Page 42 of Briar

My whisper sounds loud in the silence. “Goodnight.”

Kai stops me, his hand on my arm. His lips curve up into a small smile before he leans in, his lips brushing against my cheek.Sleep well.

When I pull my eyes from him, River is next to my chair. He holds out his hand in a silent question, and I take it. He helps me up before lifting my wrist, and I suck in a breath as he twists it, pressing an open-mouthed kiss against my pulse. “Sweet dreams, Briar. Whatever you decide.”

Holy shit.

This is it. I take a step away, still watching them before I turn to face Jenson. He’s leaning against the door, his arms crossed. There’s a look on his face I can’t decipher as he turns, leading me into the open hall and up the main staircase, grabbing my bag on his way.

I’m going to—

They’regoing to—

“Briar.”

I stare blankly ahead, trying to catch my breath. “I’m fine.”

“No.” Jenson’s voice is soft. I pull my gaze up, realizing that I’ve stopped halfway up the stairs. “No, you’re not. And that’s absolutely fine.”

No. I’m not letting him talk me out of this.

I step past him, heading to the top of the stairs even as my legs threaten to collapse beneath me. “Which room?”

“Briar—,”

“Which room, Jenson?” God, even my fingers are trembling. He’s close behind me, and as I turn, I follow his gaze down to my hands. I snap my traitorous hands into fists, glancing around at the cream walls as if a door will magically appear. “My room?”

The words come out as a rasp. Jenson searches my face for a long, silent moment.

“Turn around,” he says finally.

“What?” I feel a little dizzy. As if my lungs aren’t filling enough for me to take a full breath.

Jenson steps a little closer. Not enough to touch, but enough that I can feel the warmth of him. “Turn. Around.”

I spin, nearly tripping over myself. “I’mfine.”

“Say that again, and this stops now. Put your hands against the wall.”

I just need – a little reassurance.Something.I don’t know. My hands continue shaking even as I press them against the cream paint in front of me. “Like this?”

“Yes.” His voice is close. Too close. And I breathe in sharply as large, warm arms wrap around me from behind.

Jenson pulls me in until my back is pressed to his chest, his hands spread over my stomach. My shaking is more obvious now. “I just—,”

“I know.” His voice is a low murmur. “It’s alright. Take a breath.”

I suck in a shaky breath.

“Good,” he whispers in my ear. He’s a warm, solid wall behind me. “Again.”

I don’t know how long we stay there for. With his arms around me, almost holding me up, and my hands out so I don’ttouchhim. But it slowly settles something inside me, my body slowly stopping its trembling until I sag back against his chest. “I think I’m okay now.”

“One more minute.” His cheek brushes my hair. “Just to be sure.”

Just to be sure. I tip my head back, carefully resting it against his chest. “Is this… is this okay?”

“I should be asking you that,” he mutters. “But yes. This is fine.”