"Ash? Oh, fuck." Levi took manual control of the steering and pulled over to the curb, cutting the engine. "I'm sorry. I forgot. I..." His expression tight with anxiety, he went to stroke my shoulder, then pulled back.

I only dimly registered all this, silently alphabetizing items in his car to calm myself down.

At some point, the vise constricting my ribcage disappeared and I let go of the seat belt, only to find I'd worn harsh red grooves in my skin.

"Ashira?" ...