Eli
23
My arms held firm around Rowan as he clung to me, his weight slumped against my chest as every last bit of energy drained out of him. Though he wasn't shaking as badly anymore, I could still feel a few tremors. His breathing hadn't fully settled, but at least he was coming down from the panic.
My mind kept circling back to the call. I hadn't even gotten a full sentence out before he blurted out, "He's back." I couldn't make out what he said after that, but I didn't need to. Only one person could unravel him that fast.
I didn't know what had actually happened, though. Did Marcus call? Did he show up? Did Rowan see him outside? The second I heard that name, I was grateful I was already on my way to his flat.
Because when I got here and found him on the floor, pale and gasping, it took everything in me not to lose it. The breathing exercises were as much for me as they were for him.
Now, with him pressed against me, I could feel him coming back to himself a little bit at a time. I kept quiet and let the silence do its work to help him settle.
But beneath the calm I was trying to keep, my chest was tight with unease. Because something had changed. Rowan had made so much progress, and something just yanked the rug out from under him.
I gave him a few more minutes to catch his breath before I eased him back to get a proper look at him. His eyes were still unfocused, but the wild panic from earlier had mostly faded. Not quite gone, but under control.
My hands found his face again. "You good?"
His gaze drifted elsewhere as he nodded.
"Can you get up?"
This time, he shook his head.
I moved closer and slid one arm under his knees, the other around his back. He didn't object. In fact, he leaned into me like he didn't have the strength to do anything else.
I gathered him carefully into my arms and stood with some effort, adjusting my grip so he didn't have to brace himself. As I turned, I reached back with my foot to nudge the door closed behind us. The latch clicked softly, and the flat went quiet again.
He didn't say a word as I carried him over to the sofa. His face stayed tucked against my collar, close enough that I could feel his shallow but steady breaths against my neck. I eased him carefully down to the cushions, keeping a hand on his back until he was settled.
Then I crouched in front of him and took hold of his hand. "What happened, Ro?"
He didn't answer, but I felt the tension return in his fingers – just a subtle tightening where mine held his. His jaw ticked, and then his gaze drifted. Not to me, but to the space on the sofa next to him. His phone sat there looking like it was dropped mid-panic. The screen was dark but tilted enough to catch a sliver of light from the window.
I squeezed his hand gently. "Can I look?"
He gave a short nod.
I reached over to grab the phone and tapped the screen to wake it up. Three lines stared back at me.
Still alive, eh? You're a tough little cockroach.
So you did block me. That's alright. No hard feelings, Ro.
Thought for sure I finished the job. Guess your little friend found you in time?
Jesus Christ.
My hand clenched around the device before I even registered the motion. I had to force my fingers to relax, and it took everything to keep my expression calm before I looked back up at Rowan.
I wanted to march out and find the fucker myself. I wanted to throw every charge in the book at him until he was guaranteed to rot in prison. But that wasn't something I could do. Rowan had to be willing to do it himself.
I kept my voice steady and low. "Ro... I think it's time for a restraining order. At least if he tries anything else, then we can bring the police in."
His whole body tensed. His shoulders locked, and he drew in a sharp breath through his nose. "It'll just set him off again. I don't want to make things worse."
I hated how much fear Marcus had instilled in him. Even the thought of taking a step toward protecting himself made Rowan hesitate. But at the same time, I could empathise with him. He barely survived his last encounter with Marcus, and he was still convinced that pushing back would only bring down more hell.
