Suddenly, warmth penetrates the overwhelming sensations surrounding me. I suck in a sharp breath, but it’s not enough to erase the damage that’s already been done. I’m drowning in an ocean I never saw coming, and I can’t find the water’s surface.
“I’ve got you,” a soft voice says as my face is guided upward. “Open your eyes, baby. It’s just you and me now.”
Hunter.
I blink through the haze blanketing me, finding his hazel eyes locked on mine. My chest constricts at the sight of him on his knees before me, his big hands cupping my cheeks. Hunter smiles, but I don’t miss the tension in his expression.
“There she is,” he whispers, pressing his forehead to mine. His thumbs stroke soothing trails across my jaw, grounding me as he murmurs reassurances. With every word, my panting gasps slow. “My pretty baby. My love. That’s it. Just breathe with me, Elle. It’s just us. No one else.”
No one else?
I shift to pull away, but his firm grip tightens.
“No, stay here with me,” he commands, his voice steady. My eyes instinctually flick back to his. “Ignore the world. Nothing else matters right now more than you do.”
My heart squeezes painfully. He’s wrong. I’m not nearly as important as he is, as they are. Without them, I’m nothing. Doesn’t he know that?
“I can see the wheels turning in that brilliant brain of yours.” His beautiful eyes narrow. “You’re wrong, Ella. They’d want you to take care of yourself. They’d want you to be okay before you worry about them. You know that, don’t you?”
My first instinct is to deny it, but deep down, I know Hunter’s right. The guys would want me looked after. They’d do everything in their power to make sure I’m happy and healthy. Safe. Looked after and loved. It’s all they’ve done for me from the beginning.
That’s why I need them.
My chest throbs, and I reach a shaking hand up to rub the ache away. Hunt strokes his fingers across my cheeks, wiping away tears I didn’t even realize I’d cried. Everything is too much, too hard. I don’t know how much more I can take.
But with him here, blocking out the room, the world, it’s easier. With him as my protector, I can breathe past the chasm ofpain threatening to split me in two. With him as my shield, I can exist inside this room without losing myself completely.
“Hunter,” I rasp, not knowing what I’m asking for, just that Ineedsomething.
Help. Him. Them. Air.
His gaze searches mine. Whatever he sees has him tensing, but he quickly smoothes his features.
“Isabella,” Madeline says. Her voice is soft, but I still flinch. “What can I do?”
Just the sound of her desperate plea has everything rushing back in, and before I even blink, my peace is gone.
My breaths come in sharp, shallow gasps, each one a struggle. I clutch at my throat, as if I can force the air to come, force my body to calm down, but it’s useless. The panic is relentless, tightening its grip, squeezing until I feel like I might shatter. My vision blurs, spots of darkness creeping in at the edges, and I’m trembling, every muscle locked in fear.
I need to move, need to escape, but my legs are heavy, rooted to the spot as the panic drags me under. My chest heaves with the effort of trying to breathe, trying to find some anchor, something to hold on to before I’m lost completely.
“I’m sorry,” Madeline cries. “I’m so, so sorry.
“Everyone, get the fuck out!” Hunter booms. “I don’t give a fuck who you are! She needs a goddamn minute without all of you staring and lording secrets over her head. Get out!”
An argument breaks out, but I’m too busy trying to find the oxygen I desperately need to pay attention.
I don’t know how much time passes, but throughout it all, he never leaves me. His eyes remain locked on mine. His touch, his connection, never waivers.
A door slams, and then nothing.
My shoulders drop, and he leans forward, pressing a kiss to my brow that lingers. We sit in silence for a long time while I workto get my breathing regulated. When I finally feel like I’m not seconds from passing out, I burrow deeper against him.
Hunter hums happily and murmurs, “Tell me what you need, my love.”
“That’s way too loaded,” I choke out.
He freezes, then smiles against me. His chest rumbles with a sexy chuckle that sends shocked zaps throughout my body.
