Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 91560 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91560 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
I took a step I can’t go back from, killing that bastard who was hurting her. I’ll never be sorry. I doubt she expects me to be. If there’s such a thing as judgment at the end of a person’s life, I doubt I will be judged harshly for rescuing her. The bastard had it coming.
And she has this coming, because it’s what she deserves. Feeling whole, letting herself off the hook for the shit her asshole father blamed her for. Now that he’s in custody and the case against him is underway, she won’t have to worry about him anymore. He won’t see the light of day as a free man ever again.
It’s time for a fresh start. It’s all I can give her and all I want to give her—I only need her to accept it.
“Okay.” Looking through the passenger side window, her throat works at the sight of a quaint, almost idyllic home that also serves as Dr. Pierce’s office. I promise to wait for her outside before watching her walk bravely up the driveway and knock on the door, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She’s nervous but going through with it, anyway. I am so proud of her. I can barely breathe.
I’m not sure what to expect as I wait, screwing around on my phone while listening to music in the truck. Part of me wonders if she’ll make it through the whole hour or if she’ll leave early—but as the minutes pass, I feel a little more confident all the time. Finally, there’s movement out of the corner of my eye, and I look up to find her walking down the driveway wearing a faint grin.
“How did it go?” I watch as she belts herself in, and then lets out a deep breath.
“Honestly?” Finally, she smiles, and a weight lifts from my chest. “It was actually really great. She is so nice. And the room where she sees her patients is really pretty and comfortable, and it’s very homey and welcoming. I felt safe.”
I’m astounded. If it had been half that good, I would’ve been happy and felt like the money was well spent. I didn’t dare hope for this much. “So you think this is something you can see yourself doing again?”
“Definitely,” she tells me, beaming. “I mean, we didn’t really talk about all that much, but I want to, you know? I feel like she’s not going to judge me or anything like that, which is something I was worried about.”
“Good. That’s so good.” There are only so many nights she can wake up, shaking and on the verge of tears after having an ugly nightmare before she’s going to snap. If this helps, I don’t care how much it ends up costing. I would pay anything.
“You know, I could drive myself to these sessions.” Maya lifts an eyebrow at me after climbing into the truck once her tenth session with Dr. Pierce is finished. She goes twice a week, meaning it’s been more than a month since her so-called wedding. Every day, she gets a little stronger, and I know it’s because of the work Dr. Pierce is doing with her. She seems more confident all the time. I haven’t seen evidence of any more cuts on her body. And I check—thoroughly.
“I like doing this for you,” I tell her with a shrug as we pull away from the curb.
“At first, I thought you were driving me to make sure I went. You know, I’m won’t skip this. It’s been too helpful.”
“I get it. I just want to be here for you any way I can.” Especially since there are times when she comes out of a session wanting to talk about whatever she learned in the doctor’s office. The better she gets, the better I want her to get. I’m starting to crave this new, confident version of her.
“Thank you. Really, thank you for everything.” Her voice is heavy with meaning, and I don’t have to wonder what she’s thinking about. We never talk about it out loud, that ugly night, but it’s always there. Maybe one day, she’ll feel strong enough, but I am not going to push her.
It takes a few minutes for her to realize we’re not going straight home. “Where are we heading?” she asks, looking away from her phone, where I assume she’s texting Wren from the little smile she wears. Talking to Wren always puts her in a good mood.
“You’ll see.” Glancing her way, I find her frowning now. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing to worry about. I have a little something planned, that’s all.”
“A little something?” She arches an eyebrow, suspicious but intrigued.
“You’ll see soon enough.” This is in the name of healing, not to mention having a little fun. But I would like her to feel more empowered, like she’s in control of the situation, which is why I made arrangements with Lucian to bring her over today.