Page 76 of Fate Forever and Always

She looked down and bit her lip, then looked back at me with glossy eyes. “My therapist thinks I would benefit from you being in a session with me.”

“Okay, I’m in. Just let me know when,” I said without hesitation.

“You will have to take off work.”

She said it like I didn’t already realize that would be the case. It was like she couldn’t believe I would take time off work for her. I wasn’t sure why she even questioned those things anymore, but we’d get there eventually.

“Just let me know when, baby. I will be there with bells on.” I moved my hand to her face, and this time she didn’t flinch. That was a big step in the right direction.

She laughed, and her smile lit up the room.

“How did I get so lucky to find you?” I rubbed my thumb over her jaw. Her smile fell a little, and she moved my hand to her cheek and placed it over mine. She held it there for a moment, leaning into it, and embracing our touch.

“Thank you again for today,” she said softly.

“Forever and always, baby.”

Chapter thirty-two

Callie

Ilet Nick sort of touch me in the bathtub about a week ago. Everything went down the drain after that. We both acted as if that day had never even happened.

We were currently midway through my therapy session, and I hadn’t said a word. I was literally just listening to them talk back and forth. Nick grabbed my hand the moment we sat down, and thirty minutes later, he was still holding it while he talked.

“So, Nick, what do you think you need from Callie after this appointment? What would you like to see change when you leave here?”

Nick looked at me and then back at my therapist. “I don’t want her to change anything. I want her to take this at her own pace. I think she is making great strides in her healing.”

I squeezed his hand as a thank you, but stayed silent.

My therapist directed her attention toward me. “And you, Callie? What do you want or hope to change when you leave here today?”

“Nothing,” I said curtly.

She closed her notebook and pushed her glasses up onto her head. “Callie, if we want this to be productive, we definitely need to be honest with ourselves and each other. Do you want to try again?”

I looked at Nick, and he was all smiles. His face immediately turned a beautiful reddish pink from the next words that left my mouth.

“I want him to fuck me without treating me like a broken doll, but I can’t let him. My brain won’t let me. My brain tells me he doesn’t want to or doesn't find me attractive anymore.”

His mouth opened in complete awe. He was staring blankly at me, then swallowed hard before looking at my therapist.

“Nick, do you have a response to that?” she asked.

“I…well…I…I don’t know what to say here without getting in trouble or making anything worse.”

“Say whatever is on your mind,” I muttered.

He turned toward me fully in order to give me his full attention.

“First, nothing that has or will ever happen will change the fact that you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. Don’t let anythingevermake you think any different. Second, I’m scared to touch you because I'm scared that I will push you too fast and you won't be ready. You don’t talk to me about anything anymore, so I just never know what you are feeling.”

“You never ask,” I quickly responded.

“Callie. You can't say that. I ask you every day and you ignore the question like you didn’t even hear me.”

I pulled my hand away and felt a tingling bit of blush run up my neck. I just kept staring between the both of them looking at me.

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