Page 30 of The Restoration Program

“Are you hurt?” he asked, wide-eyed.

She felt like she was about to puke up her heart, and it didn’t help that he was cornering her with his bulk. “N-no,” she said.

Unconvinced, he carefully pinched her elbow between a finger and thumb. “Can you stand?”

Her knees wobbled, but she leaned on him and got to her feet. His hand stayed poised at her side like she might collapse at any moment. She stood straighter and managed to smile reassuringly.

“See? I’m fine.” Her grin turned sheepish. “Unless you can call an ambulance on account of embarrassment?”

His lips didn’t so much as twitch out of their hard line. “Please, Nicki. Never do that again.Ever. I have to know where you are.”

“I know, I was just getting worried.” She leaned her side into his palm, hooking an arm around his thumb. “I’m sorry your dad’s being an ass.”

He closed his hand around her waist lightly, with the thumb she held to grazing a light path against her abdomen.

“I need you to say it,” he said, and she could hear the effort to keep his voice soft for her. “Promise me you won’t wander off or sneak up on me like that.”

“Wander off? What, like a little kid?” She wanted to click her tongue and roll her eyes to break the tension, but his hard stare froze her in place. His eyes were wide, fiery. The gentle pressure against her midsection increased slightly, as though Ryan was assuring himself that she was truly alive and warm and well.

“I’d never forgive myself if I hurt you. I just got you back. You understand, don’t you?”

Nicole’s tongue was leaden. He’d never been like this, not with her. Though, she supposed she’d never given him reason to.

“Ry, I don’t think you understand what you’re really asking me.”

His jaw ticked, but he suddenly turned his head towards the front hall. Nicole heard it too: shuffling footsteps that preceded a brisk knock. The volume made her heart skip a beat. But Ryan didn’t budge to answer it, looking like he would wait there all afternoon until she agreed with him.

The knock came again. Whoever was there wasn’t so easily deterred.

“You should get that,” Nicole said in a voice too timid to be her own.

Ryan’s brow furrowed, and he glanced anxiously between her and the door. “Stay put. Please.”

The weight of his hand lifted from her waist as he got to his feet and marched for the entryway. Each of his purposeful steps sent a vicious tremor through the ground, threatening to turn Nicole’s legs to jelly.

He glanced back at her, expression softened somewhat. “You know, it’s probably just another sympathy cake from Mrs. Marcental.”

“I hope it’s chocolate this time.”

He snorted at this, and Nicole held her breath as he vanished into the hall. The scrape of the bolt unfastening sparked the strangest urge to hide herself. It could be Mrs. Marcental, or it could be a pack of bloodthirsty reporters who had tracked them down.

“Can I help you?” Ryan’s voice carried—polite, but edged.

A woman’s voice replied, partially muffled by the distance. “Hi, um… You must be Ryan. I’m Darlene. We haven’t met yet, but I work with—er,workedwith Nicole at Tyche Marketing. I was her deskmate. I... I came to see her.” Her voice tapered off, as though her presence might be a treason. Cellophane crinkled. “I brought you guys something.”

“That’s very kind of you.” Nicole heard the gift pass hands and lower to the floor. “Nicole talked about you. She’ll be touched to see this.”

“Can I see her?”

“We’re not taking any visitors right now.”

Nicole’s head shot up. Ryan was right to be defensive, but this wasDarlene. The first friend she’d made a month ago when they’d moved into town. A die-hard fan of hot caramel lattes—even in the summer—and one of the best marketers on the team. She thought of Darlene waiting for her at lunch, thinking her a no-show. Returning to the office in a pissy mood until hearing secondhand her friend had been in a fatal car accident.

Nicole knew how fast word traveled in Tyche Marketing. By now, Darlene must’ve heard a new, morbid rumor about her final fate. And she had come anyway.

“Ryan, let her in!” Nicole called.

“Is she okay?” Darlene asked. Shadows shifted as though she was trying to peer past Ryan for a glimpse.