Page 43 of Undefeated Love
After renting the beautiful house for only a month, the owner, another SEAL widow, confessed that she never wanted to see that house or Coronado again. Katlin offered her a reasonable price and the owner jumped on it. When she returned to Washington D.C., Katlin would continue to rent it through the same company as the previous owner. Not that she needed another rental property, but this three-bedroom house, across the street from the beach, was a goldmine.
Her new home was also only a few miles from Naval Medical Center San Diego. Claiming to have been transferred to the West Coast, Katlin was able to keep Dr. Rustlin as her OB/GYN physician. Her new proximity also kept her close to her psychiatrist, Dr. Eloise Bowden, whom she saw weekly after cutting ties with her friends and Alex.
Katlin pulled the small SD card out of her pocket that her brother had given her at Grace’s wedding two months ago. She still hadn’t worked up enough nerve to watch it. She’d promised Dr. Bowden that she would bring it with her for today’s session. Katlin wasn’t sure that she could handle seeing Alex on one knee in front of JJ again. The first time had crushed her. Perhaps seeing the video with her psychiatrist would help her deal with the devastating pain in her heart, the common theme of their sessions.
It had helped when Dr. Bowden was there as they listened together to Alex’s voicemails and read through his text messages. Hopefully her psychiatrist’s strength would help Katlin through the video.
After glancing at her watch, Katlin slid on a pair of turquoise sparkly sandals that coordinated with her blue shorts, and turquoise and white vertical-striped blouse. She liked to dress up whenever she went to see her doctors. The rest of the time, she wore baggy shorts and an old T-shirt, or a bathing suit. It was Southern California and she never had company, other than a delivery boy.
The minute she walked into Dr. Bowden’s office, the woman she’d known since she was four years old pinned her. “Did you bring it?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Eloise, as she preferred Katlin to call her, held out her hand. Katlin laid the square plastic box that securely held the small SD card into her psychiatrist’s hand.
“If you hadn’t brought it, I was going to send you home to get it.” She took it over to her computer and plugged it in. “Come sit over here next to me. We’ll watch it together on my flatscreen.” She pointed to the large television on the wall.
Katlin did as told and sat in the wingback chair next to Eloise. The first clip was the one that she’d seen several times, starting that fateful night. It felt as though knives were slicing her heart, seeing Alex on his knees with a ring box in his hand.
But the next video included a great deal more footage.
“We heard Alex say in his voicemail he was a victim of this hoax.”
Katlin nodded because her throat was so thick she couldn’t speak.
The psychiatrist reversed the video and played it at a very slow speed. “It looks to me as though he’s picking up things that fell out of her purse and handing them to her.”
“Yep,” Katlin managed to agree.
“Where’s that’s screech coming from?” Eloise leaned forward as though to get a better view.
Katlin swallowed. “I think it’s the anchor interviewing someone a few feet away.”
“Yes,” Eloise agreed. “I think you’re right. And now, JJ looks toward the noise before returning her gaze back to Alex.” She giggled. “He looks stunned, not nervous or anxious for an answer.” As the video continued, the box popped open. JJ smiled and told Alex that she’d marry him. “I want to see that again.” The psychiatrist glanced at Katlin. “I’d like to watch both reactions of Alex and JJ once again. I’d like to read their body language this time. Are you doing okay?”
“I’m fine.” Katlin also wanted to see it again. She knew what Eloise was trying to do; get Katlin to observe their faces and body language.
On the next run through, Katlin stared at Alex’s face. That wasn’t his look of love as he gazed up at JJ. “He’s confused,” she whispered.
“I agree with that observation.” She turned her body toward Katlin. “Talk to me. How are you feeling?”
“Like a fool. I jumped to conclusions. Again. Because of a damn video,” Katlin chastised herself.
“Wait. That’s not exactly accurate. You left after you saw the note on the tuxedo. You were already gone before this even happened,” Eloise reminded her.
“Yeah. I left because Alex was being an ass.”
“Let’s start there. We’ve talked about that night several times. As you mentioned last week, you were feeling pressured watching all the other women with their men in Miami. Grace’s pending wedding, your brother is already married to one of your best friends, yet you and Alex have been together the longest. Why do you think you haven’t yet set a date for your wedding?”
“I don’t know.” Katlin shrugged.
“I don’t believe that. You know why,” Eloise pressed.
“I wasn’t a very good wife to Ty. I’m still on active duty. I still get called out with very little notice. I don’t know if I’ll be a good wife to Alex.”
“Your reaction that night. I want you to think about this very carefully.” Eloise held her gaze. “Is there any chance that you were sabotaging your relationship with Alex? Was there anywhere in the back of your mind that this was the perfect opportunity to break up with him? Either when you first read the note or saw him later in the fake engagement to JJ?”
Katlin slumped back in her chair. “I don’t know,” she admitted just above a whisper.
