Page 32 of Saved By Two

“It’s fine,” I say, my voice catching for some reason unbeknownst to me. There are two rooms on either side. One has a round tub, which is clearly the hot tub, and the other has benches which must be the steam room, with clear glass and mirrors. There are a lot of mirrors.

“Yeah, Caleb has a thing for the mirrors,” Noah says close to my ear, causing me to turn too fast, but he steadies his hands on my shoulders before he gives me a playful wink and drops his hands.

It’s only then I realise my comment about the mirrors wasn’t just in my head—mortified.

“Do you use it a lot?” I ask, trying to sound casual but failing miserably.

He nods and leads me to the room with the hot tub, opening the door for me to follow. There’s a partition behind that I didn’t see from outside.

“Yeah, pretty much daily. It’s a good stress reliever. There’s a wet room in here, as well as in the steam room, too.”

I let out a low whistle. “Wow, that must have cost a bomb,” I say, immediately wanting to duck and run. “Shit, I’m sorry. I have no idea where my manners have gone.”

Noah laughs, the most beautiful sound I have ever heard. How can a man laugh and look like that? Not all men were created equal, and this man right here proves it.

“Don’t be, it was a lot of money, but it made sense. It was a good investment in the long run. And helps with a good work-life balance. Otherwise, we’d be taking more time away from each other to go to the gym, and between us, the gym helps with our mental health.” He moves towards the hot tub and presses a button. It lights up and starts bubbling up. “We get to work out and see each other, so it’s a win, plus it has its perks for a little rest and relaxation, too.”

I reach down and put my fingers in the water; it’s already warming up, and the bubbles tickle my skin.

“You’re welcome down here to use the hot tub any time you want and, of course, any of the equipment when you’re given the all-clear.”

He makes it sound as though I’ll still be here. The truth is, I need to start thinking ahead and make some decisions about what comes next. Pulling my hand out, he passes me a small hand towel.

“Thank you.”

I dry my hands and look around, wondering where to put it. He shows me a laundry basket built into the counter, hooks, and the soft close cupboards that hold towels and toiletries for use in the wet room.

He lets out a soft chuckle. “It’s okay. I get it. This is all a bit overwhelming. Caleb nor I grew up with a lot of money, so believe me when I say it might look a little extreme, but we don’t take it for granted.”

I quickly turn to face him. “I wasn’t… I didn’t… I didn’t mean to offend you.” I avert my eyes, worried my reaction was unintentionally offensive. And after all they’ve done for me.

“Hey, Jessica, look at me.” His finger tilts my chin up until I’m staring back at him. “You didn’t offend me. Why would you think that?”

I try to form an answer, but I can barely catch my breath.

“Jessica, breathe with me, okay? In through your nose.” He inhales. “And out through your mouth.” He exhales. Everything is muffled, his voice, my surroundings. Everything feels disjointed, uneven, and out of place. But in the recesses of my mind, I can hear him as he continues to coax me through it, bringing me back to the present until I feel like I can finally breathe again and then I realise I’m sitting in his lap on the floor.

“Sweet girl, you back with me?”

I bring my trembling fingers to my face, and when I pull them back, I realise I’ve been crying.

“I don’t know what happened. I’m sorry.”

Noah is gentle as he holds me in his arms, cradled in his lap, but it’s not lost on me how he’s being gentle not to hurt me.

“You had another panic attack. Was it something I did, something I said?” The worry in his voice is almost devastating.

“No, not at all. I don’t even know what happened,” I admit. Because it's the truth, one moment we’re talking, and the next we’re on the floor.

“Come on, let's get you back upstairs,” he says. I go to move, but before I do, he’s already somehow standing with me still in his arms, and now my heart is racing for another unknown reason.

“I can walk but thank you.”

He studies my face for a beat before nodding and carefully setting me back on my feet. He waits to make certain I won’t fall. Then, with a palm resting on my lower back, he gently grips my elbow as we go back upstairs.

“Here, let me get you some water. Do you want any painkillers?” he asks as he grabs two bottles of water from the fridge.

“Yes, please.”

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