Chapter 76

Chapter 76

Good to his word, Andrew stayed up and talked with me until I was ready to go back to sleep. It took at least another hour, but eventually, I was able to bid Andrew goodnight and fall into a dreamless sleep. Despite how little sleep I got, I felt more rested the next morning than I had after any other nightmare.

A couple days later, my hand was fully healed–thank you, werewolf genetics -and I had an appointment with Dr. Sherman. I wasn’t particularly looking forward to the appointment, but I had promised Andrew that I would go once a week, and after the late–night nightmare call, there was no way that I could get out of it now.

As before, I plopped down in the chair opposite Dr. Sherman’s. Dr. Sherman stared at me with her calm, unjudging eyes, and somehow, that unnerved me. It was as though she knew that she would be able to get every detail of my problems out of me eventually; she just needed to wait me out.

I suppressed my shudder at the thought. It was only my imagination, the projection of my insecurities onto a blank canvas.

“So, Crystal, how are you doing today?” Dr. Sherman asked me.

I shrugged.

“All right, I guess.”

“Any paranoia?”

“Still some.”

Yeah, I still had some paranoia. That happened when you knew that someone. had painted a target on your forehead and was just waiting to pull the trigger of the gun that they were aiming at you. But it didn’t bother me as much with Dr. Sherman’s coping techniques.

“And you’ve been doing your deep breathing exercises?”

“Yes. It’s reduced my anxiety some.”

“That’s good. Have you tried yoga or meditation?”

With my schedule? I huffed.

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Chapter 76

“Should I take that as a ‘no‘?” If I didn’t know any better, I would think that Dr. Sherman sounded amused.

“No, I haven’t had the time.”

“Well, you should try and fit at least one of them in, especially the meditation. If you find that the deep breathing helps with your anxiety, then I think that meditation will really help to center you and even reduce your paranoia. I’ve found that early in the morning is the best time, to help you brace yourself for the day ahead.”

“All right. I’ll give it a try,” I said, though I wasn’t so sure if I would be doing

that.

“That’s all that you can do,” Dr. Sherman replied, making a note on her iPad. “Now, what about your nightmares? Last time we talked, those seemed to be a significant problem for you.”

I let out a long breath. I knew that this was coming, but I still wasn’t happy about it.

“They haven’t stopped. I’m journaling about them, like you suggested, and that seems to keep them from haunting me when I’m awake, but they’re pretty horrific when I’m asleep.”

“I’m sorry that you’re still having bad nightmares, but at least you’re able to keep them from bothering you when you’re awake. That’s progress.”

I shrugged.

“I guess.”

“You need to celebrate progress when it occurs. Let yourself feel your achievements, rather than what you perceive as your failures.”

I nodded, smiling slightly.

“So, when was your last nightmare?”

I flinched.

“Two days ago.”

“Would you like to talk about it?”

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Chapter 70

“Not particularly.”

“It’s okay, Crystal. This is a safe place. You’ll feel better if you talk about it.”

I had talked about it already, and it had made me feel better, but this wasn’t like talking with Andrew. This was sharing personal details with a virtual stranger. She might have been impartial enough not to judge me, but how did I know I could trust her with such private information–therapist or not?

“The dream started off well enough. I was….making love with…”

“With whom?”

I blushed. I wasn’t sure if I should tell her that detail.

“Crystal,” she said firmly but gently, “you can rest assured that what is said here will stay here.”

“Andrew,” I murmured, “I was making love with Andrew.”

Dr. Sherman nodded and made another note on her iPad.

“Go on.

“Well, while we’re…someone takes me and throws me to the vampires that attacked me.”

“And then?”

“They attacked me, and…it hurt! I mean, I didn’t think a dream could hurt,

but…”

“It’s amazing what the mind can do,” Dr. Sherman injected. “This dream upset. you, I assume.”

“Of course, it did! I was so disturbed by it that I called Andrew as soon as I woke up to talk to him about it—”

“Andrew from your dream?”

Heat rushed my cheeks. I hadn’t meant for that detail to sl*p.

“Yes, Andrew from my dream,” I mumbled.

Dr. Sherman typed something on her iPad.

Kier 20

“Did it help, talking to him??

Hesitantly, I nodded.

“Sometimes, it can really help to talk with someone whom we trust about what’s bothering us, including our nightmares”

I nodded again in acknowledgement.

“Andrew must be someone really important to you, that you would dream about him and instinctually call him when you have a nightmare”

I didn’t respond. I hadn’t stopped to give any thought to Andrew’s place in my life. Ever since he walked into the bridal shop that day, he had always been there, and I could not imagine my life without him.

“If you have someone like that in your life the continued someone who makes you happy and helps to brighten the dark places in your mind you should acknowledge what they mean to you for both your sake and theins. Not everyone gets to have someone like that and they’re someone you should cherish, just as they cherish you

When I left Dr. Sherman’s office, I couldn’t stop thinking about what she had said about Andrew’s place in my life. Despite all our fights, he did make me happy, happier than anyone I had ever been with–even happier than any friend I had ever had. And he did seem to brighten the dark places in my mind, making the nightmares and flashbacks more tolerable than when I tried to ride them out without him.

We had agreed to stay apart for my own safety, but my safety always seemed to be in jeopardy anyway. We seemed unable to keep away from each other, and so someone would always be wanting my head on a platter just out of principle. Why should we make ourselves miserable when it wouldn’t do my

ley way

Asset in my car, I pulled out my phone and dialed Andrew’s number, which

Kryua hodrew answered. “I something wrong?

dio, no. I just got out of my therapy session, and I decided to give you a call

SEND GIFT

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Chapter 76

Did you expect something to be wrong?”

“I’m sorry for the alarm. The last time you called me, you had had a nightmare about S** and vampires, so you can see why I might be worried.”

I laughed.

“Sorry. I’ll try and call you with less worrisome topics more often.”

Andrew laughed as well.

“No problem. So, what can I do for you?”

I took a deep breath.

“I actually wanted to talk to you in person. Would you like to have some coffee with me?”

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