EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY

EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY
MARCUS’S POV

I found my feet taking me straight to her in the hallway outside the conference rooms, right where she said she’d be—leaning against the wall, arms folded, her phone glowing faintly in her hand.

Abby always looked gentle, but something about the way she stood there, waiting for me, made my chest tighten. She lifted her head the second she sensed my footsteps, and her whole face lit up like she’d been waiting hours instead of minutes.

“Hey,” she said softly.

The word was simple, but somehow it warmed something inside me I didn’t know needed warmth.

“Hey,” I said, exhaling a breath I didn't realize that I had been holding.

She shoved her phone into her pocket and took a step closer to me. “Did the call go okay?”

“No,” I said honestly. Sugarcoating anything for Abby felt impossible. “Not really. But… I’m hoping things will be alright.”

Her brows pinched slightly, that intuitive concern she always had surfacing immediately. “Is it about Lena?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Still nothing. But I have faith.” Saying it out loud steadied me. It was the truth—I did have faith. Damien was tearing through the world looking for her. And I… well, I was doing whatever I could from the shadows.

Abby stepped closer, her shoulder nearly brushing my chest. “I’m sorry. I know how worried you are.”

The kindness in her voice hit me harder than I expected. I exhaled slowly. “Thank you. And—” I paused, my voice softening without permission, “thank you for the food earlier. I mean it. You didn’t have to go out of your way.”

She blushed instantly, her cheeks blooming a delicate pink that made my pulse kick up a notch. “It was nothing. You sounded tired… and hungry.”

“I was,” I admitted. “You saved me.”

She laughed a little, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “It was just rice and vegetables, Marcus.”

“It was you,” I said before thinking. Her eyes widened, and I felt heat crawl up my neck. “I mean—your effort. It mattered.”

“Oh.” Her voice went right to breathy, almost shy. “Well… you're welcome.”

We stood there for a moment—close enough to feel each other’s warmth, close enough that every breath felt like tension coiling between us. Her perfume drifted toward me, soft and floral, and it did something to me I wasn’t prepared for. My body reacted before my mind did, heat pooling low, tightening, embarrassing and undeniable. I shifted slightly, hoping she didn't notice, but her cheeks deepened in color like she sensed the charged air between us.

She looked down, fiddling with her fingers, then up at me again. “Marcus?”

“Yes?”

“When you said not everything is okay… are you okay?

Her concern wasn’t out of obligation. It was because she cared. About me. That realization alone sent another warm rush through my chest.

“I am holding it together,” I said quietly, “Barely. But I’m trying.”

Her eyes softened, and she reached out—hesitant, gentle—and touched my arm. Just a small touch. A brush of her fingertips. But it sent a bolt of electricity straight through me. I swallowed hard, trying not to show how that tiny gesture hit me like a storm.

“You don’t have to pretend with me,” she whispered. “I worry too.”

God.

I didn’t know what happened in that second—maybe it was the way she looked at me, soft but strong, or maybe the exhaustion finally catching up. But something in me cracked open. I took her hand—slowly, giving her time to pull away.

She didn't.

Her eyes fluttered, her lips parting slightly as she looked down at our joined hands. Her cheeks were scarlet now, her pulse visible at her throat. The sight alone made my breath catch.

“Abby…”

“Yes?” she whispered.

I stepped a little closer. Her chest rose quickly, like she wasn’t breathing right. She wasn’t the only one. My heart pounded in a way I hadn’t felt in years.

“I want to ask you something.”

She nodded, her lips pressing together in a nervous line. “Okay…”

I dipped my head slightly, lowering my voice. “Would you… like to go on a date with me?”

She froze—eyes wide, breath caught, fingers tightening gently around mine. Her surprise was so pure, so honest, it made me smile. Her lips trembled before she finally spoke.

“A date?” she said softly, as if not trusting her own ears.

“Yes,” I said. “With me. Just us. Something nice. Maybe dinner. Or anywhere you want.”

Her face turned even redder-so red it made my chest feel warm and tight.

“You’re serious?” she whispered.

I nodded. "Completely".

She blinked, then laughed softly in disbelief, her smile blooming bright and gorgeous. She brought her free hand to her chest as if to steady her heart. “I—I would like that. I would really like that.”

The breath I released wasn’t planned—it just came out as something relieved, something almost… happy. Something I didn’t think I could feel today.

Her smile widened at my reaction, and she bit her bottom lip shyly. “Marcus… I didn’t think you… you know…”

“I do,” I said simply. My voice was deeper now. Rougher. Because everything I felt was pressing against the walls of my chest. “More than you realize.”

Her blush deepened again, and her gaze flicked briefly down my body before snapping back up—she had noticed more than I hoped. She quickly tucked her hair behind her ear again, flustered and glowing.

I cleared my throat, trying to bring myself back under control. “I’ll make it official later. The date. But… I wanted you to know I meant it.”

She smiled, so softly it almost hurt. “I am glad you asked.”

We stood there, neither of us willing to step back, both of us suspended in the same warm, breathless moment.

Finally, she whispered, “You should try to rest tonight. Everything will be okay. I know it will.”

Her faith in me—me, of all people—was something I didn’t know how to hold. But I tried. For her.

“I hope so,” I murmured. She squeezed my hand once more before letting go—and somehow that soft release made my heart feel too full. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” she asked.

"You will," I said. "Goodnight, Abby."

“Goodnight, Marcus.” I watched her walk away, her steps light, almost floating.

And even w
ith everything falling apart around us… for a moment, something felt right. Something felt like beginning.