I manage a small nod, and that seems to be enough for him. He smiles, and my gaze tracks the fine lines that appear around his eyes. I wonder if they deepen when he laughs? I hope I can find out one day.
“Are you hurt anywhere?” he asks.
Glancing down at where my hands are gripping my legs, I grimace at the redness around my nails on my right hand. I have a bad habit of picking at the skin whenever I feel anxious or on edge. I’ve tried so many times to stop, but sometimes it happens without me realizing.
Not wanting him to see, I clench my fist, trying to hide the evidence before giving a shake of my head.
“No, I’m okay,” I answer, but it comes out sounding all jagged. Shit, why is my mouth so dry?
“Good. I’m really glad to hear that,” he says, and I’m rewarded with another smile. “So, it’s going to be easier for us to get out through the roof. One of my crew members will feed a ladder through the hatch, and once I’ve hooked you up with the harness, you’ll be able to climb up and out. How does that sound?”
“Yeah, okay.” I nod. I think I can do that. I’ll slide up the ladder like a snake if I have to. Anything to get me out of here. “But what about you?”
“What about me?”
“How will you get out?” My eyes flick to the gap at the top of the elevator. Is that how he got in? “Did you get in through there?” I ask, jerking my chin toward the gap.
He glances behind him before returning his attention back to me, and the grin that appears on his face causes my stomach to whoosh. Those lines around his eyes deepen, and it makes him look twice as handsome. “Yeah. I’ve had a lot of practice squeezing into small spaces, so it was easy.”
My eyes widen in horror. Being stuck in this elevator has been hell for me, let alone anything smaller.
He lets out a lighthearted chuckle. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be right behind you.”
I nod again and close my eyes to focus on trying to calm myself down while Hunter communicates with his crew.
I’ve struggled with claustrophobia since I was in first grade, after I got locked in a cupboard by some kids who only wanted to play with Blaine, despite the fact that Blaine wouldn’t do anything without me. We came as a package deal. Two inseparable peas in a pod. Whenever people tried to split us up, he would cause havoc. He eventually found me in the cupboard, along with the teacher, and I had hyperventilated so much I was close to passing out. Blaine ended up smacking Barry the bully, then got in trouble for it, but since then, it’s altered something in my brain.
Crowds. Tight spaces. The dark.
If I can’t see an easy escape, I panic, and it hasn’t gotten any easier as I’ve gotten older.
A few seasons ago, we took part in an escape room for the team’s social media channels, but I don’t remember any of it because I was in fight-or-flight mode. Everyone else was having fun, and I didn’t want to be the one to ruin it for the group by asking to get out, so I pretended I wasn’t freaking out inside.
It’s something I have to do a lot. Pretend that I’m okay when I’m not so I can fit in.
Letting out a shuddering breath, I slowly stretch my legs out in front of me. My muscles ache from how tense I’ve been, and once they’re fully extended, I wiggle my toes in my shoes and flex my fingers. The numb sensation is starting to wear off, but I’ll probably need to see Greg, the team’s trainer, in the morning so I don’t cramp up on the ice.
A hatch opens in the roof of the car, and Hunter guides a ladder down into place before climbing up a few steps to grab the harness. I slowly push myself up, using the wall to keep me steady as my body still feels a little weak. He crouches down in front of me, and I step into the harness, chewing on the inside of my cheek as he steps in closer and makes sure everything is secure.
He smells like oranges and a hint of smoke, and his hair looks so soft. It’s kinda long and thick. Like my fingers would disappear if I buried them into it.
Nope. I can’t think those thoughts while he’s almost on his knees in front of me.
“Okay, so one of my firefighters is up there waiting for you. Spencer will guide you out once you’re up, then the rest of my crew will be there ready,” he says when he stands up, his eyes remaining locked on mine. “Take your time. We’re in no rush, so if you need to take a minute, that’s okay.”
Licking over my dry lips, I give a shaky nod and wipe my palms down the front of my hoodie. I can’t wait to get out of my clothes. I can feel them on my skin, and it’s becoming irritating. Suffocating, almost.
Climbing up and out is easier than I expect it to be. Someone is waiting for me, like Hunter promised, and when my feet touch the solid ground of the hallway floor, one of the other guys unclips me from the harness. A woman who looks a few yearsyounger than me introduces herself as Avi and motions for me to take a seat on one of the leather benches opposite the elevator banks. She explains that she needs to check my vitals, but my head begins to swim at all the information she’s relaying.
I pull off my hoodie, thankful to have one less layer touching me, and tug my T-shirt up to my chin before lying down on the bench. She sticks round pads across my bare chest and abdomen that are connected to a machine with wires. Then she secures a cuff around my upper arm and clips something onto my index finger. Hunter hovers behind her the whole time, his brows furrowed slightly.
Is he worried about me? It’s kinda cute if he is.
But still, I wish he hadn’t seen me like this. How am I supposed to get him to fall in love with me if I’m a sweaty mess and as red as a tomato?
“Your blood pressure is slightly elevated, but it’s understandable due to the stressfulness of the situation. Your oxygen levels are great, but it’s your heart rate that’s still a little high,so we need to work on getting it lower. Can you take some deep breaths for me?” Avi asks. “Try to relax.”
I silently groan. How am I supposed to relax when the guy I’ve been crushing on for the last year or so is standingright therewhile I’ve got my sweaty chest out on display?
