Read Online The Strange Healing by Misty Malone - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Misty Malone
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Yeah, I'm okay now. I'd rather wait until then, I think, too.”
“ Okay, good. It's only a few minutes from here.” He kept his hand over hers as he drove home. He helped her out of his car and into his condo.
“ Let's get some water or iced tea and go in and sit down in the living room,” he suggested.
“ Some iced tea sounds great.”
Five minutes later they had their iced tea and were sitting on the couch. Sara took a drink, set her glass on the table, and looked at Heath. “Okay, I think I'm ready. What happened?”
He set his tea down and took her hand in his. He kissed it gently, and asked, “When you said you're ready, what are you ready for?” When she didn't answer him right away, he said, “Because Sara, I think we need to talk. I think this has a lot to do with what was bothering you last night. I know you said you weren't ready to talk about it yet and I didn't push you, but Honey, I think now you need to talk about it. I think you realize that now, too. When you said you're ready now, is that what you meant? Are you ready to talk to me now?”
Heath watched Sara squirm in her seat and he offered, “Like I said, I'm a pretty good listener. I promise I won't judge you, and what you say will stay between us if that's what you want.”
She sighed and looked at him so pitifully, he said, “Honey, I really just want to help you. How about if I tell you the parts I'm guessing on, and you tell me if I'm right, and fill in the blanks for me?”
She looked at him with a question in her eyes. “What do you mean parts you're guessing at?”
“Well, I think this goes back to the bad experience you had at the beach the other day. From the look on your face at the time, I'm guessing you've had a traumatic experience in the past that got pushed to the front of your memory when this happened.” Watching her reaction, he was pretty sure he'd guessed correctly. He rubbed her hand with his thumb as he asked, “Am I close?”
He saw fear in her eyes, and reached over to gently pull her into his arms. She readily allowed the closeness, snuggling into his shoulder again. He held her there a while, until he felt her relax a bit. “Sweetheart, can you tell me about it, please?”
She didn't answer, but he could feel her trembling a bit. Keeping her in his arms, he said, “Honey, how many nightmares did you have last night?”
She gasped as she looked at him. “How did you know?”
He smiled a little and said, “It's another thing I'm guessing at.” He pulled away from her a bit so he could catch her eyes, and took both her hands in his. “Sara, this is obviously a very traumatic experience for you, and I don't think you're going to be able to put it behind you until you talk about it. There's a lot of truth when people talk about getting something off their chest. It's really very helpful to talk to someone, share your feelings. Often it's the first time you can actually admit some of the feelings you have, and getting them out in the open allows you to process them, and then you can put them behind you. Does that make sense?”
She attempted a small smile and admitted, “Yeah, it actually does.” She sighed and admitted, “You're right, I didn't sleep good at all last night.”
“ Why didn't you call me?”
“ Because I knew you had to work today and you needed to get your sleep.”
“ Sara, didn't I ask you to call me if you had any problems with nightmares?”
She looked at her hands and admitted, “Yes, but I just didn't think it was fair to you.”
“Sweetie, do you remember that I told you I intend to be protective of you?”
“ Yeah.”
“ I'm getting off to a great start, aren't I?”
“ What do you mean?”
“ I certainly did a lousy job protecting you, and on the very day I tell you I intend to protect you.”
“ But that wasn't your fault, Heath. What were you supposed to do?”
“ Sara, I knew
“ Okay, good. It's only a few minutes from here.” He kept his hand over hers as he drove home. He helped her out of his car and into his condo.
“ Let's get some water or iced tea and go in and sit down in the living room,” he suggested.
“ Some iced tea sounds great.”
Five minutes later they had their iced tea and were sitting on the couch. Sara took a drink, set her glass on the table, and looked at Heath. “Okay, I think I'm ready. What happened?”
He set his tea down and took her hand in his. He kissed it gently, and asked, “When you said you're ready, what are you ready for?” When she didn't answer him right away, he said, “Because Sara, I think we need to talk. I think this has a lot to do with what was bothering you last night. I know you said you weren't ready to talk about it yet and I didn't push you, but Honey, I think now you need to talk about it. I think you realize that now, too. When you said you're ready now, is that what you meant? Are you ready to talk to me now?”
Heath watched Sara squirm in her seat and he offered, “Like I said, I'm a pretty good listener. I promise I won't judge you, and what you say will stay between us if that's what you want.”
She sighed and looked at him so pitifully, he said, “Honey, I really just want to help you. How about if I tell you the parts I'm guessing on, and you tell me if I'm right, and fill in the blanks for me?”
She looked at him with a question in her eyes. “What do you mean parts you're guessing at?”
“Well, I think this goes back to the bad experience you had at the beach the other day. From the look on your face at the time, I'm guessing you've had a traumatic experience in the past that got pushed to the front of your memory when this happened.” Watching her reaction, he was pretty sure he'd guessed correctly. He rubbed her hand with his thumb as he asked, “Am I close?”
He saw fear in her eyes, and reached over to gently pull her into his arms. She readily allowed the closeness, snuggling into his shoulder again. He held her there a while, until he felt her relax a bit. “Sweetheart, can you tell me about it, please?”
She didn't answer, but he could feel her trembling a bit. Keeping her in his arms, he said, “Honey, how many nightmares did you have last night?”
She gasped as she looked at him. “How did you know?”
He smiled a little and said, “It's another thing I'm guessing at.” He pulled away from her a bit so he could catch her eyes, and took both her hands in his. “Sara, this is obviously a very traumatic experience for you, and I don't think you're going to be able to put it behind you until you talk about it. There's a lot of truth when people talk about getting something off their chest. It's really very helpful to talk to someone, share your feelings. Often it's the first time you can actually admit some of the feelings you have, and getting them out in the open allows you to process them, and then you can put them behind you. Does that make sense?”
She attempted a small smile and admitted, “Yeah, it actually does.” She sighed and admitted, “You're right, I didn't sleep good at all last night.”
“ Why didn't you call me?”
“ Because I knew you had to work today and you needed to get your sleep.”
“ Sara, didn't I ask you to call me if you had any problems with nightmares?”
She looked at her hands and admitted, “Yes, but I just didn't think it was fair to you.”
“Sweetie, do you remember that I told you I intend to be protective of you?”
“ Yeah.”
“ I'm getting off to a great start, aren't I?”
“ What do you mean?”
“ I certainly did a lousy job protecting you, and on the very day I tell you I intend to protect you.”
“ But that wasn't your fault, Heath. What were you supposed to do?”
“ Sara, I knew
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