Page 78 of Knot That Difficult

Then I call Ben.

“Hey, babe.” Ben’s voice is gentle. “What’s up?”

“Please tell me you’re on your way home,” I sob.

“Shit, no, I can be, though. What happened?”

“I’m trapped in the parking garage!” I exclaim. “The gate is stuck, and the door to the stairs won’t open. Ben, I’m—I’m trapped—” I choke out. “And I’m cramping. My bodyhurts.”

Everything hurts now, not just my womb. My limbs are heavy, and slick slowly trickles out of me and stains my underwear.

“Baby, it’s going to be okay,” Ben breathes. “Stay calm for me, and we’ll get you out of there. I’m leaving right now, okay?”

“You’re three hours away!” I cry, tears falling down my cheeks. “I can’t stay here—I can’t breathe?—”

“Baby, come on. You have this, Dev. You’re safe. I’ll call Connor—he’s likely closer than me.”

“No! Don’t hang up on me,” I whimper.

It’s like I’m back in a foster home, and one of the boys has locked me in a closet.

They’re not going to find me for hours.

I’m all alone.

If I had parents, they would look for me. If I had a family, someone would try to find me.

But no one will, so I’ll be stuck there forever.

“Dev, sweetheart, I love you.” Ben tries to snap me out of my panic. “You can get through this, baby. Everything will be fine. You’re still at the apartment. You’re still home, just in the garage.”

But my pre-Heat emotions get the best of me, and I end up weeping on the phone. Ben talks me through some breathing exercises, but the pain in my body only intensifies.

Then Ace calls me while I’m on the phone with Ben.

“Ace is calling,” I whisper, then switch the line to Ace.

“Ace?” I cry.

“Shit, what’s wrong, sweetheart?” Ace is immediately concerned, and I burst into tears.

How embarrassing. Sobbing over being stuck is an overreaction, but I can barely explain myself as I struggle through my crying fit.

“I’m half an hour away. I was going to see if you wanted to meet up, but I’ll be there soon,” Ace says.

“But you don’t have a key?—”

“Sweetheart,” he interrupts. “I’ll be there. Just hang on for me, baby.”

I let out another sob, and he sighs.

“I hate hearing you like this, angel,” he murmurs.

“I’m scared,” I whisper, shaking. “Too much is happening at once.”

“Talk to me, then. What else is happening?” His voice is calm and low, and it helps ground me.

“I…my Heat.”

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