began to feel heavy, like someone was standing on it. "I can't bre-..." My legs buckled beneath me, and I collapsed to the hard wood floor. I can't see, my eyes burning as the tears pour down. I clench a fist to my chest, trying to breathe. My body is on fire, why does this keep happening to me. "Maze! Breathe!" His voice faintly ringing in my ears. My mouth opens, but the words and my breathe cannot escape. Dakota pulls me to sit on my knees. His hands sending sharp pains through my shoulders as his grip tightens. Dakota panicked, "MAZE, FUCKING BREATHE!" In that moment, his grip was ripped from me, rough hands fall onto both sides of my face. A sweaty forehead placed against mine. This wasn't... "Listen to my breath.' Luke grabbed my hand, placing it against his chest. 'Feel that? In and out, slowly." His chest, though chiseled, was soft. I could feel his heart beating almost as fast as mine. Then it began to steady with the rise and fall of his chest beneath my hand. Finally, a low rugged breath leaves my body. My head throbbing at the sudden release. We stayed that way for a while; foreheads touching, my hand placed in between his hand and chest. In this moment, I felt safe. I don't know how or even why. But I feel safer than I've ever felt before. I opened my eyes to meet his, was he looking at me this entire time?*…