Page 36 of Free to Fall

I flutter my hands as if I’m warding off tears. “Just think. All I had planned for the summer was to sit around my backyard and brood.”

She jabs a finger in my direction. “This is precisely why you would be perfect for this role.”

Slipping my phone from my pocket, I wave it around. “I don’t hear it ringing, do you?”

Like I somehow spelled it to bring Liam Payne into our session by an unspoken incantation, it immediately begins vibrating. Alice cackles. “Do you think his ears were burning?”

I roll my eyes before pressing the option that says I can’t talk right now. “Coincidence, Alice. That’s all it was.”

“Few things in life are, Laura. Now, let’s talk about your attacks. How have they been?”

I think about the few panic attacks I’ve had in the past week since we last met. “Manageable. I’m beginning to wonder if they’re physiological as much as psychological.”

She’s intrigued. “What makes you think that?”

“I started doing what you asked.”

“And?”

“I started by journaling about what I was doing before the panic attacks triggered.” Pulling out my journal, I show her the meticulous notes I’ve taken. “See? Here? Two of them happened a few hours after PT.”

“With another happened after you drank caffeine late at night,” she mutters. “That eliminates more than half of them.”

“If I can get a grip on those, at least I can know when the real ones are coming on.”

Suddenly, a message pops up.

Liam:

When you’re free, I’d like to talk with you about Bailey.

Liam:

She’s in agreement, if you’re still open to the position.

Liam:

I apologize for taking a while to get back to you, but I wanted to be certain she was comfortable with the change.

Laura:

I’m in the middle of something. Can I give you a call in about an hour?

Liam:

Absolutely. I’m working from home. Call this number.

Liam:

And Laura, thanks. I really appreciate you getting us out of a jam.

Alice twists her head to the side. “So, what are you going to do?”

“Finish this session with you and then call him back.”

She rolls her eyes at me. “You’ll tell me what I want to know.”

“Maybe in our next session. If you’re lucky.”

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