I’m fine.” I blew out a breath and turned around, glancing at Ralph. “Can I give you a ride home?”
“I drove on my own, remember?” She eyed me like I was losing my mind, and she wasn’t wrong. Something was definitely off with me.
It was as if I’d crossed an imaginary line and an explosion had gone off in my head. I didn’t have a clue what the problem was, but my pulse increased rapidly until it felt like my heart would burst out of my chest. A shot of pain coursed through my ribs, feeling much like a cramp in my calf muscle in the middle of the night. I sucked in a breath, the spasm almost unbearable, but I tried to hold on to my composure. “Of course. I wasn’t thinking.”
“Easton, what’s wrong? You’re scaring me.” She frowned and studied me for a long moment, her eyes widening as she took me in. “This isn’t about being late. Something else is going on.”
My vision blurred, and I stumbled back a step. She gripped my arm and steadied me until I was able to walk to a bench to the right of the entrance. “You need to sit down,” she said, her voice shaking a little.
My heart raced, and it felt as if I’d lost all control. What was wrong with me? I clenched my fist, hating that she was seeing me in this state. I lowered myself to the bench and leaned over, placing my head in my hands.
“Take a deep breath,” she said in a soothing tone, and she rubbed circles on my back, calming me down. “I think you’re having a panic attack.”
Was that what this was? “It can’t be that. I’ve never had one before.”
“Do you want me to run inside and get a doctor?”
I shook my head. “No, don’t do that.”
“Tell me what to do, Easton. I want to help you.”
I glanced at her, my heart rate slowing a bit. “Just stay with me. I think I’ll be okay in a few minutes.”
She rubbed my back again, relieving some of the stress that had built up over the last hour. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Chapter 15
Maya
After a few minutes, his breathing came back to normal, and the color returned to his face. For a second there, I thought I’d have to call 911 or fetch that doctor I’d just seen, but he was starting to look himself again. I placed two of my fingers at his wrist. “Your pulse is slowing down.”
Easton’s jaw tightened, and he nodded, looking as if someone had knocked him down and he was just coming to. “I’ll be fine.”
“Looks like you had a panic attack. You scared me, buddy.”
I waited for him to make a crack about how he was my boss, not my buddy, but there was no amusement on his face. He blew out a breath, and his eyes flickered with so much pain, I felt it in my gut. He cleared his throat and glanced at me for the first time since we’d sat down. “Sorry to put you through that.”
“You didn’t put me through anything. We’re friends, right? I’m here for you.” I paused and waited for him to say something, and when he didn’t, I continued. “Easton, please. Tell me what happened. What’s going on with you?”
He shrugged. “Don’t know. Guess the traffic got to me.” His lips curled up on one side in a half-hearted attempt at humor, but I could tell he wasn’t feeling it.
“You need to take better care of yourself. How much stress have you been under lately?”
He licked his lips and stared at the ground as if in a daze. “Just the normal amount.”
I ran my hand over his back and neck, trying to soothe the tension in his muscles. I stroked in a steady rhythm until he relaxed under my touch. A part of me knew this wasn’t a good idea, but I did it anyway. I wanted to comfort him. Wanted it more than anything right now. I felt my heart being pulled in his direction, and it was so strong it was almost overwhelming. If I didn’t move away from him, there was no telling what I would do next, and an impulsive act would most likely end in disaster. Sighing, I patted his back one last time and removed my hand. I scooted over a few inches, putting distance between us. “The normal amount of stress? I’m guessing that’s a lot then.”
He laughed softly. “It usually