Page 124 of The Logic of Loyalty

“My arms … What?” I look at my arms, finally catching up with the whirlwind that is my husband, when clarity finally hits. “Oh, no! No, no, no. Trevor, no. It’s not like that.”

He’s not listening to me, tapping my arm, and sighing when the numbers on the machine are healthy. His burning blues hit me. “I’m taking you to the hospital.”

“Trevor.”

“Paige!” He shouts my name, then curses low and under his breath. “Becky, you don’t need to call anymore. Please tell everyone that I am taking my wife to the hospital⁠—”

“Trevor!” I can see the majority of our friends are crowded in the entrance to the dining room, but that’s not what’s important right now. My husband is spiraling.

He speaks over me. “Let Bethany know that we will be back as soon as we are cleared, but it could take some time.” He scoops me off the counter and cradles me into his warm body. “If that becomes an issue with work, let her know we will figure something else out.”

“Okay, I can do that. Bye Paige. I hope everything is okay.”

“It’s fine!”

Trevor turns his face so he’s speaking almost directly into my ear as he heads to the front door. “Paige, you nearly died because of my ignorance the last time this happened. These rashes? They’re one of the first signs⁠—”

“Of HeLLP, I know.” He juggles me to open the door, but Sonya rushes past him and pushes it open.

“Okay, so don’t fight me on this.” He’s pleading with me.

I wrap my arms around his neck and pull myself to his ear. “They’re also the direct result of poison ivy.”

Trevor freezes a few feet from the door to the Suburban, his chest rising and falling in rapid succession. “Poison ivy?” Skepticism and hope war in his voice.

I nod my head. “Yes, Trevor, poison ivy. I was helping Becky in her yard.”

He continues walking, but some of the tension has left his frame. “No other symptoms?”

“You can check my legs—oomph.” Trevor opens the door to the SUV, drops me in the seat, and lifts the hem of my dress to do just that, nearly causing me to fall. He glides his hands over my calves and up around my thighs while he kneels on the ground between my legs.

Becky walks by with Carter trailing closely behind. She squeaks and rushes past, giggling to him. “I think he found a new way to resolve her issue.”

“Dammit, it’s not what—oh, whatever.” I kick my legs until Trevor releases them. He looks up at me with wide, panicked eyes.

“You’re really okay? You’re not feeling sick? Lightheaded⁠—”

“Yeah, no, I’m fine. Really—oof!” Trevor gathers me and pushes me deeper into the Suburban. He deposits me into his lap and holds me tightly in his arms, shaking me. I run my fingers through his hair and realize my dress is getting damp. He’s not shaking, he’s sobbing. His big shoulders shudder with his uneven breaths as he rocks me with his face buried in my chest, mumbling something over and over again.

“You’re safe. You’re safe. You’re safe.”

“Oh, Trevor.” I run my fingers through his hair and chant softly back to him. “It’s okay. I’m okay. I’m safe. The babies are safe. Everyone is fine. We’re fine. It’s okay.”

“I can’t lose you. I can’t—I. The idea of existing in this world without you? I—I can’t fathom⁠—”

“And you don’t have to. I’m okay. Everything is okay.” I continue to run my fingers through his hair, and his body relaxes beneath mine. He rocks me, and I am content in his arms.

Everyone is gone by the time we leave the Suburban, and the majority of the mess has been cleared away and cleaned up. “I owe Bethany for doing this.” He puts on a kettle and nods toward the living room.

I wander to the couch and settle down. “I have a feeling it was a group effort.”

He nods. “I feel stupid as hell.”

My heart squeezes at his admission. “Don’t feel stupid.”

His big shoulders rise and fall. “It’s just a rash.”

“It was also just a rash when I nearly died.” He works silently in the kitchen until he walks out with two mugs of tea. He passes mine over, and I inhale the lovely peppermint scent.