Page 142 of Fierce-Zander

“I’m sorry this happened and you are hurt,” she said. “But when you come here for therapy, there is always going to be the risk that we hear things we’d rather not. That is part of it. To help us move past it.”

“She moved past it alright!” Colin shouted. “She wants it both and I don’t.”

Colin stood up as he yelled those words at her. She wondered if Miles could hear it or not. Sometimes he put music on or earbuds in while he worked. The walls had more insulation here also.

She stood up when Colin did, her chair sliding back and hitting the wall again. She knew beyond a doubt Zander would hear and come running. He’d know. They’d talked about this before, if she ever needed help or was in danger, let him know through the wall.

Colin started to pace around her office and she came out from behind her desk to not be trapped there.

“Why don’t you take a seat and try to calm down some,” she said.

It wouldn’t do her any good to tell him to leave and work him up. She could see it now. He was emotional and emotional people couldn’t always be reasoned with.

“I loved her,” Colin said, moving faster around her office.

She was moving in the other direction and closer to the door to get out.

But right before she could get to the door, he turned and moved toward her.

Everything Zander had been saying went into her brain and before she could think, she reacted and flipped Colin fast and had him on the ground, whipped the door open at the same time Zander was rushing in, then stood over Colin with his gun pointed.

Colin lay coiled in a ball sobbing. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do it. Don’t hurt me. I just want Maria back.”

The man was like a child cowering from what was going on.

Zander put his gun in his holster and yanked Colin up. “Did you send those threatening letters to Regan?”

“I did,” Colin said. “I was upset. Dr. Philes told us that sometimes writing is the best way to let our feelings out if we don’t have the courage to say it. That is all I was doing.”

Regan felt her shoulders slump.

She was wrong that she wouldn’t have figured it was Colin who wrote the letters, but she was right that none of her clients had any tendency toward violence.

“Let him go, Zander.”

“No,” he said. “I’m calling the police.”

“Stop,” she said, putting her hand on her boyfriend’s arm. “He’s not going to harm me, are you, Colin?”

The guy was bawling his eyes out worse than a toddler who had a toy taken away. He was cringing from Zander who had a hold on the front of his shirt. “No. I just wanted to talk. Ijust wanted help. I was afraid to come alone and drove by and worked up the courage to see if I could make an appointment.”

“We can talk,” she said.

“Not alone,” Zander said. “Not until I’m comfortable.”

She was going to argue with him, but all things considered, maybe it wasn’t smart. “Colin. You have to understand your behavior with the threatening letters.”

“I was expressing myself,” Colin argued, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. “Poorly. I know. But...I’m sorry.”

The crying was getting even louder.

She nodded her head for Zander to go into the waiting room. “We’ll give you a minute to pull yourself together.”

Colin nodded and cringed when Zander patted him down looking for a weapon. She didn’t say a word and actually hadn’t even thought of that, but it was a comfort that he had.

“I heard thumping on the wall,” he said after they walked from the office, giving Colin some space. “I panicked when the second one happened.”

She smiled. “Good to know that worked.”

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