Chapter 851: Worried
"You do realize my hands are my bread and butter, right?" Cai teased, his lips curling into a playful smirk. "If you keep squeezing like that, I won’t be able to do surgery for quite a while."
Lily’s eyes darted to their joined hands, her face heating with embarrassment. Her fingers had turned into a vice grip without her even realizing it. She exhaled a shaky breath, silently commanding herself to loosen her hold. Relax, Lily. Relax. Stop crushing the poor guy’s hand.
Easier said than done.
Her brain issued the orders, but her hands outright refused to cooperate. She could feel the warmth of his skin against hers, the reassuring steadiness of his presence, but that only seemed to make her more aware of her spiraling nerves.
"I’m sorry," she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper. "I’m just... really nervous."
Cai chuckled, the sound rich and unbothered, as if he hadn’t just been subjected to her iron grip. "I noticed." Gently, he pried her fingers free, one by one, his touch deliberate and patient. He flipped his hand over and wrapped it around hers, his thumb brushing lightly over the back of her hand in soothing strokes.
"Relax," he said, his tone low and reassuring. "They’re going to love you. I promise. And you’ll like them too. You might even end up wondering why you were so worried in the first place."
"You think so?" she asked softly, trying to mask that feeling of vulnerability and fear of rejection pressing down on her.
"I know so," Cai replied without hesitation, giving her hand a comforting squeeze. "You’ve got nothing to prove, Lily. Just be yourself."