Page 80 of Quiet Longing

When I finished righting my appearance, Rhys turned his head back to me, his eyes searching. Oh, hell, I was going to have to explain myself. At least a little.

“I have panic attacks sometimes,” I said at last. “And I suffer from mild claustrophobia. Being pulled into a small room sort of activated it.”

Rhys’ dark eyebrows drew together, guilt in his expression as his gaze continued to hold mine. “I don’t remember you having panic attacks before.”

“I didn’t get them back then. It’s a more recent development.”

“I see,” Rhys said, nodding, his expression tense and probing.

Fearing he might ask more questions, I changed the subject by asking, “So, um, why did you pull me in here? Do you owe someone money or something?”

The joke fell flat as Rhys scratched at the faint stubble on his jaw, the rough scrape of it calming me for some reason. “No,” he answered, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “I don’t owe anyone money, Charli. I’m not sure if Nuala or any of the others mentioned it to you, but I recently broke up with my fiancée, and I just spotted her headed our way. She works here, and I’m not proud of it, but I’ve been trying to avoid a run in.”

My head swam as I comprehended what he’d just said. His fiancée was headed towards us …

Ah hell.Stephanie. Stephanie who I’d just listened to talking about how sad she was over her breakup. Pretty, cheery, gorgeous, raven-haired Stephanie. She was Rhys’ ex.

“You were engaged to Stephanie?” I blurted, and Rhys’ eyes flared in surprise.

“You’ve met her already?”

“I just had lunch with her. She and Maeve are, like, best friends or something. They invited me to eat with them.”

Rhys blew out a slow breath, still kneeling by the chair I sat in.

“Right, I forgot about Maeve.”

“She seems really nice,” I said. “I mean, they both do. I’m sorry things didn’t work out between you.”

Rhys frowned and finally rose from his position in front of me. “Don’t be sorry. It was for the best.”

His expression had gone blank, and I could no longer read him. It made me wonder if Derek was right about there being more to the story of their breakup than Rhys was willing to reveal.

Seeing the time on the clock that hung from his office wall, I realised I only had a few minutes left on my lunch break, and I still hadn’t called Mom. I was going to have to wait until I got home that evening instead.

Standing from the chair, I dusted myself off. “Anyway, I better be getting back.”

I moved towards the door when Rhys spoke, “Charli, wait.”

He closed the distance between us but again made sure not to crowd me. “Yes?”

He dipped his head down to me, and something fluttery claimed my chest. Rhys had always been tall, but now that he was a grown man filled out with muscle and brawn, it solicited a surprising reaction out of me. And I realised he was nothing like Jesse. They were the same height, but Jesse didn’t have Rhys’ bulk nor the kind, empathetic eyes that somehow felt like they could penetrate my soul. I’d been dead inside for a long time, hadn’t felt a stirring of attraction for the opposite sex in years, but right at that moment, I knew for certain I was attracted to Rhys.Still. It was hardly a surprise since I’d been infatuated with him once upon a time. I was struck with a sudden image of us shoving all the files and papers from his desk and him climbing over me …

Okay, get a hold of yourself, Charli. The man just broke up with his fiancée, for Christ’s sake.

“I’m sorry for grabbing you. I had no idea you suffered from panic attacks,” he said then paused, pressing his lips together as he seemed to consider his next words. “If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m available. I know it must be stressful moving here, starting a new job and everything, but you have a friend in me, okay?” He smiled then. “And I’ve been told I’m a great listener.”

“Sure,” I said, my chest fluttering at the unexpectedly kind offer. “I might take you up on that.”

Being alone with him stirred a bunch of feelings in me, feelings I wasn’t equipped to untangle or analyse as I turned and left his office.

22.

Charli

“Wait, so he just grabbed you and pulled you into his office?” Nuala asked as she sat across the booth from me in the busy restaurant. She looked entirely too intrigued by my story.

It was Friday, and we’d arranged to meet for lunch. Nuala was currently teaching five- and six-year-olds, which meant shorter workdays for her so she could come see me.

---