Page 70 of Laila Manning
“Enough.” Elora snapped and pulled me away from the corner and the sniveling man, who she handled in ways I always dreamed of. “Get out of my sight or I’ll make sure you never talk through that disgusting mouth of fake teeth ever again.”
He sputtered, but Elora didn’t wait for any rebuttal he had to give at her dismissal and walked us across the busy floor.
“Easy.” She said soothingly, “Deep breath.”
I realized then that I was clinging to her like a life raft in a hurricane and nearly hyperventilating from the entire scenario.
“Jed.” I whispered, closing my eyes, and fighting for control of my body and emotions, but I was losing. Spiraling directly into a panic attack that would rival any other I’d ever had before. “Carly needs Jed.” I needed to finish my task of helping my friend, and then I neededto get the fuck out of this event and out of this dress. “She’s in the bathroom.”
“I’ll get him, but what about you?” she asked firmly, leading me through the tables like she had a destination in mind when all I could do was manage to put one foot in front of the other on autopilot. “What do you need? What happened?”
“I need to find Zeke.” I cried, losing my grip.
“He’s right here.” She turned, and we cut to another dark area of the room where Ryker was conversing with men in the shadows, reminding me that so much of the men’s lives were shady and dangerous.
But at that moment, all I could see was Zeke’s serious face watching us as we approached. He didn’t say anything, simply moved through the crowd of men and was on me in an instant.
He slid both hands over my cheeks and around the back of my neck as I buried my face in his jacket. Embarrassment and grief didn’t even have a chance to take hold of me as I fought the terror of memories and flashbacks, trying to stay on my feet.
“Get her out of here. Take her home.” Elora commanded, but Zeke was already pulling me, still wrapped in his arms and shielded from any prying eyes as he opened a door I didn’t even notice and pulled us through into an empty service hallway.
“Dove.” He groaned as he scooped my legs out from under me and held me to his chest as he flew through the hallway away from the party. “I’m sorry. Hold on to me. Hold on to me, Laila.”
“I’m so broken.” I whispered as every bit of sorrow crashed over me, consuming me, and drowning me in it until I didn’t think I’d ever reach the surface again.
Chapter 18 – Zeke
“Tell me what you need.” I implored as she paced back and forth in the small meeting room. It was the first place I could get her to after carrying her from the ballroom. She was spiraling and needed privacy, and it would have to do until I could get her outside and home.
Fuck, I never should have made her come to the gala in the first place.
She clawed at her neck and mumbled to herself as she walked the length of the room before turning back and going in the opposite direction, only to do it again at the next wall. “Dove, please.” I begged, trying to break through her haze.
I let her down. Something triggered her after I left her alone, but I didn’t know what it was.
Ten minutes. That was it, I was only gone for ten minutes.
“Laila.” I raised my voice, “Stop.” She froze like she was finally even aware of her surroundings and blinked at me.
“Sorry.” She whispered, swallowing and dropping her hands to her sides. “I’m sorry.” She looked at the locked door behind me. “I fucked up.”
“No.” I stepped forward, and she stiffened, so I stopped. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Laila.” She flicked her glance at the door again, and I tried not to get offended by her obvious discomfort at being alone with me. We’d been making such progress with closed spaces, I thought we were past it, but maybe the triggering caused her to regress. “Talk to me though, tell me what happened while I was gone.”
She shook her head before the words were even out of my mouth and started pacing again. “No.” She kept shaking her head. “I can’t.”
“Okay.” I recanted, “Okay, then tell me what you need. Tell me how I can help you.”
“You can’t.” She tipped her head back and closed her eyes as desperation took hold of her. “I just need to escape.”
“Escape.” I took a step closer to her now that her eyes were closed, and she wasn’t watching me. “Escape how?”
“My head.” She slapped the palms of her hands against her temples repeatedly. “I just want to get out of my head!” Her anxiety climbed with each word. “I don’t want to be inside my head anymore!” Her face crumbled. “I hate it inside here. All there is—is pain!”
“You aren’t trapped.” I closed the distance, fighting the anxiety growing inside of me as she broke. “You are free.” I slid my hands over her arms, and she leaned into me instead of bolting out of my hold like I thought she would. God, I needed her comfort right now as much as I needed to give her some, too.
“I’m not.” She cried, “One second. That’s all it took, and I was right back there. Chained up and captive.”
“You aren’t.” Again, I said, “You’re free, and I’m right here.” I pressed my lips against her forehead as she melted into my touch. “I’m right here.”
