Page 29

Her smile is soft as she jots something down in her notebook. Not knowing what she was saying used to drive me crazy but I’ve gotten used to it, for the most part. “Has he asked you out or are you just talking?”

“No, we’re just talking. He also stopped by last night with sparklers for Brooklyn and dinner for me.”

“Sounds like a good man.”

I nod, twisting my fingers some more. “I think he is.”

“But you’re scared,” she supplies, stating what I’ve been thinking for the past couple days. I nod.

“Yeah, I am. He seems like a really good man and my heart races anytime he’s near me but there’s just so much in my past and so much that would affect any relationship we could have.”

She nods, jotting down some more notes. “This is an important step in your recovery, Quinn, and it’s essential that you learn to move forward with love. After all you’ve been through, it would be so easy to close yourself off and spend the rest of your life alone but I know that’s not what you want. Pushing yourself past this barrier won’t be comfortable for you but I know you’ll be happy once you’re on the other side.”

“Why don’t you ever have any easy fixes?” I grumble and she laughs.

“Sorry. That’s not how it works but I have faith in you. You can do this.”

I sigh, staring down at my fingers in my lap. “He hasn’t even asked me out.”

“Do you think he will?”

“I don’t know.”

She tsks disapprovingly. “Yes, you do. You just don’t trust your instincts anymore. Don’t overthink this.”

“How could I not?”

“After what happened to you, I know you have this intense need to know what’s around the next corner but life doesn’t work like that, Quinn, and you’re going to end up stalled out in the middle of the road for the rest of your life if you don’t learn to swallow that fear.”

“What if it goes terribly wrong?” I ask, meeting her gaze.

“The date? So what if it does? It’s two hours of your life and in the end, it won’t be that big of a deal. If you’re referring to the relationship in general, I have good news for you.”

I arch a brow. “What?”

“This is completely normal. These fears you have now are the same fears everyone has at the beginning of a relationship; they’re not from the incident.”

I nod, mulling over her words. “But what do I tell him about my past?”

“Whatever you’re comfortable with, Quinn. The key here is baby steps. You don’t have to unload everything all at once and if he’s as good of a man as you think he is, he’ll understand why you need to take things slow.”

The timer on her desk goes off and I release a breath, feeling lighter than I did when I walked in the door. Standing, I hold my hand out and smile. “Thank you.”

She shakes my hand before going to her desk and flipping through her calendar. “Again in two weeks?”

I nod and after we have my next appointment scheduled, I go out to my car and turn toward home with a smile on my face. Dr. Jeffers is right - I can totally do this. I’m still scared to death but her comment about spending the rest of my life alone scares me more. Whether it’s Lucas or someone else, I need to learn to move past this because I want a family someday - for Brooklyn and myself.

My phone rings as I pull into the driveway and I grin at Lucas’s name on the screen.

“Hey, you,” I answer.

“Hey, yourself. What are you up to tonight?”

I climb out of the car with keys and bag in one hand as I nudge the door shut with my knee. “Just getting home from a doctor’s appointment and then probably just hanging out with Brooklyn. Why? What are you doing?”

“I’m stuck on this surveillance job and I’m bored.”

I laugh as I step inside. “I’m so sorry about that.”