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“I have to be in Scoops in fifteen, but I could come tomorrow before my night shift?”
Kevin nodded. “Great, come any time after nine.”
Rory gave Jess one last pointed glance, then slipped her laptop into her bag and bolted out the door.
As soon as they were alone, Jess felt every muscle in her body tense, that crushing sensation making her feel like she was going to cave in. She sucked in sharp inhales, struggling to get any oxygen in her lungs.
“Whoa, it’s okay, it’s okay.” Kevin snatched her hands and squeezed tightly, anchoring her back into the moment. “Focus on something around you. Tell me what you see.”
“Um, uh—”
“Pick something, anything.”
“The…bags. At your desk. I still haven’t opened them.”
“Stop making a to-do list and tell me details. What do the bags look like?”
“Tan. With the old Port Wheels logo. We’ll have to figure out how to get the new logo on our receipts. Maybe we could sell bags.”
“Jessica, for the love of god, stop thinking about work. Tell me what’s happening.”
“Your hands. They are so calloused. Do you ever use lotion?”
Kevin sniggered. “Better. Tell me more about my hands.”
“You’re squeezing little pulses. Like a heartbeat.”
“Better, Jess. Tell me more.”
“They shouldn’t be this dry, usually your hands are covered in grease.”
“Can’t ruin any more of your tank tops.”
She huffed a laugh, realizing the sound had a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “They’re also warm. And tan. I keep wondering if you go to a tanning bed to stay this golden all winter long.”
“Nah, I’m just made of gold,” he teased. “Feeling better?”
Her chest was still tight. Her eyes shuttered, and she shook her head.
“Let’s try your breathing. Deep breath in for me, sweetheart.”
She obeyed, concentrating on those callused hands instead of what he’d just called her. Then she took another. Then slowly, a third.
“There we go.” His voice was soft. Gentle.
Before she could protest, Kevin was pulling her into a hug, sealing her up tightly to his chest. One arm wrapped around her shoulders, the other cradled the back of her head. Keeping her secure.
The tension in her chest melted away.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I need to work on that.”
“You’re going through a lot, Jessica. No one expects you to be okay with it all. Especially me.”
She exhaled. “Why are you so nice to me? I’m really mean to you.”
He was silent. Jess listened to the hammering in his chest, the beat speeding up with each quiet breath.
“Do you remember the day we met?” he asked.
