When she arrived at the walnut tree, she sank to her knees. She let go of the skirt, spreading it around her on the ground, and she leaned her wrists into the damp grass. She tried to breathe calmly, but the panic was so strong that she found her whole body hyperventilating.
She breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth, hoping to calm her down, but the panic just kept getting worse and worse. Tears welled up in her eyes and she focused her blurry gaze on her hands in the grass.
Then she recognized his scent and felt his arm wrap around her shoulders. She looked up and immediately saw his worried, dark brown eyes. ‘Rue?’ he asked softly. She buried her face in his neck and let the tears flow.
Heath had no idea what to do. He felt a mixture of emotions. Not long ago, he, his
