Page 74 of With Love

Adrienne

When I wake up, I am wrapped in a blanket and Marshall is holding me close. We’re sitting on the ground at the beginning of the path where we started our journey before I lost my mind. The anxiety attack took all of my energy, causing me to pass out.

“I’m so sorry,” I say to him in with a small voice.

“Adrienne, I am only going to say this to you one more time. You have to stop apologizing for everything. You didn’t do anything wrong and this is part of the reason why visiting these places is important.

“It breaks my heart to see you hurting the way that you were, but I think that you needed to get all of that out. How do you feel?”

I think about Marshall’s question for several minutes before answering.

“I feel good. Lighter. I was terrified. I thought that I was going to do a number on that tree though, so it’s probably better that I just passed out instead.”

“Well, if you’re joking around, then you must be feeling better.”

“Thank you,” I lift my hand to move some hair out of my face and it’s all bandaged up. “What happened?”

“Don’t you remember punching the tree?”

“I do, but I remember lightly touching it,” I answer.

“Sweetheart, you clobbered it. I’m actually really worried that you did some damage under the surface as well.”

I move it around as much as I can.

“It hurts, but I don’t think anything is broken.”

“I hope not. Are you hungry? I grabbed the cooler from the car while you were still out.”

“I’m starving.” I respond, surprised. “How long was I out for, I feel like a whole day passed by.”

“About an hour.”

“An hour?” I scream. “You should have woken me up!”

“I enjoyed having you lay in my arms. You looked so peaceful and, after last night, thought you may need the extra sleep.”

I sit up quickly and swat Marshall in the chest. I lean back, resting myself against the same log that Marshall is leaning on, and watch him unpack the cooler.

“I only brought some munchies. Cheese and crackers. Trail mix. Strawberries.” As he says the last word, in a very suggestive tone of voice, I can feel liquid pooling in my panties and I squeeze my legs together.

“No strawberries,” I tell him.

He pouts.

“But maybe later,” I add which has him smiling and wiggling his eyebrows like a goon.

I roll my eyes at him as I take a cheese and cracker sandwich out of his hand and eat it.

“So, tell me about the next stop. Maybe then, I will have time to think about it and get any sort of rage blackout out that it may trigger of the way beforehand.”

* * *

Marshall refused to tell me anything about the next stop. Instead, once we were finished eating, he handed me a dress and a bag of makeup and told me to get ready. So, now I’m standing in the middle of the woods in an evening gown--a gorgeous evening gown--and I’m using a tinted window for a mirror in order to put my makeup on. I’m just thankful that I straightened my hair this morning. If I would have let it air dry, it would have been a disaster by now. It nearly is after my episode with the tree earlier.

I take a step back and try to check myself out in the reflection of the car. I can kind of see everything. The one shoulder floor-length gown is all black sequin and lace with a thigh-high slit on the right side. There is ruching from the top of the slit up to the top of the dress covered by a rope of Swarovski crystals. I don’t even want to begin to think of how much Marshall paid for this dress. But at least it’s not Carolina Herrera. Chills run over my skin at the thought.

“Okay, I’m all ready when you are.”

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