Page 57 of Healed in the Alpha's Embrace
Iawoke with the echo of the kiss lingering on my lips, a phantom sensation that had me pressing my face deeper into the pillow. Noah’s touch had been tender, almost cautious. I groaned into the soft fabric, trying to silence the part of me that screamed for more, something I wasn’t sure I should even admit. I’d wanted him to take control, to give me something other than soft kisses and fleeting touches.
That couldn’t be right. Not yet. It was so soon.
“Are you going to stay in there all day?” Heather called through the door.
“Maybe,” I mumbled, rolling over to squint at her when she came into my room. My heart still throbbed erratically, betraying my turmoil.
“Seriously, what’s up? You’ve been tossing and turning all morning.”
“Nothing. It’s stupid.”
“Out with it.” Heather leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, in that “little sister knows best” stance she’d mastered years ago.
“Okay, okay.” I sat up and rubbed my hands over my face. “Noah kissed me last night.”
“And?”
“And... I liked it. A lot.” Heat crept up my neck, painting my cheeks scarlet. “But then there’s this voice in my head asking if it’s too soon. If I’m moving on from George too fast.”
Heather snorted and came to perch on the edge of my bed. “Zoey, when’s the last time you were pleased? Really pleased? Emotionally or otherwise?”
I couldn’t bring myself to look at her. “I don’t know.”
“Exactly.” Heather stood, pulling me up by the hands. “You deserve to feel good, to be desired. And if Noah’s the one stirring all that up inside you, why question it? There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be wanted, Zoey. Desire is human.”
“Easy for you to say,” I shot back, but her words sank in, chipping away at the wall of doubt.
“Trust me. It’s okay to let yourself feel. Does he make you feel safe, Zoey?”
I hesitated, contemplating the question, absently tracing the freckles on my arm. “Yes.” The thought was so alien to me. I never would have thought I’d ever feel safe with another man. “He does.”
“And respected?”
“Respected, yes.” The realization surprised me as much as the admission itself. My gaze flickered up to meet hers, searching for judgment but finding none.
“Then what’s stopping you from exploring these feelings?”
“I’m scared,” I admitted. “Scared of getting hurt, scared of moving too fast.”
“Zoey, listen to me,” Heather said, cradling my hands in hers. “You’re a woman with needs and desires. It’s natural. Let yourself feel like a woman because, at the end of the day, that’s what you are.”
Her words wrapped around me like a warm embrace, coaxing the tension from my shoulders. “I guess you’re right.”
“Talk about it at therapy today,” she said. “It might help to get an outside perspective.”
“Therapy?” My heart pounded at the thought.
“Your first session is today, remember?”
“Right.” I took a deep breath, steeling myself. “I’ll bring it up.”
“Good.” Heather squeezed my hands before letting go. “Now, go get ready. You’ve got this.”
“Thanks, Heather.” I stood, feeling a bit more fortified than before.
When I was dressed, a small smile played on my lips as I headed toward the door, ready to face whatever came next.
Heather droveme to the center, true to her word that she’d come with me to support me. Boldercrest whizzed past, the houses and trees blurring together. I’d spent so many years listening to George tell me that my family was beneath me. That I didn’t need them in my life. So much time wasted. It was difficult not to compare the happiness I’d found in the short time I’d been here to all the time spent with George.
