Page 101 of Bloom: Part 2

“Bloom. Bloom, look at me.”

But I couldn’t look at him. Not after everything I now remembered. I wanted to crawl into a closet and never come out.

“You did so good, Bloom,” Dr. Simms said. “You’ve unlocked those memories you were repressing for years. I know this might seem devastating at the moment, but they’ll help you to understand why you behave the way you do. Now it’s time to process them. Take all the time you need.”

Logan laid me on the couch. “Just give me a minute, sweetheart. I’m still here.”

I pulled my knees up to my chest, hiding my face. Over my thudding heartbeat, angry whispers between the two men pulled me more and more out of my thoughts.

“Just what were you recording?” Logan asked.

“This is a private session between me and Bloom, Dr. Collier. You bursting in here and interrupting the session ruined the progress we would have made. For the first time, he remembered a vital part of his childhood.”

“That still doesn’t answer the question of why you were recording the session?”

“It’s common to record sessions like these so I can later go over every detail of what the patient said or did while in hypnotherapy so I don’t lose any important detail. Are you satisfied with the way you’re ruining his progress? If not for you, we would have made headway much sooner. Unfortunately, I will not be discussing anything else with you about Bloom. Our sessions are private and confidential.”

Relieved Dr. Simms hadn’t told Logan about me tearing apart that marshal when I killed him and what my memories were about, I wiped my face with the backs of my hands and sat up. I still wasn’t a fan of using hypnotherapy to get me to remember, but at least I knew I could trust him with whatever I said in private.

A shudder ran up my spine, and my stomach roiled. Fuck, it was even worse than I’d thought, but now I wanted to know everything. What else had my parents done to me?

“Logan, I’m fine,” I whispered hoarsely.

He rushed over to my side and kneeled on the floor next to me. “Are you sure? Let me take you home. You don’t have to go through this anymore. I’ll find a different psychiatrist for you.”

Over his shoulder, Dr. Simms was staring at me. “I can’t stop you if that’s what you want to do, but we’ve already made so much progress. Why stop now?”

I squeezed Logan’s hand. “I want to stay.”

“But…Bloom.”

“You were the one who wanted me to do this, and now I am.”

He sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry for barging in. I just hated you sounding like that.” He kissed my forehead, then climbed to his feet. “You don’t have to worry. I won’t interfere again.”

“Perhaps you should go for a walk, Dr. Collier.” Dr. Simms checked his watch. We still have twenty minutes to go.”

Twenty minutes. Not too much time left.

I can do this.

30

LOGAN

When Bloom walked out of Dr. Simms’s office thirty minutes later, the sight of him hit me like a sucker punch. His face was pale, his eyes red-rimmed, like he’d been crying, and he looked utterly drained. Also devastatingly young. How could someone so young have been through so much?

Protective instincts kicked into gear. I jumped to my feet to meet him across the threshold. Behind him, Dr. Simms watched me, his lips tight. I didn’t blame him. There was no excuse for bursting into his office the way I did. Except that hearing Bloom’s heart-wrenching cry from where I’d been sitting in the waiting area had torn through me like barbed wire. The need to comfort him had been too strong.

“Don’t forget I expect to see you in another week,” Dr. Simms said to him. “It’s important that we have consistency if we hope to make a breakthrough. You did well today, Bloom, and that’s something to celebrate.”

“Thanks, Doc.” Bloom brushed his hair back from his face, avoiding the doctor’s eyes.

“You ready?” I asked him softly.

He nodded. “Let’s go. You wanted to go shopping for our wedding outfits.”

I placed a hand gently on his back and led him down the hallway. “Yeah, but now I’m having second thoughts. We should probably get you back to the clubhouse where—”

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