Free Anxious Love (Love Sick #1) by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle

pulled up the barstool next to me.
    "What are you drinking?" She handed it to me, and I took a sip. "Club soda. I thought we were celebrating."
    "What are we celebrating?" Kori asked.
    "Leah finished her manuscript."
    "Congrats," Kori said.
    Mark made his way back over to us.
    "What can I get you?" Mark asked Kori.
    "I'll take a Dewar's on ice."
    "NOLA IPA," I said.
    "Lee, you good?" Mark asked.
    She nodded. He winked, and she smiled.
    By the time Mark brought our drinks, Kori had the attention of a cute little blonde with a heavy Southern accent who swore he was a football player or something. I scooted closer to Leah.
    "You okay?"
    "Yeah," she answered, her unfocused gaze settled on me. She blinked and her expression relaxed. "Your friend's nice."
    "Yeah, he's a good guy."
    She laced her hand in mine and smiled up at me, but it wasn't the typical smile that reached her eyes.
    "Where's Sophie?" I asked. Her smile turned into a frown, and she dropped my hand. She was acting weird.
    "She's singing tonight," Leah answered and took a sip of her club soda. Her shoulders slumped, and she blew out a breath and looked around the bar as if she would rather be someplace else.
    I leaned over to Kori.
    "Dude, I'll be right back?"
    He nodded.
    I stood up, grabbed Leah’s hand, and stepped outside. She had no choice but to follow me.
    I took a few steps away from the bar and stopped. When I turned, Leah fell back into the wall. I reached out to steady her. She flinched, but then reached for me.
    "What's going on?"
    She looked up. Tears formed in her eyes. She blinked them away and looked down the street.
    "I know I talk about the crowd thing like it's a joke, but it's not really. I am just not comfortable in a crowd and around people I don't know. It drains me, and I took something --"
    "What did you take?" My tone accusatory.
    She shook her head.
    "No, it's not like that, I'm on anti-anxiety medication. I took a stronger pill before meeting you because I wanted to see you tonight, but it does this to me. It makes my head all foggy, and I can't concentrate."
    "Why didn't you just tell me?" I stepped to her, and she tensed. I stepped back. Seeing everything she told me all over her.
    "It's not something I can talk about easily. It makes me sound weak and helpless, and I don't want you to see me like that."
    I dropped her hand and ran my hands over my face. When I looked back at her, she had wrapped her arms around her waist and hugged herself. She looked up and down the street.
    I didn't understand what she was trying to tell me. Something was going on with her. Something I wasn't sure I wanted to know. I mean we were only hanging out, right.
    I stared down at her and my chest tightened.
    Who the fuck am I kidding?
    I wrapped my arms around her shoulders.
    I leaned over and laid a quick kiss on her lips. I pulled back, but she leaned into me and kissed me back.
    "Come on. Let me walk you home."
    She looked back toward the bar.
    "What about Kori?" she asked but then smirked. "He can entertain himself."

    Ryan’s kiss cleared my head enough for me to feel bad about ruining our night. He slid his arm around my shoulder and guided me toward my place. I continued to hug myself. Goose bumps popped up on my skin. I reached in my back pocket and found my little pillbox. I took the other half of the pill I had been saving. Ryan watched but didn't ask.
    It messed up my hormones as well as my ability to think clearly.
    Or maybe Ryan's presence had my hormones going crazy.
    The weight of his arm on my shoulder pressed me into the earth. I laced my fingers with his and pulled it off and around my waist. I took a deep breath. I tilted my head up to see if his stiff form matched the look on his face.
    His thin-lipped smirk conveyed nothing.
    When we turned the corner on my block, he spoke. "Why would you do that? Why put yourself in a situation that makes you uncomfortable?"
    "It's not that big of a deal."
    "No." He shook his head. My abrupt stop caught