2. Evelyn
CHAPTER TWO
evelyn
Evvy.
Every cell in my body freezes. The world stops. Even as the rocks crash around me, I’m unable to tear my eyes away from the man staring back at me. The only person in the world to ever call me by that name.
My college sweetheart.
My first love.
My supposed soulmate.
The man who took a sledgehammer to my heart and shattered it, like the geodes sprinkled at my feet.
Pieces of me, of us, of memories once shiny and beautiful, were turned into jagged shards I was never able to piece back together.
I tried, I really did. But once my heart was cracked open, I could never properly repair it—at least not the same way it was before.
Sure, I’ve healed over the years. I pushed through the pain and experienced some joy, but the result is something undeniably changed and fragile.
Hearing his voice again and seeing him in front of me has me feeling like my world is about to come tumbling down all over again.
“Evvy,” he whispers again, fingers grazing my wrist. The light, calloused touch snaps me out of my trance. The weight of the stares coming from his teammates is suffocating.
“Sorry, I don’t know her.” Without looking back, I bolt toward the employee break room.
The door slams with a bang as I lean over, bracing my hands on my knees. Spots hang in my vision like warning signs. My eyes clench shut.
This can’t happen. Not here. Not at work.
Tingling fingers grip my chest as I heave. Need air. Shallow breaths burn my lungs, but they won’t inflate. Too tight. Everything is too tight. Too heavy. Too real.
Breathe. You can breathe. Focus on something.
Prying my eyes open, I peer out the window, studying the stream running through the woods.
Water flows leisurely in a winding path through the trees.
You’ve got this. Listening carefully, I hear the calming splash against the river rocks.
Focus. In through your nose. My chest expands as I focus on the sunshine reflecting off the rippling water.
Out through your mouth. Blowing out a breath, my chest falls, relieving some of the tension.
After repeating this a few times, the spots fade.
My feet stay rooted to the old pine floor as I unfold myself, returning upright. There’s no lingering sign of dizziness, so I guess that’s a win. Years of therapy have taught me strategies to work through the panic attacks. Lucky for me, they worked this time.
Evelyn 1 panic attack 0. Not today anxiety, not today.
My little celebration is short-lived when my peaceful bubble is broken by the sound of voices outside the break room door.
“I just want to talk to her.” I should have known Zack would try to follow me here. It’s literally the only other room in this building, so it’s not like I could hide out for long.
The conversation continues behind the thick door. “You can’t go in there. Employees only.” Lindsey, one of the park rangers, tries to shoo him away. I need to remember to thank her later.
“Let’s go, man. Drop it for now,” an unfamiliar voice tells Zack. “They’re waiting for us, and you’re gonna piss off my wife.”
Huh? I don’t know who this guy’s wife is, but I’m grateful for her, because that comment seemed to work. I hear footsteps retreating.
When it’s finally silent, Lindsey cracks open the door. “Everything okay, Evelyn?”
“Yup, good. I’m good.” A lie. Maybe not a total lie. At least I can breathe again.
“Felix is setting the hockey team up along the east trail for the cleanup project. They’ll be busy for a few hours.
I could really use some help stocking the gift shop.
That’s only if you could spare some time away from your project.
” She opens the door wider, offering me a warm smile.
“It might be good to spend some time inside, it’s supposed to be a scorcher today. ”
I know what she’s doing, and I appreciate it. “Umm, yeah. That sounds like a plan. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
The door shuts as I blow out a deep breath.
It’s going to be a long day, but I remind myself that it's just one day. I can do this. Thanks to Lindsey, I’ll probably be able to avoid Zack.
Maybe I can even dip out before the team gets back and hide in my cabin.
With one last breath, and an ounce of courage, I swing open the door and head back to reality.