Page 46 of Yours Until Forever

The elevator doors close as he says, “I got caught at work. Shirley collected the girls.” His nanny.

I nod, still feeling like my lungs hold barely any oxygen. “Right.”

God, this is awkward.

When he doesn’t say anything, I rush to fill the silence. “Thank you.” My words come out too fast. And go nowhere. And there’s still not enough oxygen inside me. My gaze darts to the doors in front of me as I listen to the quiet hum of the elevator going up. Only for a second, and then I force my eyes back to Gage. “For helping me out, I mean. Today, that is.”

He’s watching me intently. Too intently. It makes me feel naked. This man sees far too much, and I want to pull a thousand curtains between us so he can’t see anything.

“Amelia,” he starts, but the elevator lurches, stopping all conversation.

There’s a hard, mechanical thud, and then a sudden stop that throws me off balance.

I reach a hand to the wall to steady myself. “Did it just...”

“Yeah,” Gage says, already stepping forward and pressing the panel. He taps a few buttons. Nothing lights up. I hear him curse softly before hitting the call button.

A moment later, a robotic voice says, “Emergency call initiated. Assistance will arrive shortly.”

Shit.

I’m not claustrophobic, but I suddenly feel like I am as my anxiety rises.

“You okay?” Gage asks.

I nod, trying to ignore my inner spiral. “Totally fine.”

His eyes narrow slightly. “Liar.”

I let out a breath that’s also half a laugh. “Okay, notfine. But I’m trying not to panic.”

A soft chime sounds and then a crisp voice comes through the speaker.

“Mr. Black? Tony here. Just letting you know we’ve flagged the elevator issue. Maintenance is en route. They’re saying twenty minutes.”

Gage steps closer to the panel. “Thanks, Tony.”

“I’ll keep you updated, Sir.”

The line clicks off with a soft beep.

I exhale through my nose. “Twenty minutes.”

“That’s worst case.”

“Yeah, well, worst case is me dying in here and them finding my body in twenty minutes.”

His lips twitch. “I think you’ll survive.”

I press my back against the wall. “You clearly underestimate my talent for internal collapse.”

All traces of humor disappear from his face, and he holds my gaze with quiet assurance. “Amelia. You’re safe. I’ve got you.”

I nod, but don’t answer. Instead, I focus on my breath.

Inhale.

Exhale.

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