Taming The Spoiled Brat

The lights suddenly flicker, and the room grows eerily silent.

I don't know why my heart races, but the moment the ballroom is plunged into complete darkness, a sickening feeling washes over me.

The buzz of conversation dies out instantly, replaced by shouts, screams, and the sound of footsteps panicking through the space. The sudden change is overwhelming, and it takes everything in me not to break down.

I can't breathe.

"Amanda!"

Rafael's voice, a sharp command through the thick blackness. It's the only thing that cuts through the chaos, but it's not enough to calm the fear creeping up my spine. My body goes rigid, every muscle tense. I try to hold it together, but my breath is shallow, my hands shaking.

I hear the urgency in his voice, the command in it, but my mind is clouded by the darkness surrounding me.

I've always hated the dark. Always. When I was a kid, I'd have nightmares, and the minute the lights went off, the anxiety would creep in. The stillness. The unknown.

It felt like the walls were closing in on me, and the air was thick with something suffocating. I don't know why I'm this way, but I've always been terrified.

Even now, as I stand in the middle of a room filled with strangers and my body is pressed with fear, I can't seem to move.

My legs lock up. I can't feel the ground beneath me, just the hum of panic vibrating in the air.

Thud.

I stumble forward, my feet not finding the ground, and before I can stop myself, I fall. Hard.

Everything goes quiet for a moment. I can barely hear the noise of the crowd anymore, only the loud thudding of my heart in my chest, like it's trying to escape.

I curl into myself instinctively, wrapping my arms around my knees as I try to steady my breath. I just need to breathe.

The world feels so small, so claustrophobic. It's only been seconds, but it feels like an eternity.

"Amanda!" Rafael's voice slices through the silence, his panic matching mine.

I hear him stumbling toward me, but the room is still pitch black. I'm too afraid to move, too afraid to open my eyes, because what if I don't know where I am?

His hands find me then. He's kneeling next to me, the cold touch of his fingers brushing my arms. "Amanda, it's okay. Hold my arm. I'm here." His voice softens, despite the chaos around us.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. My hands tremble as I reach out for him, but I can't seem to find him. My whole body is a storm of fear.

"Amanda, hold my arm." His voice is more insistent this time.

Slowly, I stretch my hand out, and finally, I feel him. His arm is firm, his hand strong around mine, and the moment I grab hold of it, I feel a wave of relief wash over me. It's irrational, but with him next to me, I feel a little less terrified.

Rafael hugged me, I don't know what to say or feel. His warmth enveloped my body.

But my anxiety is still there, crawling beneath my skin, sharp and cold. I squeeze my eyes shut and try to focus on his presence, on his warmth, his voice, the feeling of his hand around mine.

Shouting. Screaming. The panic is spreading through the crowd like wildfire. Everyone is disoriented, unable to see, unable to move.

I hear someone cry out, and it feels like the room is getting smaller, the walls closing in.

But Rafael doesn't let go.

After what feels like an eternity, the lights finally flicker back on.

I blink rapidly, adjusting to the brightness that fills the room. It's so overwhelming after the darkness that it takes a moment to focus.

But when I finally do, I find Rafael standing there, holding me upright, his eyes looking down at me with an intensity I've never seen before.

My chest is still rising and falling rapidly, but now I'm looking up at him, and for the first time, I see something beyond the walls he's built.

"You okay?" His voice is quieter now, softer.

I nod, but the truth is, I'm still shaken. I can feel my heart beating too fast in my chest, the remnants of the panic attack still lingering.

But I don't know how to tell him that.

"Thank you," I whisper, unsure of what else to say.

He doesn't say anything for a long time. His eyes soften just slightly, and his hand gently brushes my cheek.

It's a simple touch, but it feels like the entire weight of the room shifts with it. His touch lingers, like he's fighting with himself, fighting something inside that wants to reach out to me more than he's letting on.

I should pull away. I should stop looking at him like this, like everything he does makes my heart race. But I don't. I can't.

He doesn't pull away either, though. Not yet.

The moment feels too intimate, and I feel like I'm falling into something I can't control. Maybe I already have.

"You should sit down," Rafael finally says, his voice calm again. He leads me toward a nearby chair, his hand still resting gently on my arm. He's not letting go.

As I sit down, the world around us slowly starts to return to normal, the panic dying down. The music picks up again, the people in the room resume their conversations, and the chaos dissipates.

But I feel… different.

As I sit there, breathing in deeply to calm myself, I glance up at Rafael, who's still standing next to me. He doesn't move away. In fact, his gaze is fixed on me with a sort of intensity that sends shivers down my spine.

There's something unspoken between us now. Something that wasn't there before.

And I don't know what it means.

"Faye! Faye! My daughter! My daughter is gone—"

A middle aged woman shouted.