Page 76 of Override

My thumb hovers uncertainly over the keyboard.

What am I even supposed to say to him?

Thank you for illegally helping me escape my husband and emotionally destabilizing me with soup?

A startled laugh escapes me despite myself.

The sound fades quickly though.

Because underneath all of this—underneath the warmth and relief and terrifying pull toward this faceless stranger—fear still sits waiting.

What happens when I get home?

My father used to tell me that courage wasn’t fearlessness. It was choosing to walk forward while fear clawed at your throat.

Right now, fear feels lodged somewhere near my heartbeat.

The phone sits in my hand.

Thank you.

Two simple words.

My thumb hovers over the keyboard anyway, because despite how insane this entire situation is, part of me wants him to know the coffee mattered. That the soup mattered. That somebody noticing I wasn’t feeling well mattered.

The realization alone nearly makes me close the entire message thread.

This is dangerous. Not physically. Not yet. But emotionally?

God.

I barely know this person and already he feels woven into my thoughts in a way that should absolutely concern me.

So instead of replying, I lock my phone and toss it into the passenger seat.

Then immediately miss the strange comfort of seeing the messages there.

Pathetic.

By the time Gallagher estate finally comes into view through the rain, anxiety has wrapped so tightly around my ribs it hurts to breathe correctly.

The gates open slower than usual.

Or maybe it only feels that way because the guards are watching the SUV more carefully this time. I feel the looks immediately. The shift in attention. The curiosity.

They know I left. Of course they do.

Nerves knot low in my stomach while I guide the SUV down the long drive toward the garage entrance beneath the estate.

Every instinct in my body braces for impact.

Maybe Ronan is already home. Maybe he’s waiting inside. Maybe—The garage door lifts slowly.

And there he is.

Declan.

Ronan’s head of security stands near the lower entrance with his hands clasped in front of him, dark suit immaculate despite the rain outside.