Dallas had spent his entire adult life being blamed for an accident that hadn’t been his fault and the town had persecuted him for it.
Once Maddox had told everyone the truth of what had happened, the entire room began talking at once, including the sheriff who was screaming at his deputy and the council members. I couldn’t keep up with things and was about to call Newt to me so we could wait outside when my eyes fell on Maddox.
He was standing stock-still in the same spot he’d been in, but there was something different about him. Sweat was dripping down his face and his hands were clenched into fists. His blank eyes were staring at nothing in particular.
It was like he was just… gone.
A moment later, his eyes slid shut completely. And when Jeb suddenly began pounding his gavel to get the room’s attention, things completely changed. Every time the gavel struck the wood block, Maddox jumped. His hands were fisted so hard the knuckles were bloodless. A few people had gotten up to go talk to Dallas and every time they brushed past Maddox, his entire body got tighter and tighter.
Like a rubber band that would snap at any second.
I was moving before I could even consider what I was doing.
I didn’t know what was wrong, but there was nothing natural about the man’s behavior. Not for him, not for anyone.
I carefully stepped over Loki and Newt as I made my way to Maddox.
“Maddox,” I called, but there was just too much noise for him to hear me. I practically yelled his name as I put my hands on his face, hoping to God he wouldn’t instinctively lash out at me. I had a feeling the man was having some kind of flashback or a panic attack, but I had no clue how you were supposed to approach someone in that state.
What I did know was that I needed to get him out of there.
Maddox’s frantic eyes landed on mine, then began darting around. Every time someone bumped him, or the gavel would hit the wood block, Maddox drew closer to the edge.
And I was terrified of what would happen when he gave up the last of the self-control he seemed to be clinging to.
“Maddox, look at me!” I demanded.
“Isaac?” Newt asked worriedly. “What’s wrong with Mad?” he whispered.
I could tell he was scared. His fingers were buried in Loki’s fur and the animal began to whine. But as badly as I wanted to comfort my brother, I knew Maddox needed me more.
“Maddox, eyes on me,” I practically snarled. My tone must have registered with the man because his gaze snapped to mine.
“That’s good,” I said softly as I held his gaze. I reached down to wrap my hand around his fist. “We’re leaving,” I explained.
I made sure it wasn’t a request.
I swore he nodded at me, but I couldn’t be sure. I walked backward several steps, maintaining the eye contact with him. I noticed Loki and Newt following, which I was grateful for, because I didn’t want to take my attention off Maddox long enough to call to Newt.
It seemed to take forever to clear the room and every time someone got too close to Maddox, I was terrified I’d lose the hold I had on him, both physically and metaphorically. But he seemed as desperate to cling to me as I needed him to. I wasn’t satisfied with just getting him to the hallway, since it was still noisy outside the room. But once the doors closed behind us, I did drop my eyes from him and turned so I could walk ahead of him rather than backward. I managed to get us out a side door and then headed toward the parking lot where Dallas’s truck was parked. The air was cold, but thankfully, it wasn’t snowing.
I maneuvered Maddox so the bed of the truck was at his back in case he needed the extra support. At some point, he’d closed his fingers around my hand instead of the other way around. His grip was hard, but not painful.
He began gulping in one lungful of air after another as he started to come back to himself. I used my free hand to rub his upper arm. The muscles there were still tight with tension.
“Try to slow your breathing,” I told him. Every once in a while, Newt would have really bad dreams that left him breathless. Maddox’s behavior reminded me of that–it was like he was still stuck in that state of trying to figure out what was real and what wasn’t.
“Here, Mad,” Newt whispered as he shoved his Lightning car into Maddox’s now-lax hand. I could tell my brother was scared. Not of Maddox, but of the situation. I pulled Newt against my side and ran my fingers through his hair.