Someone keeps saying my name, but it sounds like it’s being shouted at the end of a tunnel. “Nina, look at me.” A gentle touch settles at the nape of my neck, breaking through my whirring thoughts. Rhode’s deep blue gaze ensnares mine, anchoring me to their depths. The rhythmic circles of his thumb moving beneath my hair soothes me, but I can’t trust his touch since this means nothing. “Nina. Are you alright?” he asks. “Talk to me.”
