Page 27 of Tangled Hearts
His eyes widen as he gasps for air. Then he shakes his head, clawing at his throat like he actually can’t breathe.
Shit.
“You can do it. Here.” I drop one hand from his face, grabbing his hand to place it over my chest. “Follow me. In and out. Come on.” A pained whimper escapes his throat as he wheezes. “Come on, Eli. Just one good breath. In with me now.”
He draws in a quick breath. It’s not great, but it’s better. “Good. That’s good. One more.” I drop my fingers to his pulse point, feeling the hammering of his heart. He grips my wrist as he works to match my breathing. With each breath he manages to get in, his pulse slows a little, his grip relaxing. “That’s it. There you go.”
His breathing is still a little erratic, but he’s trying really hard. “Good boy,” I murmur, staring into his green eyes.
His eyes blow wide, and his pulse skyrockets. Worse, though, is the catch in his breath that feelsnothinglike panic.
Oh my God. Why thefuckdid I say that?
Chapter 10
Eli
Nic jerks away from me so quickly I stumble a bit, my heart thundering in my ears. One second, warm hands are holding my face, grounding me like no one ever has, and the next I’m being damn near thrown to the ground like I’ve personally offended him. “What the actualfuckis your problem?”
The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them—loud and sharp. A little hateful, if I’m being honest. Nic stiffens, his entire demeanor changing in an instant. Why am I always being so fucking mean to him? He helps my dog, talks me down from a panic attack, and here I am, yelling at him. “Fuck. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad at me.”
Thosewords are out before I can stop them too. I’ve got to get out of here. I step toward Kassie, ready to grab her and run, but I’m stopped by a firm hand on my shoulder. “Sit down.” Something about the tone of Nic’s voice stops me cold, and I’m sitting down before I can even think about it. Before I can even consider giving him more shit or getting mouthy.
As soon as I’m settled by Kassie, she’s nosing my side. Always fucking there for me, even after a seizure, and here I am, being a fucking dickhead instead of taking care of her. I sink my fingers into her fur, feeling like I’m about to sob.
Nic kneels in front of me, careful not to touch me. That’s probably for the best, even though some depraved part of me is dying for him to. “You did nothing wrong,” he says slowly. Carefully. “I crossed a line. That was inappropriate, andI’mthe one who’s sorry. I’m not mad at you.”
I look into his eyes, studying him hard for any sign that he’s lying. “You promise?” I ask in a shaky whisper.
He nods. “I promise.”
My throat is tight, and it hurts. From yelling and crying and probably the panic a little. But also, how overwhelmed I am right now. “I’m sorry,” I say again, my eyes burning. “I was scared, and she was—and then I just…” I wave my hands helplessly through the air. “You were trying to help, and I was mean to you.” My voice cracks, but I press on. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” I whisper.
“Hey,” Nic says quietly. “There’s nothing wrong with you, okay? You’ve had a rough day, and I crossed a massive line. That’s not on you. That’s on me. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
He didn’t make me uncomfortable at all, though, and I think that might be part of the problem. Those two words settled me. Somewhere in my soul that I’m entirely too afraid to examine deeply. More than anything else he did. More than anyone ever has—outside of my dads, I think. But I can’t say that, clearly, so I settle on, “You didn’t make me uncomfortable.”
His eyes search my face, and after a few seconds, he nods slowly. “Okay,” he says, but he doesn’t sound relieved the way I thought he would.
We both fall silent. I’m rubbing my fingers along Kassie’s ear to soothe myself just like I did when I was a kid, and we’re just staring at each other, the silence stretching between us.
“I don’t want to go home yet,” I say, surprising myself. “I’m scared to be alone. What if something else happens to Kassie?” Or me? I leave that part out.
“You don’t have to. You can stay here as long as you want.”
Here. What the fuck? My brain comes online as I glance around the sad little hotel room. This feels like a place someone goes to when they have nowhere else to belong. I’m not a fan. “Is this where you live?” I ask, looking back at Nic.
“For now,” Nic says, a sharp edge of defensiveness in his voice.
It makes me smile. “Being a defensive asshole is kinda my schtick, you know?”
Nic bites his lip, but it doesn’t take long, and he’s huffing a quiet laugh. “It’s temporary.” He looks around. “Besides, it’s not so bad.”
As soon as the words leave his mouth, the lights in the bathroom turn on and then back off before turning back on. I raise an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that?”
His shoulders slump. “Alright, so it’s not the best, but it’ll be okay.”
I keep petting Kassie while I look around. The walls are a little dingy, and the bed I’m sitting on feels broken down. There are stains on the carpet. I guess none of that is really a huge deal. Not really, but this is Uncle Holden’sbrother,and with his history, it would probably trigger the fuck out of him if he knew Nic was staying in some run-down hotel. “I’m assuming Uncle Holden doesn’t know you’re here.” I say, my eyes finding Nic’s.
