Page 9 of Breathless
“Let me think about it.” Rawlins scratched his chin. “How do you notify your drive if you want to go somewhere?”
“I call him ahead of time,” she said. “He knows I have my appointment tomorrow, so he’ll be coming to take me for it. If we want to go in the morning, I should let him know tonight so he will be here on time.”
“I suppose we could go afterward,” Rawlins said.
“Then let’s order a pizza around eleven for lunch,” she said. “Night.”
“Night.”
He walked to the door and made sure it was locked. He was certain he had done it when they came in earlier, but he wanted to make sure it was before he went to his room for the night. It had been a long day. Closing the bedroom door, he sat down on the bed and tested it out. The mattress was firm because it was new, but that wouldn’t matter. He’d become accustomed to being able to sleep just about anywhere while serving in the army.
Unpacking his backpack, he stowed his gear in the three-drawer chest, glad he’d come prepared. Neither he nor his twin had known how the day would unfold when they went to meet up with Chaney and Justus. They’d both packed for the inevitable.Nothing was worse than being caught stranded unprepared. And a Ranger was never unprepared.
CHAPTER 3
Dr. Saunders welcomedChaney to her appointment and they both took their seats in her office. “It’s good to see you this week. I saw Justus this morning. I hope you are well.”
“I am,” Chaney said, settling in the chair. “What didshehave to say for herself?”
The doctor kinda smiled at her. “You know I can’t discuss anything that Justus and I talk about with you. Just like I would not tell Justus anything you and I discuss,” Dr. Saunders said.
“That is not what I meant,” Chaney said. “I’m sure she has told you that she insulted me yesterday. That’s what I meant. Did she explain why she was so hateful? I want to know if she confessed a valid reason for it? Because I don’t know how I am supposed to lose my friend after what we’ve been through together.”
Dr. Saunders nodded. “I see.”
“Do you? Because I am very upset over what she said to me.” Chaney looked down at her hands picking at her knit shorts. “She was cruel the way she pushed me away, knowing how my parents are treating me right now.”
“Dare I ask what they have done now?” Dr. Saunders inquired.
“They want me to stop seeing Justus and Liberty, for one.” Chaney snapped her head up. “They’re threatening to cut off my financial support if I don’t return to Baltimore. Can you believe they’d stoop so low after they’ve refused to allow me to work all these years to try and support myself?”
“Do you believe this is just talk or are they serious?”
“Oh, they are always serious,” Chaney said. “They never make threats they don’t mean.”
“But they allowed you to come to Colorado to college,” Dr. Saunders reminded her.
“Because they had no other choice,” Chaney said.
“I think you’re wrong. They did have a choice. They could have said no and kept you in Baltimore, making you wait a semester or even a year to begin until you could get accepted to a university of their choosing,” Dr. Saunders pointed out. “Don’t under estimate the power that you hold, Chaney. You made a bold move when you applied to only one university and forced their hand.”
“Maybe,” she relented. “But what about Justus?”
“She will talk to you in her own time. That is all I can say on the matter,” Dr. Saunders said. “Now, tell me what you think of your Brotherhood Protector. I know Justus doesn’t like hers, but she said you liked yours. Is that true?”
“Yes. I like him. He’s already becoming a friend,” Chaney said, relaxing once more by the turn of the topic. “Much in the same way Justus and I became fast friends. Which only makes me miss her more. And don’t let Justus fool you. She likes hers just as much. I saw the way she looked at Rafferty.”
Dr. Saunders smiled and gave a little nod. “How are your nightmares?”
Chaney softly chuckled. “You don’t mind getting to the point, do you?”
“We only have fifty minutes a session. I can’t really take the time to get there if we are going to make progress,” Dr. Saunders explained. “I know you have been through your own trials while you were being held and you never shared those with Justus, even though you were close.”
“No. I’m sure she kept things from me as well,” Chaney said. “Besides, we were kept in separate rooms and what went on in them only we knew. No one else. Other than Bo or Poe.”
“Do you think you will be able to share this with your protector?” Dr. Saunders asked. “I know you haven’t told your parents.”
Chaney shook her head. “Why would I tell them anything? They couldn’t stay in town long enough once I was found to make sure I was okay. As soon as they saw me and discovered from the doctors that I was in one piece… that…that I hadn’t been raped or anything, they were on the next flight back to Baltimore.”
