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My heart skips a fucking beat at the sight of her smile.
Christ, she’s breathtaking.
I’m in so much fucking trouble.
“Is that the hardest you can hit?” David asks her.
“Ah… I don’t want to hurt you.” She gets ready, so her dad can grab her from behind.
“Give me your hardest hit,” he says.
“Okay.”
I watch closely as they go through the moves, and when she elbows David, he shakes his head and steps back. “That move won’t work.”
“We can do some strength training to build muscle,” I say. “We’ll work on other moves.” I gesture at the floor. “Can you lie down, Finlay?”
Her eyes dart between us before she sits down on the ground. I notice her body tensing as she lies down on her back.
Her eyes dart to me, and having those gray irises focused on me makes my pulse quicken.
“Open your legs a little.”
It takes a hell of a lot of effort to keep my mind out of the gutter.
Finlay’s tongue darts out, swiping nervously over her lips, and the sight only makes my heart beat faster.
Mind out of the gutter. Mind out of the gutter.
I keep repeating the words to myself as I move to stand next to her left ankle. “If the person has you on your back and he’s close enough, use your –” My words cut off when Finlay shoots into a sitting position. It sounds like she’s having an asthma attack, her breaths strangled.
I instantly step back, glancing at David. He darts forward and pulls her to her feet. “It’s okay.”
Finlay’s hand slams against her chest, the blood draining from her face while she struggles to breathe.
I have to fist my hands at my sides to keep from reaching for her, every muscle in my body wanting to comfort her.
David wraps her in a tight embrace against his chest. “Shh… sweetheart. I’m here.”
It takes a couple of minutes for Finlay to regain control over her breathing, and all the while, I can’t tear my eyes away from her.
Fuck. That’s a panic attack. I triggered something.
“I think we should call it a day,” I murmur, keeping my tone soft, so I don’t frighten her.
David nods at me. “Thanks, Ethan.”
I let myself out, pulling the front door shut behind me, before heading down the stairs. Only when I reach my own house do I glance back.
Goddammit, I should’ve been more careful.
Was Finlay attacked? An abusive relationship? It’s clear as fucking daylight something happened to her.
I drop down on one of the deck chairs.
If there’s a next time, I’ll have David perform all the moves with Finlay. With her laughing, I forgot to keep a safe distance between us.
“Shit.” Irrationally upset with myself for slipping up, I feel like punching something. It feels as if all my emotions are intensified when it comes to Finlay.
I hope she’s okay.
I can’t tear my thoughts away from Finlay and how quickly things changed. Just as I was making progress with her.
I scrub my hand over the back of my neck. Seeing David walking toward my place, I dart to my feet and take the stairs two at a time down to the beach.
“I’m sorry,” the words burst from me.
“It’s okay,” he says. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“How is she?” My eyes flit to the Drakes’ place, but there’s no sign of Finlay.
“She’s okay. Don’t worry. Can you come by the same time tomorrow?”
My eyebrows lift with surprise. “You want to continue with training?”
“Yes. She did well today, don’t you agree?”
“Yes. Absolutely.”
David tilts his head, locking eyes with me. “Thank you for going out of your way with my daughter. I really appreciate it.”
“Sure.”
David pats my shoulder. “Thanks, son. See you tomorrow.”
Nodding, I watch him walk back to his house, some of the tension easing in my chest.
It’s a good sign Finlay’s willing to try again. Right?
When I get home just before midnight, I shower and change into a comfy pair of sweatpants and a sweater.
The nights are really getting cold now that we’re heading toward the heart of winter. I make myself a cup of hot chocolate, and walking out onto the porch, I stare out over the darkness, the lapping of the waves making my body relax after the long day.
When I glance to my right, movement catches my eye, and I watch Finlay dart down the stairs. The air tenses, my heart launches into a sprint, and setting the cup down, I move to go after her. Just then, David comes into view, and when he grabs hold of his daughter, the wind carries her cry up the beach.
Christ.
The sound is nothing more than a heartbreaking wail.
I take the stairs down, but when David lifts Finlay in his arms, she seems to hold tightly onto him, and I freeze.
I watch as he carries her back into the house, and for long minutes afterward, I don’t move, processing what I just saw.
