Page 29 of Before Dawn

Concern flickered across her face. “What does he have?”

I forced myself to meet her gaze. “Videos. Pictures. He compiled them without my consent. Stitched together sexual moments I didn’t even know he recorded.” The lump in my throat swelled. “I don’t know if he’ll threaten to release them or just let the fear of it be enough.”

Dr. Green’s face remained calm, but I saw the subtle shift in her posture—the quiet fury behind her professional composure. “Abigail, I’m so sorry you’re going through this,” she said gently. “What he’s done is a violation. If he releases them, he can be held accountable. Distributing intimate content without consent is a crime, and there are laws to protect you.”

My nails dug into the cushion. “It just makes me feel… powerless.”

“You arenotpowerless.” Her voice was firm but kind. “That’s what abusers want you to believe. But you have options. And you have people who will stand by you.”

I wanted to believe her. But fear had settled into my bones, deep and unmoving.

“Let’s try something,” she said, her tone soft but guiding. “Close your eyes. Count backward from ten.”

I did as she asked. “Ten… nine… eight…”

With each number, I focused on my breath, on the weight of my body against the couch, on the warmth of the room.

“Seven… six…”

The pressure in my chest began to ease, the sharp edges of panic dulling.

By the time I reached one, my breathing had steadied.

When I opened my eyes, the world hadn’t changed, but the storm inside me had quieted, just a little.

Dr. Green studied me for a moment before speaking again. “I know that fear doesn’t disappear overnight. But you are taking steps forward, and that matters.”

I nodded, shifting in my seat. The silence settled around us, thick but not suffocating this time. I let it sit for a moment before blurting out, “Do you think fate is real?”

Dr. Green blinked, caught off guard by the shift. “Fate?”

“I need a distraction,” I admitted. “Yes. Fate. Do you believe in it?”

She tapped her fingers lightly against her chair. “I believe there’s a reason for everything, but I’m not entirely sold on the idea of fate.”

I exhaled, steady now. “Three weeks ago, I was at the airport, crying, and a stranger comforted me. And then I saw him again at a club. And again, just the other day, at a bar. I don’t know if it means anything or if I’m just overthinking it.”

Dr. Green’s lips twitched into a small smile. “Well, that’s new.”

I huffed out a short laugh. “You don’t think it’s fate?”

She shrugged. “This is New York. People cross paths. But maybe instead of focusing on why it’s happening, you should focus on closing the Joshua chapter first.”

I nodded slowly. “You’re probably right. It’s nothing anyway.”

But deep down, I wasn’t so sure.

I left her office feeling lighter, like I’d finally put something down I’d been carrying for too long. Maybe life wasn’t just about endings—maybe it was about what came next.

Even if—though I seriously doubt it—it had anything to do with a stranger I met at the airport.

Chapter Seven

Mikkel

“You don’t love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear.”

~ Oscar Wilde

---