Page 44 of Where Broken Wings Fly

I’ve never been cared for.

It feels… good.

“There we go,” he murmurs, his hand moving up to stroke my curly hair instead. “You’re doing good. Keep breathing slowly.”

Using his words to focus, I block out everything else. The pain. The fear. Endless fears and anxieties, the never-ending line of what-if scenarios threatening to unhinge my fragile sanity. None of it matters when I’m in his arms.

“You’re here. You’re safe.”

He repeats it over and over again, a soothing mantra that combats the screaming voice telling me to pack up, grab Arianna and hightail it out of here to some place where no one knows my name.

I’m not sure how long we sit tangled on the floor for, wrapped up in each other with an unnerving amount of intimacy for people that met not long ago. It’s like Zach knows exactly what I need. My eyes grow heavy as the adrenaline rushes out of me.

I’m completely slumped against him, unable to hold my own head up with no energy left inside of me. His heartbeat is a steady roar against my ear, so loud it almost vibrates.

Buddum. Buddum. Buddum.

“Zach.”

His hand stills in my hair as he ceases massaging my scalp. “Yeah, babe? You back with me?”

“Kinda. Your heart is beating really fast.”

“You scared me for a moment there.”

“I scared myself. Sorry, things just got a bit much.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

But still, his arms don’t move to release me. He’s cuddling me so close, I can feel the rise and fall of his chest with each inhale he takes. I’ve never held someone close enough to experience their breath before. No one beyond Arianna.

“How did you know?”

“Hmm?” Zach hums.

I manage to lift my head up and meet his eyes. “How did you know how to help me?”

“Oh, that.” He unleashes a crooked smile that makes my heart rate triple. “My brother, Micah, has some issues. He suffered from pretty bad panic attacks for a long time.”

“That’s rough.”

“It was. I always knew when he needed help, though. It’s a twin thing.”

“Twin thing?” I repeat.

“We used to be close. I always knew when he was in trouble.”

Helping me to stand up, Zach places me back on my feet. My legs are still trembling, but he doesn’t release my hand as he clambers up as well. Our fingers have somehow slid together, interlinked in an unbreakable knot.

“You good?” he double-checks.

“Think so.”

“Then let’s go find your girl. She’ll be missing her mama.”

With Zach’s presence anchoring me back down, I have the strength to leave the office and my overwhelming terror behind. Who would possibly dare to hurt us with him at my side? Even sweet and sensitive, he still has the raw force of a warrior.

I feel safe with him.

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