Page 20 of Enticed

I like her. And Kane assured me she can help me. Now I just need to believe in her abilities and trust her to help me.

I take a deep breath and then begin. “Well, back in December, I went through something sort of traumatic. I was attacked at my place of employment by a disgruntled former employee, and then he attempted to… rape me.” It’s the first time I’ve said that word out loud, and hearing it come out of my mouth makes me want to choke back vomit.

“Wow, I’m very sorry to hear that. That is traumatic and something no woman should ever have to experience.” She jots down a couple of notes and then meets my eyes again. “So, what’s been going on since then?”

“Ugh. Where do I even start?” I settle back into the cushions of the couch, sinking into the comfort of the furniture while I describe in detail what happened that night and the events that have lead me up to the decision I made by coming to talk to her. By the time I’m done, my shirt is untucked from my slacks, I’ve pulled my hair down from the clip it was pinned back in, and my shoes have been kicked off of my feet. I also have tears streaming down my face and I’ve gone through half of a box of tissues blowing my nose. I’m the definition of a hot mess, but the boulders of emotion I’ve been carrying around on my shoulders for months finally feel like they’ve been moved.

“Clara, you’re having a very strong reaction to everything you’ve just said…. Why do you think that is?”

I sniffle and then look at her like she’s momentarily insane. “Uh, I’m not the one with the Ph. D, Doc, but I think it probably has to do with everything I just told you.”

She grants me a crooked grin but then becomes serious once more. “I know that, Clara. And I am so very proud of you for doing that, but that’s not what I’m asking. I’m asking you to consider why you’re crying so stronglyaftersaying all of those things…”

I sit back and narrow my eyes for a moment, focusing on what she’s asking as I swipe the tissue under my eyes again.

“I guess… well, to be honest, that was the first time I’ve said everything out loud to anyone.”

A pleased grin stretches across Dr. Martinez’s face and I can’t help but feel like I just got the million dollar question right on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

“Exactly. This is the first time you’ve truly talked about everything you went through and how you’ve been handling it since that night, isn’t it? It’s the first time you’ve uttered what you experienced out loud, am I right?”

“Holy shit! You are right….”

“Language, Clara,” she warns, but Doc is just going to have to get used to the fact that I swear like a sailor sometimes.

“Wow. So is this what's gonna happen every time I talk about it then? Because if that’s the case, I can’t handle that,” I shake my head, but Dr. Martinez reaches for my hand and soothingly rubs the top of it.

“For a while, yes. But I promise it will get better every time we talk. This is the first step, Clara… and taking it was half the battle. Give it some time, and I assure you, you will be a completely different person when you’re done,” her eyes crinkle as she offers me the comfort I needed from her words.

“Can you help me figure out what to do about the crush I’m harboring for Cooper too?” I joke. While describing the details of my attack, I confessed my confusion about what I’m feeling for Cooper to her as well, but we didn’t get a chance to go that deep.

“Yes, we can. Although, I don’t know if crush is the right word I would use…”

“And what is the correct word then, Doc?” I tilt my head at her.

“I think we’ve covered enough for today,” she winks at me, and then I write her a check for the most emotional one-hundred dollars I’ve ever spent and book my next three appointments.

Chapter 8

Cooper

The early morning breeze whooshes past me as I glide along the sidewalk, Roark panting beside me in stride. Running usually helps me refocus and clear my mind—but after last weekend at Kane’s birthday party, I’ve had a difficult time focusing on anything except how Clara felt and sounded when I plunged my tongue into her mouth. It brought up a rush of feelings I’d buried for years, along with some memories that seem more vivid now that I know what she intimately feels like in my arms.

???

“Why does Cooper get to have friends over, Mom? It’s my birthday party!” Olivia whines from the kitchen as I overhear her conversation while I’m in the bathroom, fixing my hair and slathering on some deodorant.

“Because he’s your brother, your family… and I want him to be here for your eighteenth birthday, Liv. He may annoy you now, but one day, your brother will be the only family you have left.”

“Don’t talk like that, Mom,” she says, emotion clogging her words as I make my way around the corner of the hallway and into the kitchen where they’re talking. Her sentimental look at my mom is quickly replaced with annoyance when she glares at me.

“I can hear you both, you know,” I claim their attention, opening the fridge to retrieve a snack.

“Stop eating all the food, Cooper! My friends will be here soon and knowing you, there won’t be any food left by the time they arrive,” Olivia shouts.

“Don’t have a cow, Liv. There’s no way I could eat all the food by myself. But once Jacob arrives, I can’t make any promises.”

“Ugh! Mom!” Olivia’s hands fly in the air as fire spews from her mouth and smoke billows from her ears. If she’s channeling Godzilla because I’m crashing her birthday party, I’d hate to see what she acts like someday during the week of her wedding.

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