Page 109 of Healed in the Alpha's Embrace
I didn’t want to break down here. The last thing I wanted was to make this about me when Heather and Noah were the ones confined to hospital beds. “I know. I just can’t help but feel responsible. If I hadn’t come here, if I hadn’t brought this into your lives...”
“Then he would have found you somewhere else,” Sam said, his face serious. “And you would have been alone, without us to help you. Without Noah to protect you.”
At the mention of Noah’s name, a fresh wave of guilt crashed over me. He had taken a bullet for me, put himself in harm’s way time and time again, and I kept pushing him away, too afraid to let him in, too afraid to trust that he wouldn’t eventually hurt me the way George had.
Heather seemed to sense the direction of my thoughts. “Noah cares about you. More than you realize. And he understands what you’re going through better than anyone.”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. They were right. It was time I stopped letting George control my life, my emotions. That was easier said than done, though, after years of living under his thumb, of internalizing his twisted version of reality.
“We’re here for you, Zoey,” Sam said. “We’re your family, and we love you. No matter what.”
Sam kissed the top of my head before leaving with Ro to work on their remote-control car.
Heather tilted her head at me. “Can I ask you something?”
I turned to face her, bracing myself for the question l knew was coming.
“Is Ro responsible for George getting in the house and hurting me?”
Her words hit me like a physical blow. “What? No, of course not. Why would you even ask that?”
“Because you’re blaming yourself for what happened, even though it wasn’t your fault. Just like it wasn’t Ro’s fault.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but the words died in my throat. I had been so focused on my own guilt that I hadn’t stopped to consider the message I was sending to my son.
“I know you don’t mean to do it, Zoey,” Heather said, her tone softening. “But you need to talk to your therapist about how you respond to these situations. It’s not healthy for you, and it’s not good for Ro.”
Tears prickled at the corners of my eyes as the truth of her words sank in. I had been so determined to protect Ro from the trauma of George’s abuse that I hadn’t realized I was perpetuating it in my own way.
“I’ve seen enough messed-up kids during my psych rotation to know the damage this kind of thinking can do,” Heather said gently. “You’re telling Ro one thing, but your actions are saying another. It’s confusing him, and it’s not fair.”
“I know. I... I don’t know how to stop.”
Heather reached out and took my hand, squeezing it gently. “That’s why you need to talk to your therapist. And lean on your family. We’re here for you. But if you keep pushing everyone away, eventually, they might stop coming back.”
Her words sent a chill down my spine. Isn’t that what had happened between our mother and Sam? Mom had pushed and pushed until Sam couldn’t take it anymore, and now she was alone on the other side of the world.
I didn’t want that to happen to me. I didn’t want to lose the people I loved most because I was too afraid to let them in.
“I’ll call Elaine in the morning,” I said. “And I’ll try to be more aware of how I respond to things.”
Heather smiled. “That’s a good start. And remember, we’re here for you every step of the way. You don’t have to do this alone.”
As I sat there, holding my sister’s hand and feeling the warmth of her love and support, a flicker of hope ignited in my chest. Maybe, with the help of my family and my therapist, I could finally break free of the chains of my past and start building a better future for myself and my son.
“There’s one more thing I want to remind you about,” Heather said. “Noah is your fated mate. I know we spoke about it, but I don’t think you truly understand what that means.”
I nodded as I replayed that conversation in my mind. “You said it meant we were destined to be together, right?”
“It means that and so much more. He’s your perfect match, your soulmate. He will stand by your side through thick and thin. He will love and cherish you unconditionally. Noah is the complete opposite of George in every way.”
I flinched at the mention of George’s name, the memories of his abuse still raw and painful. But as I thought about Noah, a warmth spread through my chest.
Heather continued. “Noah would never berate you or make you feel small. He’s already taken two bullets for you. That’s how much he cares about you and wants to protect you.”
Noah had risked his life for me not once, but twice. And yet, I had been pushing him away, too afraid to let myself be vulnerable again.
“I don’t want you to feel guilty,” Heather said. “All I want is for you to realize how much Noah cares about you.
