Read The Druid Gene for Free Online

struggle with breaking up with her. It would be painful for him. She’d just go. It would save both of them the agony of a protracted nice-guy breakup.
    Her throat hurt and her breath was coming too fast. She recognized the sensation. She was on the verge of a panic attack. She hadn’t had one in years, not since high school. Adam had never seen that weakness, in fact. She couldn’t bear to have him see her like this now when she was sure he had to be questioning whether he even wanted to be with her. She had to go. She had to get away from this terrible place.
    She finished dressing, silently slipped her feet into her shoes, then knelt to tie them. She found her bra lying nearby and stuffed it into the pack. She rummaged around until she found a flashlight and then shouldered her gear. She looked up to see Adam watching her warily.
    “What are you doing?”
    “I’m going home.” She tried to sound calm, but her voice shook, betraying her. Her emotions were completely out of control and she hated herself for it. She set off for the ladder. Her gait was disjointed as she stumbled over the uneven stone. She knew he was watching her and that made her feel self-conscious, like she was performing in a play. She was being melodramatic, she knew that, and yet she had to do it. She’d been hurt too many times to stand around and wait for him to end it. She sniffed loudly, trying so damn hard not to give in to the pressure of the tears behind her eyes.
    They’d been together for three years. But if this was how he handled something serious, by brooding and keeping his distance, then she’d been wasting her time. It didn’t matter how good their relationship was in the day-to-day if she couldn’t count on him in a crisis.
    She should have known. There was no one in the world she could count on aside from her dad. She was better off alone.
    She stopped at the ladder, pressed her forehead into it and held on for dear life, trying to breathe evenly, to stop the spiraling thoughts before she completely lost it. She was hyperventilating and it seemed impossible to stop. She felt doomed. The best relationship of her life was over. She was alone again. All she wanted was to curl up in a ball until the pain subsided and she could be numb. But first she had to get out of there.
    She stuck the small flashlight between her teeth and put her foot on the first rung, testing the stability of the ladder. She’d just heaved herself up when she felt his hands on her.
    They didn’t pull on her or demand anything. They were gentle, a warm, comforting weight, instantly quelling her momentum. She pulled the flashlight from her mouth and froze, waiting, desperately wanting it all to be made right.
    “Darcy,” he said quietly. “If you really want to go now, give me a minute to pack up so I can come with you. It’s not safe to go alone after dark.”
    “Adam—” It was all she could get out. She was turning into his arms without conscious thought. It wasn’t giving in, she told herself, it was just giving him a chance. It had been rash to assume she knew what he was thinking, impulsive to walk away because her stupid feelings were hurt. She had to stop doing things like that if she was going to hang on to him—if she was going to be a good doctor. She had to learn to take a minute and think first, to give people the opportunity to explain.
    “I’m sorry,” he murmured into her hair. “I flipped out. You must be scared. I’m here for you.” He held her in a big bear hug. Her feet didn’t touch the ground. She wrapped her legs around him, clinging to him for dear life.
    She managed to choke out, “I don’t know what it is.” And she let go of a deep, wracking sob.
    “I know, baby.” He walked back to the campsite with her in his arms and sat down with her on his lap. He rocked her and listened as she poured out more details about what happened, most of it incoherent, mixed with sobs and tears and snot. It was embarrassing and