Seven Years Ago
ELLIE
“El, you’re shaking.” I felt Sully’s hands on my shoulders, running up and down my arms, and the violent shuddering of my limbs seemed to quieten. “Eleanor, baby, I’m here.”
He was here.
He was here.
Thank God he was here.
“Why is she shaking?” He looked wildly around, eyes landing on someone in scrubs. “Is that normal?”
“Are you her…?” My kind nurse left the inquiry open-ended, and Sully gave an incredulous look, like he didn’t understand why his question hadn’t been answered.
“Boyfriend, husband, whatever I need to be so you don’t kick me out.”
“No worries of that.” A soft smile. “I was just about to give Ellie something to calm some of her nerves. It should help with the shaking.”
I closed my eyes, trying—for the millionth time—to take a deep breath, but I couldn’t.
“It’s already better,” I said.
Not the breathing, but the rest.
Sully’s hands were still up and down stroking my arms.
It was already better—the shaking.
Sully was here.
“We haven’t administered it yet,” she said calmly.
“I know. But it’s better.”
Always better with him.
“Everything’s going to be okay, Eleanor,” he said, and because it was Sully and I’d only ever trusted Sully, I let myself believe it.