Page 90 of Love to Defy You
“Willow.” He leans forward, placing his elbows on his knees, and takes my hand in his. “They didn’t stop there.”
I yank my hand away. “No.” I push the phone back into his lap. “I... I don’t believe you.”
The door opens at the back of the plane, and I startle. As the stewardess emerges, I swivel my seat to face the window, away from Enzo’s pitying gaze.
The stewardess sets a glass of champagne on my table before passing one to Enzo. I don’t look at them, but I can hear her whisper in a hungry purr, “Are you sure I can’t take care ofthatfor you?”
“I’m sure,” Enzo snaps. “Now leave us alone.”
Gretchen lets out a huff before retreating to the back and shutting the door, and the cabin plunges into a silence louder than the engines of the plane revving up as we begin to taxi toward the runway.
“Willow, I’m so sorry,” Enzo says. “I didn’t want to hurt you like this. That’s why I kept it a secret for so long.”
“Stop talking.” I snatch my glass of champagne off the table and down it.
My mind comes up with all sorts of rationalizations to explain what’s going on in the photo, but doubt spoils every excuse like sour milk.
It’s hard to take a complete breath. The walls of the plane are closing in on me, and I glance around the cabin for the nearest bathroom to escape to. But when I try to stand up, I stumble.
Enzo grabs my waist to steady me. “Whoa, careful there.”
Adrenaline rushes through me, making me tremble as I grip his shoulder for support. Every time I take a breath, I can’t get any oxygen in my lungs, and I clutch my heaving chest as hot tears blur my vision.
“Willow?” Enzo gives my hips a little shake. “Are you okay?”
“I’m...” The ground starts to tilt beneath my feet.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“I’m having a panic attack.”
“Oh, shit.” Enzo pulls me down onto his lap and wraps his arms around me, holding me flush against his chest. Pressing his lips to my ear, he murmurs, “Breathe with me, Willow. In...” His chest inflates against my back. “And out...”
I choke on a sob. “I can’t!”
“Yes, you can.” He places his hand over my pounding heart, and the gesture is oddly soothing. “Now, breathe with me. In...”
Enzo cocoons me in his arms, keeping me from completely losing grip on reality, but I’m only tethered by a thread. The weight of impending doom starts to lift as I breathe with Enzo, even though each intake of air sends a violent shudder through my body.
“That’s it,” he whispers. “You’re doing great. Keep going. In...”
Tears pour from my eyes as my breathing evens out, and eventually, the tension gripping my muscles starts to release.
Enzo takes his hand from my heart and removes my ponytail tie. “I’ve got you.” My hair falls past my shoulders, and Enzo rakes his fingers along my scalp, easing the pounding in my temples. “I’m right here.”
As the panic ebbs, my limbs feel heavy. I tend to crash out after attacks, and I have a hard time keeping my eyelids open. While Enzo massages my head, my body relaxes more and more into his until I can’t fight off my weariness any longer.
“Willow, wake up. We’re here.”
Someone jostles me awake, but my brain is foggy and my muscles ache as though I just ran a marathon. I haven’t had a panic attack in a while, but I usually feel shitty afterward. Like this.
“Willow?”
I open my eyes, and Enzo is crouched in front of me, a deep crease between his eyebrows. When I meet his gaze, he relaxes.
“Where am I?” I croak. My throat is dry. “Water?”
“Gretchen! We need a bottle of water. Quickly.” He turns back to me and softens his voice. “We’re in Olininburg. We just landed.”
