“Gotta be slower than that,” Matthew says, shaking his head.
“It’s okay,” I say, trying to pull away.
“Close your eyes.”
“What?No.”
“Just close your eyes,” he insists.
I hesitate.
“Trust me,” he adds, voice calm.
I let my eyelids flutter shut, plunging myself into a darkness scented with pine, lake water, and him.
“One more time,” his voice guides me softly.“Breathe in deep and slow.Feel the air filling your lungs.That’s it… Hold it.Now, let it out through your mouth, even slower.Just let it all go.”
“Again.”
I draw in a long, slow breath.This one reaches deep, expanding my ribcage.I hold the stillness for a heartbeat, then release it in a warm sigh.
I open my eyes slowly.They land on Matthew’s green gaze.Clear, deep, and etched with compassion.The way he looks at me, like I’m something precious, makes my heart skip.The air stills in my throat.He leans closer, pressing his lips tenderly against my forehead.Calm pools deep in my core.
My eyes drift shut again.
He pulls me fully against his chest, enveloping me.My cheek finds the soft fabric of his shirt, my body anchoring itself to him.My arms wrap around his waist, holding on tight.
It feels like the first truly solid thing I’ve touched since my world started tilting.
Like all the scattered pieces of me are being held together.Shielded from the storm raging just outside the circle of his arms.There’s no agenda in his hold.No expectation.Just the unconditional shelter my soul is starving for.
For a few perfect heartbeats, there is nothing but the solid thump of his heart against my ear and the clean scent of his shirt.A stillness so profound it feels like it could last forever.I allow myself to sink into it.To believe, just for a second, that this is real.
Then, reality intrudes.
Helen.
Helen, holding down the fort.
Lou.
Lou, gathering signatures for a cause Matthew has already called hopeless.
The first crack appears in the peace.
The café.James’s deal.The apartment.The packing.
The list scrolls through my mind.Each item a cold splash of water.
“I’m warning you,” I say, pulling back reluctantly.“If we don’t leave now, it’s gonna be very hard for me to want to go back to the real world.”
Matthew lets his hands drop, giving me space.“Doesn’t sound like a bad idea to me.”
“Tell that to Helen and Lou.They’re fighting for my café while I take the day off.”Guilt pricks at me.“Sorry.”I shake my head, waving away my comment.
“You’re allowed to take time to clear your head,” he says, his expression turning serious.“Especially after last night.”
I give a small, weary nod, smoothing down the front of my dress.
